Quinn Ewers injury shifts Heisman odds for Arch Manning, Cam Ward

Heisman Trophy betting odds can be fickle, especially so early in the season. Good performances could be fools gold, and hot starts can tail off as the calendar turns to October.

And Saturday’s shift in betting odds — all kicked off by an abdominal injury for Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers — is in object lesson in such realities. Ewers entered the day as one of the betting favorites to win the award, and is now tied for the sixth-best odds, according to Draft Kings.

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Meanwhile, his backup, Arch Manning, rocketed up the odds. His +2200 odds, according to Draft Kings, are the 11th-best to win the award, now. And that’s after just a few quarters of action against UTSA. Further, ESPN sent out a note saying Manning’s odds went from 150-to-1 to 20-to-1, according to Brian Davis.

Perhaps the biggest winner of Ewers’ slip is Miami’s Cam Ward, who kept shredding on Saturday and now holds the top odds to win the Heisman, according to Draft Kings, at +550.

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The top 10 Heisman favorites, per Draft Kings, are as follows:

• Cam Ward, Miami QB — +550
• Jaxson Dart, Ole Miss QB — +650
• Jalen Milroe, Alabama QB — +700
• Nico Iamaleava, Tennessee QB — +850
• Dillon Gabriel, Oregon QB — +900
• Carson Beck, Georgia QB — +1200
• Quinn Ewers, Texas QB — +1200
• Will Howard, Ohio State QB — +2000
• Ashton Jeanty, Boise State RB — +2000
• Miller Moss, USC QB — +2000

Steve Sarkisian shared a brief update on Ewers during the game

Steve Sarkisian likely wanted to get more than one quarterback on the field against UTSA. The switch came earlier than he likely hoped, though. Ewers had to leave Saturday’s game due to an injury, eventually walking into the locker room and Manning has been playing ever since.

Just before the two-minute timeout, Ewers was on the sideline in street clothes. Sarkisian was able to provide an update on his third-year starting QB, giving us the exact injury.

“He’s got a strained abdomen,” Sarkisian said.

From a short-term perspective, Texas appears to be in good hands with Manning under center. His first play from scrimmage resulted in a touchdown pass to DeAndre Moore. On the next drive, Manning showed off his athleticism with a 67-yard touchdown run.

“It was a good start,” Sarkisian said. “Break down of protection there. So, he’s going through it. First time really playing good football… We just want to call the things that he’s good at, the guys have been practicing, and what we feel comfortable with.”

Depending on the severity of the injury, long-term effects are where Texas could be worried with Ewers. Next week is the final nonconference matchup against Louisiana-Monroe before beginning SEC play against Mississippi State on Sept. 28. A bye then falls on the schedule before they head to Dallas for the Red River Shootout against Oklahoma.