Once upon a time, Heisman Trophy voters would be tucked up, sleeping soundly by the time the best players took to the field on the West Coast. You can’t sleep on the Pac-12 any longer.
While Caleb Williams seeks to become the first consecutive winner in decades, his closest competition comes from within the conference. After dominating Colorado in Week 4, the latest Heisman Trophy odds see Oregon quarterback Bo Nix close the gap at the top as the Pac-12 race to the trophy heats up.
Latest 2023 Heisman Trophy Odds and Favorites
Latest Heisman Trophy odds and favorites as per DraftKings Sportsbook and correct as of Tuesday, Sept. 26, 2023.
- Caleb Williams, QB, USC +400
- Michael Penix Jr., QB, Washington +400
- Quinn Ewers, QB, Texas +600
- Bo Nix, QB, Oregon +1000
- Jordan Travis, QB, FSU +1200
- Sam Hartman, QB, Notre Dame +2200
- Jayden Daniels, QB, LSU +1800
- Dillon Gabriel, QB, Oklahoma +2500
- Tyler Van Dyke, QB, Miami (FL) +3000
- Kyle McCord, QB, Ohio State +3000
Grab your favorite to win the Heisman with the best available odds below, if it’s legal in your state.
Bo Nix Crucifies Colorado, Boosts Heisman Trophy Odds
“We’ve got the best quarterback in the nation. I know that. I see that.”
With ESPN cameras in the Oregon Ducks locker room, the nation saw the passion that head coach Dan Lanning instilled into his team ahead of their primetime clash with Deion Sanders’ headline-making Colorado Buffaloes. The video broke the internet and the speech divided opinions among fans and analysts alike.
The above quote, however, didn’t come from that speech.
Hours later, reflecting in the glow of a 42-6 beatdown, Lanning was no less passionate about Nix. The former Auburn quarterback was the subject of a billboard campaign for college football’s biggest individual award in the preseason, but his Heisman Trophy odds had largely failed to install him amongst the favorites.
That was, until Saturday.
Presumably fired up by his head coach’s rising speech, Nix came out slinging, completing his first 11 passes. By the time the two teams went in at the half, Sanders’ shellshocked team had been sucker punched to the tune of three passing touchdowns and an 11-yard rushing touchdown from the Oregon quarterback.
Up 35-0, Lanning insisted that they weren’t done yet.
While Nix himself wouldn’t find the end zone again, Oregon did indeed add to the scoreboard in the third quarter behind their quarterback and leader. Nix finished the game in that quarter, ending the “contest” with a 28/33 passing, 285 total yards and four total touchdown box score that didn’t do his performance justice.
“You see all the plays that he throws and all the plays he makes with his feet, but you guys don’t see all the checks that he makes,” Lanning told the media in the immediate aftermath of the 42-6 win over their Pac-12 opponent. “You don’t see what he does for this team. You don’t see his leadership.”
MORE: College Football TV Schedule Week 5
Nix has come a long way since the much-maligned, almost mimicked miscreant who made more mistakes than game-changing maneuvers during the latter days of his Auburn career. Not only is he an efficient mover of college football’s second-highest-scoring offense, he’s a leader of men and a man of character.
He’s overcome adversity to rise to notoriety.
“That guy shapes me, Lanning continued his gushing appraisal of Nix following the performance that installed the Oregon quarterback as the fourth favorite for the Heisman Trophy. “That guy makes me a better person. We’ve got that guy on our team, so we’re so blessed to have him.”
As he did at times last year, Nix continues to tick many of the boxes that define college football’s most sought-after individual accolade. Most outstanding player? He’s certainly one of them. Great ability? He’s certainly got it. Diligence, perseverance, and hard work? Well, that’s what the Oregon quarterback is made of.
His Heisman Trophy odds following college football Week 4 reflect that. DraftKings Sportsbook slashed the price on the Oregon quarterback from +2500 prior to the Colorado victory to +1000 in the wake of it. He leapfrogs from ninth to fourth favorite in the space of a week.
Of course, he could slip back down like hitting a snake instead of a ladder, but this Ducks team may be built to last.
Nix’s ascent to the heights of the Heisman Trophy favorites tightens a strong Pac-12 stranglehold on college football’s biggest individual accolade.
As Caleb Williams was guiding USC to a win over Arizona, Michael Penix’s ruthless plundering of the Cal defense ensured that ahead of college football Week 5, the two quarterbacks are neck and neck with Heisman Trophy odds of +400
Heisman Trophy Watch Travels to Wallace Wade Stadium in Week 5
ESPN’s flagship “College Gameday” show heads to Durham, North Carolina for the first time in program history, and with great reason.
The Duke Blue Devils have emerged as one of the best teams in the nation, and a win in their game against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish has the potential to elevate Mike Elko’s football team into the upper reaches of the race to the College Football Playoff.
The clash also pits one of the early Heisman Trophy favorites against a quarterback who should absolutely be considered as a dark horse candidate for college football’s biggest individual accolade. Notre Dame quarterback Sam Hartman (+2200) figures in the top 10 for multiple passing metrics so far this season, giving the Irish a genuine leader at quarterback.
MORE: College Football Week 5 Betting Odds, Spreads, and Lines
Hartman’s success in South Bend has been well documented. However, it’s Duke quarterback Riley Leonard who should be earning more respect than his current Heisman Trophy odds of +7000. The true junior leads one of the nation’s most successful offenses, combining his passing efficiency with a dangerous ability to produce as a dual-threat QB.
Leonard has already led the Blue Devils to a resounding success against a national brand under the primetime spotlight, rushing for 98 yards and a score in the season opening win over Clemson. The Duke quarterback has been getting steadily more productive with his arm with every additional game, while he remains a dangerous touchdown threat on the move.
