Heisman Trophy Odds: Betting favorites to win after Week 13 of college football

As the calendar turns to December, Heisman Trophy voters are making their list and checking it twice.

Thankfully, as opposed to Santa’s naughty and nice list, the number of people worthy to hoist the famous 45-pound bronze statue of John Heisman next month appears rather concise, at least according to DraftKings Sportsbook’s latest Heisman Trophy odds.

With less than two weeks before Heisman ballots are due, 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, throwback playmaker on a historic pace in Boise State‘s Ashton Jeanty. Check out DraftKing’s updated Heisman Trophy odds below:

CB/WR Travis Hunter, Colorado: -800

One week after crossing into the negative as the odds-on favorite to win the 2024 Heisman Trophy, Hunter saw his odds improve even further despite 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, drawing comparisons to college football Hall of Famers like Champ Bailey and Desmond Howard, Hunter has clearly reached the zeitgeist of the college footgall world this season. That includes Hunter being named a finalist for three national awards Tuesday, finishing in the Top 3 for the Bednarik (defensive player of the year), Biletnikoff (top receiver), Maxwell (overall player of the year) awards.

RB Ashton Jeanty, Boise State: +650

In any other year, Jeanty would be the runaway favorite to win the Heisman Trophy, just based on his record-shattering 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 just three games 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 remaining 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.

QB Cam Ward, Miami: +1400

A bit of a longshot to win the award based on current odds, Ward should nevertheless still get the highly-coveted invite to NYC to be among the usual three contenders on-hand for the Heisman Trophy ceremony. And the former Washington State transfer more than deserves it based on what he’s accomplished on the field.

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 touchdowns and second with 3,774 yards on 268-of-399 passing (67.2%). Should the Hurricanes keep winning behind Ward’s strong right arm and clutch play, including potentially knocking off SMU to claim the ACC championship next week, expect to see the Miami QB in the Big Apple in two weeks.

QB Dillon Gabriel, Oregon: +5000

With another significant leap in betting odds, Gabriel is a clear longshot to even get an invitation to NYC. Not that he’s undeserving of course. Much 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 achieve even more in their first season in the Big Ten.

While not the offensive dynamo of Ducks predecessor Bo Nix, Gabriel still leads the nation’s lone remaining unbeaten program with a week to go 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.

QB Will Howard, Ohio State: +20000

An even longer longshot, Howard is a Heisman candidate in large part to his position as quarterback of what is arguably college football’s most talented team. A transfer from Kansas State, Howard has been a steady hand directing the Buckeyes’ supremely-talented offense filled with a cadre of future NFL stars.

While his stats don’t pop 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, to go 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: +25000
QB Cade Klubnik, Clemson: +25000
QB Jaxson Dart, Ole Miss: +25000
QB Jalen Milroe, Alabama: +25000
QB Shedeur Sanders, Colorado: +25000
QB Quinn Ewers, Texas: +25000
QB Drew Allar, Penn State: +25000