The race for the 2024 Heisman Trophy is officially on.

As the campaign began, a handful of contenders made a superb early statement. In particular, Miami's Cam Ward and Georgia's Carson Beck impressed during the opener. Plenty of players—including a few SEC quarterbacks—dominated lesser competition, too.

On the other hand, it wasn't an ideal opener for Clemson's Cade Klubnik or Texas A&M's Conner Weigman.

But this is a marathon, of course, not a sprint. Week 2 is unnecessarily early for dramatic changes, so preseason expectations still play a role on the choices on B/R's watch list.

The tiers are subjective, as always, but consider a player's production and other Heisman trends.

Tier 5: Quiet Starts for Big Names

Cade Klubnik, QB, Clemson: Brutal start, really. Klubnik hit 18-of-29 throws for only 142 yards with one interception in the blowout loss to Georgia. He needs a bounce-back day against Appalachian State.

Donovan Edwards, RB, Michigan: Expected to become the Wolverines' featured back in 2024, he instead took a back seat to Kalel Mullings in the opener. Edwards mustered just 27 yards on 11 carries but at least caught a short touchdown pass.

Quinshon Judkins, RB, Ohio State: The projected time share with TreVeyon Henderson is an obstacle for Judkins anyway. And to start the season, the Ole Miss transfer closed his debut with 55 yards and a score.

Conner Weigman, QB, Texas A&M: Given the Aggies' suspect receiving corps, Heisman talk always felt dangerously optimistic here. That remains the case after Weigman finished 12-of-30 with 100 yards, zero touchdowns and two interceptions in a loss to Notre Dame.

Garrett Greene, QB, West Virginia: Greene and the Mountaineers had a great opportunity to demand some national attention in a home showdown with Penn State. Unfortunately, it was mostly a repeat of 2023's lopsided loss. Greene completed 15-of-28 passes for a modest 161 yards and didn't make a notable impact as a runner.

Tier 4: Week 1 Stars

Tetairoa McMillan, WR, Arizona: These are just video-game numbers. McMillan caught 10 passes for 304 yards and four touchdowns in Arizona's high-scoring victory over New Mexico. Another ridiculous stat line could happen opposite Northern Arizona in Week 2.

Ashton Jeanty, RB, Boise State: More video-game numbers. Jeanty torched Georgia Southern for 267 yards and six scores on the ground. His Week 2 competition rises significantly, though, as Boise State travels to Oregon.

Jeremiah Smith, WR, Ohio State: You're not going to believe this, but Ohio State may have a superstar receiver. Shocking, I know. Smith's emergence isn't a surprise given his 5-star billing, yet the freshman reeled in six passes for 92 yards and two touchdowns during his college debut.

Diego Pavia, QB, Vanderbilt: Did I expect to include Diego Pavia in a Heisman piece? Nope! Do I expect he'll stick in this conversation? Well, no. After such an impactful Week 1, though, he deserves a mention. Pavia totaled 294 yards and three touchdowns in Vandy's upset of Virginia Tech.

Tier 3: On the Radar

Travis Hunter, WR/CB, Colorado: The problem is that voters historically have not favored stars on average teams, which is the expectation for CU in 2024. But if the Buffs put together a strong opening month, Hunter will clearly be a top contender. He posted seven receptions for 132 yards and three touchdowns with three tackles in the opener.

Riley Leonard, QB, Notre Dame: From a production view, Leonard had a nondescript Week 1. He completed 18-of-30 passes for 158 yards, rushed for 63 more and accounted for zero scores. However, he made a couple key plays as Notre Dame picked up a critical road win at Texas A&M.

Ollie Gordon II, RB, Oklahoma State: You know someone is incredibly talented when there's hardly a reaction to 104 rushing yards, four catches for 42 yards and three touchdowns. South Dakota State's feisty defense made Gordon an inefficient runner, but he left the 44-20 victory with quality box-score totals to begin the season.

Drew Allar, QB, Penn State: Allar looked excellent in the road win at West Virginia. The second-year starter hit 11-of-17 passes for 216 yards and three scores, chipping in 44 rushing yards.

Miller Moss, QB, USC: Sunday night, Moss fired one of the most clutch passes in Week 1. He perfectly placed a 28-yard touchdown to Ja'Kobi Lane during the fourth quarter of USC's triumph over LSU. Moss finished the marquee win with 378 passing yards.

More to Know: Arizona QB Noah Fifita, Colorado QB Shedeur Sanders, Kansas QB Jalon Daniels, Kansas State QB Avery Johnson, LSU QB Garrett Nussmeier, Missouri QB Brady Cook and Oklahoma QB Jackson Arnold

Tier 2: Top Chasers

Jalen Milroe, QB, Alabama: As expected, Milroe and the Crimson Tide quickly put away Western Kentucky. The dual-threat star passed for 200 yards, rushed for 79 and totaled five touchdowns.

Cam Ward, QB, Miami: If the season ended today, you could make a compelling argument for Cam Ward as the favorite. But, you know, one game and all that. Ward shredded Florida to the tune of 418 total yards and three scores, leading Miami to a beatdown on the road. Again, it's simply one showing. That was also an extremely loud debut.

Will Howard, QB, Ohio State: Howard had a fine debut for the Buckeyes, who started slowly but ultimately cruised past Akron. He threw for 218 yards and three touchdowns, adding 18 yards on the ground.

Jaxson Dart, QB, Ole Miss: That poor Furman defense, man. Dart and the Rebels' talented receiving corps overwhelmed the lower-division squad. Dart completed 22-of-27 attempts for 418 yards and five scores, and he scampered for 27 yards with a sixth touchdown.

Nico Iamaleava, QB, Tennessee: You don't win a Heisman by torching the Chattanooga secondary, but you certainly can kickstart a hype choo-choo. (Good joke, bad joke? Who's to say?) Iameleava threw for 314 yards and three touchdowns in his two quarters of action.

Cam Rising, QB, Utah: Half of Rising's completions were touchdowns. I've seen worse. In seriousness, he went 10-of-15 for 254 yards and those five scores in a rout of Southern Utah. Utah picks on someone its own size, Baylor, this weekend.

Tier 1: Early Favorites

Carson Beck, QB, Georgia: Following a quiet opening frame against Clemson, UGA took control of the game. Beck, as usual, calmly led the Dawgs to a comfortable win. He finished 23-of-33 for 278 yards with two touchdowns and zero interceptions.

Dillon Gabriel, QB, Oregon: The team labored to beat Idaho, so Gabriel's place as a favorite is a bit tenuous. Still, it seems unwise to bail on his front-runner billing right away. Gabriel, whose impressive 41-of-49 completion line resulted in a modest (relative to efficiency) 380 yards and two touchdowns, leads Oregon into a clash with Boise State in Week 2.

Quinn Ewers, QB, Texas: No stress for the Longhorns in their annihilation of Colorado State. Ewers passed for 260 yards with three scores and one interception. Next up is a showdown on the road at Michigan.