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2024-25 Heisman Trophy Predictions with Betting Odds

by Joey House - 11/5/2024

Heisman Trophy predictions Travis Hunter Colorado Buffaloes

With half (or more) of the college football season in the rearview, now is the time to earnestly start handicapping the 2024 Heisman Trophy. Even though there is still much football to be played, some expert analytical work and handicapping can reveal a ton of value in your futures wagering. Luckily, the handicappers at Doc's Sports have been dialed in on these futures markets all season and are willing to share their keen insight.

While most football fans acknowledge that quarterbacks have the advantage in winning the Heisman, that wasn't always the case. When Johnny Rogers of Nebraska won the coveted trophy in 1972 through the legendary Bo Jackson in 1985, running backs won every season. Since the dawn of the new millennium, there have only been four non-quarterbacks to carry the hardware away from the Downtown Athletic Club in New York City: Reggie Bush, Mark Ingram II, Derrick Henry, and Davonta Smith.

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This season started like many others, with quarterbacks dominating the list. However, as the season soon revealed with Florida State's shocking loss as a double-digit favorite to Georgia Tech, the only thing to expect this season is the unexpected. While quarterbacks still comprise the bulk of the list of Heisman hopefuls, the two-way terror from Colorado WR/DB Travis Hunter and Miami quarterback Cam Ward are tied for the lowest odds.

QB Cam Ward- Miami Hurricanes (+200): Miami Hurricanes quarterback Cam Ward "pulled a Lebron" and decided to bring his talents to South Beach (Ward was a 2-year starter at Washington State). His first season at Miami sounds like a football fairy tale. He has led the Hurricanes to a perfect 9-0 record, engineered one of the greatest comebacks of all time, and is among the leaders in almost every major passing category, including the most touchdown passes in the country with 29. His preseason odds started at +2000. The Heisman Committee loves a winner, and Miami will be a heavy favorite in the remaining three games. The average passing defense of the three future foes is 84th in the nation, meaning Ward should significantly add to his resume. He is tied for the lowest odds for a good reason.

WR/DB Travis Hunter- Colorado Buffaloes (+200): I am disappointed in myself for not having the foresight to see this coming. However, after seeing the preseason +5000 prices on Colorado's Travis Hunter, it seems Vegas didn't see this one coming either. Hunter burst on the national scene last season with Colorado's meteoric rise but was sidelined for a month due to a dirty hit suffered in the Colorado State game. By the time Hunter returned, Colorado's Cinderella season was done. After a mediocre 1-1 start this season, not much was heard regarding Hunter. However, as the wins started to accumulate, his prodigious ability was suddenly acknowledged again. Hunter is the true embodiment of what the Heisman Trophy winner should be: the best overall college player. His legacy isn't a world-class wide receiver or generational defensive talent. Travis Hunter's greatness is that he can influence the game on virtually any play. His snap count on both sides of the ball totals over 850 plays. He is in the top 10 of the country with eight touchdown receptions and has two interceptions on defense. If Colorado can continue to win, there is a possibility that the Buffs can make the expanded playoffs, further increasing Hunter's stock. However, Colorado's success could also be a negative for him. The Buffaloes' quarterback, Shedeur Sanders, is between +3000 and +5000. If Hunter's receiving statistics continue to improve, Sanders' passing stats will also improve. The teammates' success may cannibalize each other. Michigan's Charles Woodson was the last two-way player to win the award in 1997. And while Travis Hunter is probably the best overall player in college football, I think there is better value in the market.

QB Dillon Gabriel- Oregon Ducks (+300): Dillion Gabriel is the personification of the adage "third time is the charm." After starting his collegiate career at UCF and becoming their 4th all-time leading passer in yards and 3rd in touchdowns, he headed west to Oklahoma, becoming the Sooners' 6th-best passer in yards. However, his wandering days were not yet done. And after two seasons in Norman, Gabriel headed west... again (think of Forrest Gump traveling to the White House). While Gabriel's trek is the exact opposite of Cam Ward's to Miami, it has produced an almost identical result. The Ducks are undefeated, and Gabriel has the best passing percentage in the country and is in the Top 15 in yards and touchdowns thrown. Oregon is ranked number one in the polls and should be heavy favorites in their remaining three games. If the Ducks run the table in their inaugural season in the Big Ten and get the Number One seed in the College Football Playoff, Gabriel will be the reason why. Even though Miami's Ward has better numbers, the Heisman committee could consider the tougher competition that Gabriel faced. As long as he doesn't have a misstep along the way, I think Dillion Gabriel will win the 2024 Heisman Trophy.

RB Ashton Jeanty- Boise State (+500): At the beginning of the season, Ashton Jeanty looked like he was playing a video game. He ran for more yards in the first four games than the legendary Barry Sanders in his record-setting 1988 season. He ran 25 times for 192 yards (7.7 yards per carry) and three touchdowns against Oregon. Even though he began the season off-the-board in the Heisman betting, he quickly established himself and kept rising with his prodigious results. However, this preseason absence, along with not playing in a Power 4 conference, will ultimately doom Jeanty's Heisman run. You have to go back over three decades, when BYU's QB Ty Detmer won, to find a non-Power 4 school Heisman winner (BYU played in the WAC then). There is a prejudice against smaller schools that is difficult to overcome. Jeanty will get invited to the Downtown Athletic Club but will not hear his name called to go to the podium.

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