Heisman Trophy Odds: Bet on favorites to win after Week 13 in college football

When the calendar turns to December, Heisman Trophy voters make their list and check it twice.

Fortunately, unlike Santa’s naughty and nice list, the number of people worthy of hoisting the famous 45-pound bronze statue of John Heisman next month appears quite concise, at least according to DraftKings Sportsbook’s latest Heisman Trophy odds.

With less than two weeks until the Heisman voting, Las Vegas oddsmakers reveal a two-horse race between a once-in-a-generation two-way threat in Colorado corner/receiver Travis Hunter vs. a dynamic returning playmaker at a historic pace i Boise State‘s Ashton Jeanty. Check out DraftKings updated Heisman Trophy odds under:

A week after crossing into the negatives as the odds-on favorite to win the 2024 Heisman Trophy, Hunter saw his odds get even better despite the No. 25, Colorado’s 37-21 road loss at Kansas on Saturday. Odds aside, it’s clear the college football world is eager to see a non-quarterback reclaim the Heisman after quarterbacks have won the award 12 of the last 14 years.

And given Hunter’s two-way prowess that draws comparisons to college football Hall of Famers like Champ Bailey and Desmond Howard, Hunter has clearly caught the zeitgeist of the college football world this season. That includes Hunter being named a finalist for three national awards Tuesday, finishing in the Top 3 for Bednarik (defensive player of the year), Biletnikoff (top receiver), Maxwell (overall player of the year).

Marco Garcia-Imagn pictures

In any other year, Jeanty would be the runaway favorite to win the Heisman Trophy just based on his record-sniffing season on the ground. Through 11 games, Jeanty leads all of college football with a Boise State record 2,062 rushing yards and 27 touchdowns — 570 yards and six touchdowns better than the next-closest tailback this season.

In fact, at his current pace of 187.45 rushing yards per game, Jeanty is game just three plays and 567 yards shy of eclipsing Barry Sanders‘ all-time single-season NCAA record of 2,628 rushing yards set in 1988. Jeanty also became the first collegiate running back to top the 2,000-yard mark since Alabama’s Derrick Henry in his 2015 Heisman-winning campaign, and he did it with one game left in the regular season (as opposed to Henry accomplishing the feat in the postseason that year). Suffice it to say, Jeanty should go ahead and book his ticket to New York City for next month’s Heisman ceremony.

A bit of a longshot to win the award based on current odds, Ward should still get the highly coveted invite to NYC to be among the usual three candidates in attendance for the Heisman Trophy ceremony. And the former Washington State transfer more than deserves it based on what he has performed on the pitch.

After opting to forgo the NFL Draft last spring in favor of transferring to Miami, Ward has been sensational in his first season in Coral Gables, ranking first nationally with 34 passing yards and second with 3,774 yards on 268-of -399 passes (67.2 %). Should the Hurricanes keep winning behind Ward’s strong right arm and clutch play, including potentially striking out SMU to claim the ACC Championship next week, expect to see the Miami QB in the Big Apple in two weeks.

Week 7 Dillon Gabriel
Chris Pietsch-USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

With another significant jump in odds, Gabriel is a clear longshot to even get an invite to NYC. Not that he is undeserving of course. Like Ward, the well-traveled Gabriel has been a revelation after arriving in Eugene as a sixth-year transfer this offseason, guiding the Ducks to a perfect 11-0 record with the opportunity to accomplish even more in their first season in the Big Ten .

Although it’s not the offensive dynamo of the Ducks’ predecessor Bo NixGabriel still leads the nation’s only undefeated program with one week left in the regular season. In doing so, Gabriel has produced a Big Ten-leading 3,066 passing yards and ranks second in the league with a 73.8% completion percentage to go along with 28 total touchdowns.

An even longer shot, Howard is a Heisman candidate largely for his position at quarterback for what is arguably college football’s most talented team. A transfer from Kansas StateHoward has been a steady hand directing the Buckeyes’ supremely talented offense filled with a cadre of future NFL stars.

While his stats don’t jump off the page, Howard leads all of college football with a 74% completion percentage (208-of-281 passing) for 2,685 yards and a 26-to-6 touchdown-to-interception ratio. along with a Big Ten-leading 180.5 quarterback rating and 33 total touchdowns.

Remaining Heisman Trophy betting odds via DraftKings:

QB Carson Beck, Georgia: +25,000
QB Cade Klubnik, Clemson: +25,000
QB Jackson Dart, Miss Ole: +25,000
QB Jalen Milroe, Alabama: +25,000
QB Shedeur Sanders, Colorado: +25,000
QB Quinn Ewers, Texas: +25,000
QB Drew Allar, Penn State: +25,000