College football’s most coveted award, the Heisman Trophy is awarded to the most outstanding player each December.
In 2023, LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels won the award — then was drafted with the No. 2 overall pick by the Washington Commanders — with 3,812 passing yards, 40 touchdowns and four interceptions. He also rushed for 10 TDs on 135 carries for 1,134 yards.
In the era of NIL and the transfer portal, there’s been a lot of movement among top college football programs and players, leading to some intriguing opportunities for wagering on Heisman Trophy futures.
Below, we look at the current Heisman Trophy odds and discuss some notable changes, values and risks.
Top Heisman Trophy Odds
Favorites, based on DraftKings odds, for the 2024 Heisman Trophy:
Dillon Gabriel, Oregon (+750)
Carson Beck, Georgia (+800)
Quinn Ewers, Texas (+1000)
Jaxson Dart, Ole Miss (+1400)
Will Howard, Ohio State (+1500)
Jalen Milroe, Alabama (+1500)
Nico Iamaleava, Tennessee (+1800)
Cam Ward, Miami (+2200)
Garrett Nussmeier, LSU (+2200)
Avery Johnson, Kansas State (+2500)
–Notable college football changes heading into 2024
Gabriel transferred from Oklahoma to Oregon.
Ewers lost several key weapons to the NFL, including Xavier Worthy, Adonai Mitchell, Ja’Tavion Sanders and Jonathon Brooks.
Howard transferred to Ohio State from Kansas State.
Milroe and the rest of Alabama are without head coach Nick Saban following his retirement. Former Washington Huskies coach Kalen DeBoer has taken over.
Ward transferred to Miami from Washington State.
Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders is +3500 to win the Heisman.
Texas and Oklahoma joined the SEC.
Stanford, Cal and SMU joined the ACC.
Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado and Utah joined the Big 12.
Oregon, USC, UCLA and Washington joined the Big Ten.
–Heisman 2024: The Top Value
Looking over the list of Heisman candidates and their odds, the value that stands out most: Arizona Wildcats quarterback Noah Fifita at +4000.
Last year, across 12 games as a redshirt freshman, Fifita completed 241 of 333 passes (72.4 percent) for 2,869 yards, 25 touchdowns, and six interceptions. We didn’t see a lot of rushing ability, but with the athleticism he possesses to move in the pocket to fend off defenders, we could see more runs from him this season.
Arizona made a coaching change and switched conferences — Pac-12 to the Big 12. If Fifita can rack up some rushing stats and continue to show his accuracy as he did last season in an improved conference, he’s on my Heisman radar.
–Heisman Trophy 2024 Betting: Biggest Risk
At +1500, Howard is the biggest risk atop the Heisman odds board.
A fifth-year player, Howard will be playing for Ohio State, which helps any resume, but he’s stood out in college football mostly because of his rushing ability.
He has a lifetime 58.8 completion percentage quarterback with 48 touchdowns and 25 interceptions. He scored nine rushing TDs last season.
He’ll have improved wide receivers, like Emeka Egbuka, but the running back duo of Quinshon Judkins and TreVeyon Henderson will limit his potential as a runner.
His inefficiency as a passer and lack of rush attempts limit his ceiling.
–By Richard Janvrin, Field Level Media
