Latest Heisman Odds & Best Bets Entering the College Football Season
The 2023 college football season begins on August 26th, and updated Heisman odds have been released for the top players in the country. USC quarterback Caleb Williams remains favored to win the coveted College Football MVP trophy for the second straight season.
There hasn’t been a repeat winner of the Heisman since Ohio State’s Archie Griffin accomplished the feat in 1974 and 1975. If Williams doesn’t pull off the near-impossible, who might rise to the occasion and take home the Heisman Trophy in 2023?
Let’s take a look at the updated 2023 Heisman odds and provide you with our best bets ahead of the CFB season kickoff.
Latest Heisman Odds 2023
As the +500 favorite in the latest Heisman odds, Caleb Williams has an implied win probability of 16.70%.
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Williams Clear Favorite to Repeat
USC’s Caleb Williams is a +500 betting favorite to win the college football Heisman Trophy entering the 2023-24 college football season. Williams is coming off a super impressive junior campaign in which he threw for 4,075 passing yards with 37 TDs and only four interceptions.
While Williams is dynamic with his arm, his dual-threat ability is what really separates him from other top contenders. During his Heisman-winning campaign, he also rushed for 372 yards and scored 10 rushing TDs. As long as he stays healthy, it’s hard not to envision Williams at least receiving an invite to New York.
The odds are clearly stacked against Williams repeating as the Heisman winner, however, as the last repeat winner came almost half a century ago. Alabama quarterback Bryce Young opened as a favorite to repeat as the winner last season but didn’t even end up finishing among the top four finalists.
Williams and the Trojans must overcome the loss of elite wide receiver Jordan Addison, who is now playing in the NFL. That’s likely part of the reason why Williams isn’t a heavier favorite in the latest Heisman odds. Entering last season’s Heisman ceremony, Williams was a massive -2500 betting favorite to win the award.
Aside from Addison, the Trojans also lost three starters on their offensive line, their top receiver, and their best running back. To mitigate these losses, USC has been active in the transfer portal, bringing in talent like wide receiver Dorian Singer and RB Marshawn Lloyd. With this turnover, however, Williams is facing a clear uphill battle to repeat.
Daniels, Ewers Among Other Top Heisman Contenders
After Williams, the second tier of top Heisman contenders includes LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels (+1000), Florida State’s Jordan Travis (+1200), and Texas Longhorns QB Quinn Ewers (+1200). Don’t count out Clemson’s Cade Klubnik, who also has odds shorter than +1500.
Daniels might be the most intriguing name on this Heisman list, as he opened as a +2000 longshot back in January. He now has the second-best Heisman odds in the country as hype builds around the LSU Tigers in their second year under Brian Kelly.
LSU is now a top-five favorite in the national championship odds, so it’s only fitting the team’s starting quarterback is rising in the Heisman odds. Daniels is coming off an impressive debut season for LSU in which he racked up 2,913 passing yards with 17 passing touchdowns with only three interceptions. He also rushed for 885 yards on the ground.
Travis and Ewers, meanwhile, are also quarterbacks for teams gaining national title buzz. Both Florida State and Texas are top-10 favorites in the CFP national title odds, and the team’s starting quarterbacks have the potential to post massive numbers in 2023.
Travis accumulated 3,214 passing yards and 24 TDs with five interceptions last season, while Ewers, despite missing time due to injury, passed for 2,177 yards and 15 TDs with six picks. Clemson’s Cade Klubnik, meanwhile, threw for 697 yards and two TDs last season as he took over for DJ Uiagalelei in Tiger Country.
Heisman Best Bets & Longshots
Who will win the Heisman this season? Odds favor Caleb Williams, but betting on a repeat winner just isn’t smart given the history of the MVP award. Even if Williams has another great season, voters are likely going to favor a potential first-time winner over him.
Our Heisman best bet is going to be Quinn Ewers of Texas. The Longhorns return 10 of 11 offensive starters, with the only loss being running back Bijan Robinson, who entered the NFL Draft. Having all five starters returning on the O-line will be huge for Ewers and Texas’ offensive production.
Our best longshot pick to consider is Ohio State’s wide receiver Marvin Harrison Jr., who had 77 receptions for 1,263 yards and 14 TDs last season. With Ohio State breaking in a new quarterback, Harrison Jr. has the talent to steal the show and stand out on one of the most-watched teams in college football.
