Where Notre Dame players’ odds rank to win four key college football awards

College football award watch list season is upon us, and BetOnline put its spin on previewing the top contributors this year by releasing its preseason odds for four major awards. Each one featured at least one Notre Dame football player.

Here is a breakdown of how six total Fighting Irish players fare in taking home those trophies entering the 2024 season.

Davey O’Brien Award (nation’s top quarterback)

Riley Leonard’s odds are 20/1, which ranks 11th among college signal-callers. Oregon’s Dillon Gabriel is the odds-on favorite at 5/1. 

Notre Dame has never had a player win the award since its inception in 1977. However, last year’s winner was LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels, who new Notre Dame offensive coordinator Mike Denbrock had at the helm of his offense last season in Baton Rouge. 

Daniels completed 236-327 passes for 3,812 yards, 40 touchdowns and just 4 interceptions in route to winning the Davey O’Brien and The Heisman Trophy. He also rushed for 1,134 yards and 10 touchdowns on 12 carries. In Leonard’s best season at Duke in 2022, he connected on 250-392 throws for 2,967 yards, 20 touchdowns and just 6 interceptions. He added 699 yards and 13 scores on 124 rushes. 

Davey O’Brien odds

Dillon Gabriel, Oregon — 5/1
Carson Beck, Georgia — 6/1
Quinn Ewers, Texas — 7/1
Jalen Milroe, Alabama — 10/1
Jaxson Dart, Ole Miss — 10/1
Will Howard, Ohio State — 10/1
Garrett Nussmeier, LSU — 12/1
Nico Iamaleava, Tennessee — 12/1
Avery Johnson, Kansas State — 15/1
Cam Ward, Miami — 15/1 
Riley Leonard, Notre Dame — 20/1
COMPLETE ODDS

Doak Walker Award (nation’s top running back)

Jeremiyah Love checks in at No. 21 with 75/1 odds ahead of his first season with a feature role in the Irish offense. In playing behind NFL Draft pick Audric Estimé, Love had 71 rushes for 385 yards and 1 touchdown while catching 8 passes for 77 yards and a score as a freshman. 

Oklahoma State’s Ollie Gordon won the award last year and is the favorite at 3/1. Gordon gained 1,732 yards and 21 touchdowns on 285 carries. He also added 39 catches for 330 yards and another score. An Irish player has never claimed this award since it began in 1990. 

Doak Walker odds

Ollie Gordon II, Oklahoma State 3/1
Donovan Edwards, Michigan 6/1
Omarion Hampton, North Carolina — 7/1
Trevor Etienne, Georgia — 8/1
Quinshon Judkins, Ohio State — 10/1
TreVeyon Henderson, Ohio State — 10/1
Ashton Jeanty, Boise State — 15/1
Tahj Brooks, Texas Tech — 15/1
CJ Baxter, Texas — 20/1
Devin Neal, Kansas — 20/1
Jordan James, Oregon — 25/1
Damien Martinez, Miami — 30/1
Phil Mafah, Clemson — 30/1
Jaydn Ott, California — 35/1
Justice Haynes, Alabama — 50/1
RJ Harvey, UCF — 50/1
Roderick Robinson, Georgia— 50/1
DJ Giddens, Kansas State — 66/1
Nick Singleton, Penn State — 66/1
Ulysses Bentley IV, Ole Miss — 66/1
Jeremiah Love, Notre Dame — 75/1
Montrell Johnson Jr., Florida — 75/1
COMPLETE ODDS

Fred Biletnikoff Award (nation’s top receiver)

Three Notre Dame pass catchers earned recognition: Beaux Collins, Jaden Greathouse and Jayden Thomas to win the Biletnikoff Award. They all shared the same odds at 66/1, which ranked tied for 21st. Of that group, Collins has the best college season after posting 38 catches for 510 yards and 3 touchdowns last year at Clemson. 

Thomas and Greathouse battled hamstring injuries in 2023 and only recorded 265 and 310 receiving yards, respectively. 

Last year’s winner, Ohio State wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr., had 67 catches for 1,211 yards and 14 touchdowns. The Irish limited him to just 3 receptions for 32 yards in Week 4. 

In 2009, Golden Tate became the only Irish player to receive the award. He had 93 receptions for 1,496 yards and 15 touchdowns that season. 

Fred Biletnikoff odds

Luther Burden, Missouri — 5/1
Emeka Egbuka, Ohio State — 7/1
Tetairoa McMillan, Arizona — 9/1
Evan Stewart, Oregon — 10/1
Xavier Restrepo, Miami — 10/1
Isaiah Bond, Texas — 15/1
Tez Johnson, Oregon — 15/1
Tre Harris, Ole Miss — 20/1
Zachariah Branch, USC — 25/1
Travis Hunter, Colorado — 30/1
Deion Burks, Oklahoma — 35/1
Kevin Concepcion, NC State — 35/1
CJ Daniels, LSU — 40/1
Germie Bernard, Alabama — 40/1
Kyren Lacy, LSU — 40/1
Caullin Lacy, Louisville — 50/1
Jacolby George, Miami — 50/1
Squirrel White, Tennessee — 50/1
Dominic Lovett, Georgia — 55/1
Noah Thomas, Texas A&M — 55/1
Antonio Williams, Clemson — 66/1
Antwane Wells Jr., Ole Miss — 66/1
Beaux Collins, Notre Dame — 66/1
Brennan Presley, Oklahoma State — 66/1
Dillon Bell, Georgia — 66/1
Jaden Greathouse, Notre Dame — 66/1
Jayden Thomas, Notre Dame — 66/1
Nyck Harbor, South Carolina — 66/1
Ricky White III, UNLV — 66/1
COMPLETE ODDS

John Mackey Award (nation’s top tight end)

Mitchell Evans’ 8/1 odds of winning the John Mackey Award are the most favorable among Notre Dame players for these four awards. It slots him third and hardly behind the favorite, Michigan’s Colston Loveland, at 6/1.

Georgia’s Brock Bowers took home the honor last year after a 56-catch season for 714 yards and 6 touchdowns. Last season, Evans hauled in 29 passes for 422 yards and 1 score before tearing ACL against Pittsburgh on Oct. 28. 

Tyler Eifert became the first and only Irish player to win the award in 2012. He had 50 receptions for 685 yards and 4 touchdowns. 

John Mackey odds

Colston Loveland, Michigan — 6/1
Caden Prieskorn, Ole Miss — 7/1
Mitchell Evans, Notre Dame — 8/1
COMPLETE ODDS