Football fans every where are chomping at the bit for at least some sort of normalcy. After the NCAA was forced to cancel its winter and spring sports championships. The anticipation for the up incoming college football season is at an all time high. To quote the movie: The Wolf of Wall Street Money Never Sleeps “This right here is the land of opportunity. This is America. This is my home! The show goes on!” With that idea in mind Las Vegas and other odds-makers are starting to release prop bets for the 2020 college football season. One of the most important odds that has been released is the favorite to win Heisman Trophy. Over the years Heisman has been dominated by the quarterback position and as it stands so far this season. There are 27 players currently listed at 80/1 odds or better to win the Heisman Trophy, including 20 quarterbacks, three running backs and four wide receivers.
Justin Fields, QB, Ohio State, 2020 Heisman odds: 7/2
Summary: Fields is the current favorite to win the 2020 Heisman Trophy. In his first season as the Ohio State signal caller the former Georgia transfer led the Buckeyes to a 13-1 record and a College Football Playoff appearance, where they suffered a crushing loss to Clemson in the Fiesta Bowl. Fields put up excellent numbers along the way, completing 238 of 354 passes (67.2 pct.) for 3,273 yards with 41 touchdowns to just three interceptions and rushing for 484 yards and 10 touchdowns on 137 carries. He was named the Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year and Quarterback of the Year as well as a second-team All-American and ultimately finished third in the Heisman Trophy voting. That success has undoubtedly put Fields as the favorite to win the 2020 Heisman Trophy, according to Las Vegas sports book William Hill Sportsbook.
D’Eriq King, QB, Miami 2020 Heisman odds: 9/1
Summary: The Heisman award over the last three seasons has gone to transfer quarterbacks, Baker Mayfield, Kyler Murray and Joe Burrow. So the top graduate transfer quarterback in the country, King arrives in Miami after four seasons at Houston. He played in the first four games last season before opting to sit out the rest of the year in order to preserve a year of eligibility and ultimately ended up transferring to Miami. He had a record-setting junior campaign with the Cougars in 2018, amassing 3,656 yards of offense and 50 total touchdowns despite missing the last two games with an injury. If the theme of transfer quarterbacks continue King has the highest odds. Honorable Mention: Jamie Newman, QB, Georgia Heisman odds 7/1 Summary: Another transfer replaces Jake Fromm under center at Georgia. The former Wake Forest standout completed 220 of 361 passes (60.9 pct.) for 2,868 yards with 26 touchdowns and 11 interceptions while rushing for 574 yards and six touchdowns over 12 games last season.
Spencer Rattler, QB, Oklahoma, 2020 Heisman odds: 12/1
Summary: Rattler has yet to start a single game at the college level. He’s a redshirt freshman. Of all the freshman in the nation his odds are the highest to win. Overall, he has the third highest odds to win. Why you might ask? Reputation its quite simple. His head coach Lincoln Riley is a master at finding the right guy to run his system. In Riley’s three seasons as the head coach at Oklahoma, the Sooners have produced two Heisman Trophy winners in Baker Mayfield and Kyler Murray, as well as last year’s runner-up in Jalen Hurts. Now Rattler is set to step into the starting role after seeing limited action in three games last season, completing 7 of 11 passes for 81 yards and one touchdown and rushing for 23 yards on three carries.
Chubba Hubbard, RB, Oklahoma State, 2020 Heisman odds:25/1
Summary: Hubbard has the highest odds of any offensive player who is a non quarterback to win the Heisman. If Hubbard won it be history making as he would be the first Canadian born player to win the award. Last season, he led the country with 2,094 rushing yards, which was 16th in FBS history, third in Big 12 and second in school history. The only other Oklahoma State player to win the Heisman, a guy by the name of Barry Sanders, holds the single-season NCAA (and school) rushing record of 2,628 when he won the award in 1988. Hubbard’s 21 rushing scores were the most of any Power 5 player last year, and he led he FBS in rushes of more than 30 yards (15), 40 yards (nine), 50 yards (seven), 60 yards (five), 70 yards (three), 80 yards (two) and 90 yards (one). His 296 yards vs. Kansas State were the most of any FBS player in 2019. Hubbard finished eighth in the Heisman voting, was a unanimous All-American and the Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year.
Travis Etienne, RB, Clemson 2020 Heisman odds: 25/1
Summary: Along with Hubbard Etienne has significant odds to win the Heisman at running back. One of the more surprising underclassman decisions of the 2020 NFL Draft was Etienne’s return to Clemson for his senior season. Etienne is the ACC’s all-time leader in rushing touchdowns. The two-time All-American has started 40 of 43 games over the last three seasons, rushing for 4,038 yards and 56 touchdowns on 518 carries and adding 54 receptions for 567 yards and six touchdowns.
Ja’marr Chase, WR, LSU, 2020 Heisman odds: 100/1
Summary: Chase has the highest odds of the wide receivers. LSU is replacing most of its record-setting offense from last season, but the Tigers return their top receiver in Chase, who is coming off a historic sophomore campaign which earned him unanimous All-American honors. Chase is coming off a monster year in 2019. Chase played a major part in Joe Burrow’s Heisman campaign. Chase rewrote the record books in LSU’s offense a year ago. He ripped off an SEC record for receiving yards in a season with 1,780, and even better, he set a new conference mark with 20 receiving touchdowns. The sophomore was a runaway winner for the Biletnikoff Award as the nation’s best receiver. He also had the most receptions of 50 or more yards (9) of any player in FBS. Chase is an explosive play maker who will be looking to add onto his legacy this year.
Gregory Rousseau, DE, Miami, 2020 Heisman Odds 18/1
Summary: Rousseau has the highest odds of any non offensive player to win. He is coming into the 2020 season with the a lot of the same hype Chase Young did in his Heisman campaign. I believe that hype is well deserved. In his redshirt freshman year in 2020 he was second in the nation in sacks with 15.5. That amount only trailed Chase Young. He added to his sack numbers with 19.5 TFL’s and 54 total tackles. Rousseau was named First team all ACC and was awarded ACC Defensive Rookie of the year in 2019. At 6’7” and 253lbs, Rousseau’s film does not lie. He is a complete pass rusher and will be tearing into quarterbacks on Sunday’s for years to come
