Heisman Stock Up, Stock Down: Bennett, Gabriel Joining the Party

Injury to Texas QB Ewers Shakes Up Betting Odds

· Sep 13 - 5 minutes read

There is still plenty of football yet to be played but still, is it ever too early to engage in some Heisman Trophy prognosticating?

Injuries, struggles, and untimely losses can short-circuit a Heisman Trophy candidate’s dream of winning the most prestigious award in college football before the season really gets rolling.

Former quarterback Baker Mayfield of the Oklahoma Sooners poses with fellow Heisman Trophy winners Steve Owens, Jason White, and Kyler Murray — Brian Bahr/Getty Images/AFP

With that in mind, we are taking a look at the players rising and falling in the odds to win the Heisman Trophy. The college football predictions might need to be adjusted a few times when it comes to handicapping the top Heisman candidates. Here is the update heading into Week 3 of the college football season.

No Change at Top

Coming into the season, quarterbacks C.J. Stroud of Ohio State, last year’s winner, Bryce Young, of Alabama and Southern California’s Caleb Williams had separated themselves from the rest of the Heisman candidates.

Not much has changed heading into Week 3.

Stroud (+250) is still the leader as he has completed 69% of his passes for 574 yards with six touchdowns and no interceptions in the first two games for the No. 3-ranked Buckeyes.

Young (+375) has only thrown for 408 yards in the first two games. Like Stroud, he has six TD passes and no interceptions. He had a highlight variety run to set up the game-winning field goal in a win over Texas.

Williams also has six TDs and no picks while completing 79.6% of his passes in his first two games at USC after transferring from Oklahoma. He has +300 odds to win the Heisman Trophy and has moved ahead of Young.

Ewers on the Mend

Quinn Ewers, the No. 1-rated recruit in the country coming out of high school, was looking pretty good in the matchup with No. 1 Alabama. However, he landed awkwardly on his non-throwing shoulder late in the first quarter.

Texas coach Steve Sarkisian said that Ewers suffered a clavicle sprain. He had 134 yards in just under a quarter against the Crimson Tide.

There are different reports surfacing suggesting that Ewers could miss anywhere from 2-3 or 4-6 weeks. Either way, his run as a Heisman Trophy candidate is on hold.

Texas QB Quinn Ewers is expected to miss at least two to three weeks due to a clavicle sprain, a source tells @BruceFeldmanCFB. https://t.co/enWKVoiYwC pic.twitter.com/V9fSALJZYF

— The Athletic CFB (@TheAthleticCFB) September 11, 2022

Bennett One Bulldog with Plenty of Bite

The defense was the story during Georgia’s run to the national title in 2021. It is a different deal in 2022.

Georgia once again leads the country in scoring defense. However, quarterback Stetson Bennett (+1400) is now fourth in the Heisman odds after throwing for 688 yards with three touchdown passes to go with a pair of scoring runs in the first two games of the season.

Throwing for 368 yards with two TD passes in a blowout win over Oregon caught the attention of voters from coast to coast.

Gabriel Thriving Sooner than Expected

When Williams joined Lincoln Riley at USC and Spencer Rattler transferred to South Carolina, there was a quarterback opening at Oklahoma.

Former UCF QB Dillon Gabriel headed to Norman and he is currently eighth in the country in passing efficiency.

It should be noted that Williams is one of the players ahead of Gabriel. However, Gabriel has done just fine in filling the void at quarterback. He is now at +2500 in the Heisman odds. Michigan’s JJ McCarthy (+4000) is another player who has become a factor in the early Heisman race.

Anderson off to Slow Start for Alabama

After Michigan’s Aidan Hutchinson finished second in the Heisman Trophy voting, more than a few people thought perhaps Alabama’s Will Anderson could make a run at the Heisman Trophy. That is something that doesn’t happen much for defensive players.

Anderson has three tackles for loss and a sack in the first two games. Those would be pretty good numbers for most players, but after Anderson left the nation with 33½ tackles for loss and 17½ sacks last season, he is not making the eye-opening plays that will catch the eye of the Heisman voters.

The college football betting lines list Anderson at +2500 in the Heisman voting, the best mark among defensive players. That ties him for the fifth-best odds.

Running on Empty

The running backs weren’t getting as much love as quarterbacks in the Heisman pecking order in the NCAAF odds.

Alabama’s Jahmyr Gibbs (+3300), Texas’ Bijan Robinson (+3300), Ohio State’s TreVeyon Henderson (+4000), and Wisconsin’s Braelon Allen (+6600) have been pretty good. However, none of them have put together the play or the game that captivates the nation.

Allen is the only one in the top 10 nationally in rushing yards per game but three players in the Big Ten are ahead of him. There is time for the running backs to open up some eyes and move up in the Heisman race.

Matchup of the Week: Miami’s Tyler Van Dyke vs Texas A&M

There are eight players, including five quarterbacks, ahead of Miami’s Tyler Van Dyke in the Heisman Trophy odds.

Games against Bethune-Cookman and Southern Mississippi aren’t going to generate much buzz for Heisman Trophy candidates.

This week could be a chance for Van Dyke to go on the road against an SEC team that is ranked despite Texas A&M’s stunning loss to Appalachian State.

Van Dyke went from unknown to a star in the making when he had 751 passing yards with seven touchdown passes in back-to-back games against ranked North Carolina State and Pittsburgh teams in 2021. Can he rise to the occasion against a Texas A&M team eager for redemption?