- Heisman odds at BetMGM price Travis Hunter as the +100 favorite.
- Oregon quarterback Dillon Gabriel (+350) has the shortest odds of all quarterbacks.
- Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty (+400) is averaging about eight yards per carry.
The Heisman race is entering its most critical portion of the 2024 college football season.ย
A handful of top Heisman contenders will look to solidify their teamsโ postseason positions while piling up huge numbers. Bettors continue to open the BetMGM online sportsbook and bet into the college football futures market at record numbers.ย
Heisman Trophy odds remain one of the most popular year-to-year markets for fans to buy a futures ticket.ย ย
Thus, I go deep into Heisman odds betting research every season, breaking down the market name by name and re-examining the Heisman landscape every week.ย
I provide that extensive analysis for readers and bettors below.ย
Heisman Odds Market Breakdown
Player (Team) | Current Odds | Opening Odds |
---|---|---|
Travis Hunter (Colorado) | +100 | +3500 |
Dillon Gabriel (Oregon) | +350 | +800 |
Ashton Jeanty (Boise State) | +400 | [off the board] |
Cam Ward (Miami) | +850 | +2000 |
Kurtis Rourke (Indiana) | +1600 | [off the board] |
Jalen Milroe (Alabama) | +1800 | +800 |
Jaxson Dart (Ole Miss) | +2200 | +2000 |
Quinn Ewers (Texas) | +5000 | +800 |
Shedeur Sanders (Colorado) | +5000 | +2500 |
Cade Klubnik (Clemson) | +10000 | +3500 |
Will Howard (Ohio State) | +15000 | +1400 |
Carson Beck (Georgia) | +25000 | +800 |
Nico Iamaleava (Tennessee) | +25000 | +1100 |
Garrett Nussmeier (LSU) | +25000 | +1800 |
Riley Leonard (Notre Dame) | +25000 | +2000 |
Drew Allar (Penn State) | +25000 | +5000 |
Avery Johnson (Kansas State) | +25000 | +5000 |
Jeremiah Smith (Ohio State) | +25000 | [off the board] |
Heisman Trophy Prediction
Based on the current futures market, Travis Hunter has an implied 50% chance of winning the 2024 Heisman Trophy.
Heisman Watch 2024
The Heisman Watch shortlist continues to focus on a handful of candidates: Dillon Gabriel, Cam Ward, Ashton Jeanty, and Travis Hunter.
Hunter, who was a co-favorite at the start of Week 11 and an outright favorite by the middle of the week, increased his lead over the field with another strong performance in the Big 12.
Jeanty is still on pace to break the all-time rushing record, but his odds are moving away from the top of the table. Perhaps his status as a running back of the modern era is catching up with him.
Some of this quartet โ if not all โ will be in New York next month as Heisman finalists.
Kurtis Rourke, Jaxson Dart, and Jalen Milroe have all been adjusted down in recent weeks, but itโs unlikely that anyone can overtake the top four at this point.
Heisman Odds: Travis Hunter
Travis Hunter, the Colorado WR/DB, is currently +100 to win the Heisman Trophy.
Hunter has emerged as the late-season Heisman favorite for a vintage reason: Heโs the best player in college football.
At the start of the 2024 season, there were two major betting concerns about Travis Hunterโs Heisman odds. The first was that Colorado might not be good enough as a team for his excellent play to shine; the second was that Hunterโs heavy workload might lead to injuries, just like in 2023.ย
Itโs now November, and Colorado has worked its way into the Big 12 title race. So much for Colorado not being good enough. (Iโll have to take a personal L on that one.)
As for injuries, Hunter did miss a little bit of time in October with a shoulder injury, but it hasnโt kept him off the field enough to permanently damage his Heisman campaign.ย
Hunter can lay a strong claim to being the most outstanding player in college football. The race isnโt finished just yet, but at this point, it may be Hunterโs to lose.
Heisman Odds: Dillon Gabriel
Dillon Gabriel, the Oregon quarterback, is currently +350 to win the Heisman Trophy.
In Week 7, Gabriel delivered one of the signature performances of the 2024 season against Ohio State, posting a 23-for-34 passing line for 341 yards and two touchdowns. He added an extra 32 yards on the ground and a rushing touchdown, and Oregon beat Ohio State 32-31.ย
The decision was huge for anyone whoโs bet on Oregon playoff odds, as the Ducks now have an inside track to the Big Ten Championship Game. But the win also boosted Gabrielโs Heisman odds to a high-water mark, exploding past his +750 preseason price from August.ย
The Ohio State victory, alongside complementary results from around the country, also propelled Oregon to the No. 1 spot in the polls. After his team dominated Purdue and Illinois, Gabriel temporarily retook his position as the Heisman Trophy favorite.
That position receded slightly after Week 10. But if Oregon finishes the regular season at 12-0, Gabriel will undoubtedly be in the mix for the Heisman.ย
Ultimately, my instinct here remains that Gabriel is a good quarterback who wonโt quite match the heroics or stats of other top contenders.ย
The market seems to agree with that assessment. Dillon Gabrielโs Heisman odds account for less than 5% of all tickets at BetMGM.
Heisman Odds: Ashton Jeanty
Ashton Jeanty, the Boise State running back, is currently +400 to win the Heisman Trophy.
Jeanty is a name that was on absolutely no oneโs Heisman board during the 2024 preseason, but the Broncosโ incredible playmaker has already rushed for 1,734 yards through nine games. Heโs gutting opposing defenses with an astounding 7.7 yards per carry.
The numbers are so strong that they spurred an impossible-to-foresee rise in Ashton Jeantyโs Heisman odds.
It would be quite the shock for a Mountain West running back to win the Heisman Trophy, but eventually, the raw numbers may be too difficult to argue against โ especially if Jeanty breaks Barry Sandersโ single-season NCAA rushing yards record.ย
Oh, and as a final side note โ keep an eye on Boise Stateโs playoff odds. Since the G5 playoff bid is a bit of a beauty pageant, Jeantyโs skill and credibility in the Heisman market could end up boosting the Broncosโ postseason chances, too.ย
Heisman Odds: Cam Ward
Cam Ward, the Miami quarterback, is currently +850 to win the Heisman Trophy.
Ward has been nothing short of a wizard in South Beach this season, engineering comeback after comeback for the sluggish, slow-starting Hurricanes.ย
Unfortunately, that tendency finally (and perhaps inevitably) caught up with them in Week 11, as Miami lost its first game of the year at unranked Georgia Tech.ย
Once again, Ward took the field with under two minutes, needing yet another go-ahead touchdown drive. This time, the magic finally ran out, and he fumbled the ball during a sack inside his own 20-yard line.ย
Still, he has elevated the Hurricanes with huge stats and last-minute heroics. Cam Wardโs Heisman odds have been relevant all season, and heโs likely to finish the season as a Heisman finalist.
Whether or not he can overtake other top contenders is another story.
Heisman Odds: Kurtis Rourke
Kurtis Rourke, the Indiana quarterback, is +1600 to win the Heisman Trophy.
Rourke missed Indianaโs Week 9 game against Washington with a thumb injury, but he returned to the field in East Lansing for Indianaโs Week 10 thumping of Michigan State. Rourke tied his season-high mark with four touchdown passes in the 47-10 victory.
Rourkeโs ascending status in the Heisman table is a huge compliment to him, as well as the job that first-year head coach Curt Cignetti has done in turning around a historically dreadful Indiana football program. Itโs such a positive story that Rourke could even find himself in New York as a Heisman finalist.ย
Thatโs likely where the ceiling is here. Even with the No. 2 QBR in FBS, Rourke will have a hard time outplaying Heisman favorites like Hunter and Jeanty.ย
Heisman Odds: Jalen Milroe
Jalen Milroe, the Alabama quarterback, is currently +1800 to win the Heisman Trophy.
The Alabama junior has evolved from an unrefined dual threat at the beginning of 2023 to one of the more reliable quarterbacks in college football.ย
Fans saw Milroeโs potential ceiling against Georgia in Week 5. He was simply phenomenal: 27-for-33 for 374 yards and two passing touchdowns, plus 117 yards on the ground with two additional touchdowns.ย
But throughout the following weeks, Alabama took some serious lumps. Milroe was outdueled by Vanderbiltโs Diego Pavia in Week 6, as No. 1 Alabama suffered a historic loss at Vanderbilt. Milroe, who became the Heisman favorite after beating Georgia, was adjusted up to +1000.
After Vanderbilt, Alabama survived an upset bid from South Carolina, then lost at Tennessee in a defensive struggle.ย
Milroe saw another huge adjustment after Alabamaโs big win at LSU in Week 11, moving down from +6600 to +1800. Itโs a huge move, but itโs unlikely to result in anything other than raw CLV for midseason Milroe bettors. At this point, the likelihood that he overtakes Hunter, Jeanty, or Gabriel is pretty low.
Heisman Odds: Jaxson Dart
Jaxson Dart, the Ole Miss quarterback, is currently +2200 to win the Heisman Trophy.
After Dart and the Ole Miss offense posted gaudy numbers in early nonconference games against FCS Furman, Middle Tennessee, Wake Forest, and Georgia Southern, the Rebels crashed back down to earth in Week 5 in its SEC opener against Kentucky.
But Dart has endured an up-and-down October, emerging as a best-of-the-rest Heisman candidate with huge stats, an excellent 5:1 TD-to-INT ratio, and a top-10 QBR.ย
A 515-yard performance with six touchdowns in a Week 10 at Arkansas sure didnโt hurt.
Itโs likely too little, too late from Dart, and I certainly wouldnโt advise anyone to bet him at this much shorter price. Prior to Week 10, he was +6600.ย
Still, Dartโs relevance in the market โ and Ole Missโ staying power in the SEC standings and College Football Playoff picture โ are relevant signals for other potential Rebels futures. Dart could even snag a Heisman finalist bid with a strong close to the regular season.ย
Heisman Odds: Quinn Ewers
Quinn Ewers, the Texas quarterback, is currently +5000 to win the Heisman Trophy.
Ewers was the Heisman betting favorite prior to Week 3, but he suffered an abdominal injury against UTSA.ย
Ewers returned to the field in Week 7 and the result was a huge 34-3 win over rival Oklahoma. But one week later, Ewers played one of the worst games of his career, and Georgia humbled the No. 1 Longhorns.ย
Ewers has taken huge market adjustments. While the fat price clearly carries some value, itโs also difficult to see Ewers beating out big names like Jeanty and Hunter at this point.ย
Heisman Odds: Shedeur Sanders
Shedeur Sanders, the Colorado quarterback, is currently +5000 to win the Heisman Trophy.
Shedeur is the youngest son of his father, current Colorado head coach Deion Sanders. Shedeur played quarterback for two years at FCS Jackson State (2021-22) before following his father to Colorado for the 2023 season.
So far, Sanders has thrown for 2,591 yards and 21 touchdowns. Heโs a good quarterback with a strong crop of wide receivers to throw to, and that will likely translate to being a high draft pick next spring.
In the Heisman market, though, Sanders is overshadowed by Hunter.
Heisman Odds: Cade Klubnik
Cade Klubnik, the Clemson quarterback, is +10000 to win the Heisman Trophy.ย
Klubnik was a popular longshot that gained steam through September and October as the Clemson offense hummed through the ACC. He wasnโt going to win the award, but he might have played his way into finalist territory.
That momentum crashed in Week 10 when the Tigers dropped a home game to Louisville. Theyโre now in danger of missing the ACC Championship Game and the CFP, which kills any upward trajectoryย Klubnik had in the Heisman market.
Heisman Odds: Will Howard
Will Howard, the Ohio State quarterback, is currently +15000 to win the Heisman Trophy.
Howard has taken over the reins at quarterback for Ohio State after transferring in from Kansas State this offseason, and the production has been solid. Howard has a top 10 QBR and operates the offense efficiently.
However, with Chip Kelly now calling the plays in Columbus, the offensive identity is more run-focused. Thatโs taken some of the statistical shine away from the Ohio State quarterback position, which has produced Heisman winners and high NFL draft picks and recent seasons.
Howard was adjusted to +8000 even before Ohio State traveled to Oregon in Week 7. The close loss to the Ducks may have dinged Ohio State in the college football national championship odds market, but it hasnโt done much to Howardโs Heisman stock. Outside of Ohio, heโs not seen as a serious competitor for the award.
Heisman Odds: Garrett Nussmeier
Garrett Nussmeier, the LSU quarterback, is currently +25000 to win the Heisman Trophy.
Nussmeier delivered a signature moment for the Tigers in Week 7, leading a 13-play, 75-yard touchdown drive to tie Ole Miss with just 27 seconds left in regulation. In overtime, after Ole Miss kicked a field goal, Nussmeier fired a walk-off touchdown pass to Kyren Lacy on the first play of the possession to win the game.
It was an incredible sequence from Nussmeier and may go down as the finest moment of this season โ maybe even his career.
Heisman Odds: Drew Allar
Drew Allar, the Penn State quarterback, is currently +25000 to win the Heisman Trophy.
Allar gets some love as a 2025 NFL prospect, and he played an excellent game in Week 1 at West Virginia. He also delivered a close win in overtime for Penn State on the road at USC in Week 7, throwing for 391 and two touchdowns with three interceptions.ย
Generally speaking, Allar is seen as more of a long-shot in the Heisman market, accounting for less than 1% of the ticket share as of Oct. 28.
Heisman Odds: Jeremiah Smith
Jeremiah Smith, the Ohio State wide receiver, is currently +25000 to win the Heisman Trophy.
The Buckeyes are no stranger to elite receivers, as they have repeatedly brought in top-shelf wideout talent in recruiting class after recruiting class.
This year, the go-to guy has become Smith, as the freshman phenom has already assembled a dizzying collection of touchdowns, top 10 plays, and one-handed catches.ย
Heisman Odds: Nico Iamaleava
Nico Iamaleava, the Tennessee quarterback, is currently +25000 to win the Heisman Trophy.
Iamaleava is a redshirt freshman and former No. 1 overall recruit who received heavy praise from the market through the opening weeks of the 2024 season. In late September, he was the No. 1 Heisman betting target at BetMGM, selling more tickets than anyone else. Even now, he accounts for more than 9% of the market.ย
Tennesseeโs high-flying offense has cooled as SEC defenses have adjusted, though, and thatโs had a clear effect on Iamaleavaโs production.ย
Heisman Odds: Avery Johnson
Avery Johnson, the Kansas State quarterback, is currently +25000 to win the Heisman Trophy.
Head coach Chris Klieman and the Wildcats were comfortable letting Will Howard walk out the door to Ohio State because of how much they believed in Johnson.ย
Johnson has been good, but not good enough to rate in a Heisman discussion.ย
List of Heisman Trophy Winners
Year | Winner | Position | School |
2023 | Jayden Daniels | Quarterback | LSU |
2022 | Caleb Williams | Quarterback | USC |
2021 | Bryce Young | Quarterback | Alabama |
2020 | DeVonta Smith | Wide Receiver | Alabama |
2019 | Joe Burrow | Quarterback | LSU |
2018 | Kyler Murray | Quarterback | Oklahoma |
2017 | Baker Mayfield | Quarterback | Oklahoma |
2016 | Lamar Jackson | Quarterback | Louisville |
2015 | Derrick Henry | Running Back | Alabama |
2014 | Marcus Mariota | Quarterback | Oregon |
2013 | Jameis Winston | Quarterback | Florida State |
2012 | Johnny Manziel | Quarterback | Texas A&M |
2011 | Robert Griffin III | Quarterback | Baylor |
2010 | Cam Newton | Quarterback | Auburn |
2009 | Mark Ingram II | Running Back | Alabama |
2008 | Sam Bradford | Quarterback | Oklahoma |
2007 | Tim Tebow | Quarterback | Florida |
2006 | Troy Smith | Quarterback | Ohio State |
2005 | Reggie Bush* | Running Back | USC |
2004 | Matt Leinart | Quarterback | USC |
2003 | Jason White | Quarterback | Oklahoma |
2002 | Carson Palmer | Quarterback | USC |
2001 | Eric Crouch | Quarterback | Nebraska |
2000 | Chris Weinke | Quarterback | Florida State |
1999 | Ron Dayne | Running Back | Wisconsin |
1998 | Ricky Williams | Running Back | Texas |
1997 | Charles Woodson | Corner Back | Michigan |
1996 | Danny Wuerffel | Quarterback | Florida |
1995 | Eddie George | Running Back | Ohio State |
1994 | Rashaan Salaam | Running Back | Colorado |
1993 | Charlie Ward | Quarterback | Florida State |
1992 | Gino Torretta | Quarterback | Miami (FL) |
1991 | Desmond Howard | WR/PR | Michigan |
1990 | Ty Detmer | Quarterback | BYU |
1989 | Andre Ware | Quarterback | Houston |
1988 | Barry Sanders | Running Back | Oklahoma State |
1987 | Tim Brown | Wide Receiver | Notre Dame |
1986 | Vinny Testaverde | Quarterback | Miami (FL) |
1985 | Bo Jackson | Running Back | Auburn |
1984 | Doug Flutie | Quarterback | Boston College |
1983 | Mike Rozier | Running Back | Nebraska |
1982 | Herschel Walker | Running Back | Georgia |
1981 | Marcus Allen | Running Back | USC |
1980 | George Rogers | Running Back | South Carolina |
1979 | Charles White | Running Back | USC |
1978 | Billy Sims | Running Back | Oklahoma |
1977 | Earl Campbell | Running Back | Texas |
1976 | Tony Dorsett | Running Back | Pittsburgh |
1975 | Archie Griffin (2) | Quarterback | Ohio State |
1974 | Archie Griffin | Quarterback | Ohio State |
1973 | John Cappelletti | Running Back | Penn State |
1972 | Johnny Rodgers | RB/WR | Nebraska |
1971 | Pat Sullivan | Quarterback | Auburn |
1970 | Jim Plunkett | Quarterback | Stanford |
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