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With five weeks left in the season, oddsmakers have made it clear who the four players are with the best chance of winning the Heisman Trophy.
Oregon QB Dillon Gabriel has taken over Heisman favorite at BetMGM. Gabriel’s odds of +240 are just ahead of Colorado WR/DB Travis Hunter’s at +250. On Monday, Hunter became the first player to win Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week and Defensive Player of the Week in the same week following his performance in the Buffaloes’ win over Cincinnati.
Miami QB Cam Ward is at +300, while Boise State RB Ashton Jeanty is fourth at +450. Jeanty had emerged as the Heisman favorite midseason given his absurd statistics, but his odds have become longer behind players in the power conferences.
There is a big gap with everyone else. Behind Jeanty, the next smallest odds are +2500. There’s a good chance this year’s Heisman winner will be one of those four players. But with so many top teams out of Week 10 heading into the final stretch, we thought this was a good time to take a look at five quarterbacks who have a chance to sneak into the Heisman race. Here are five players to watch on Saturday, as many teams will enjoy their second off weekend of the season.
Clemson QB Cade Klubnik (+2500)
We’re pretty optimistic about Klubnik’s chances of earning an invite to New York City if he continues to lead Clemson’s offense like this. The Tigers are the No. 4 scoring team in college football at 42 points per game and average 48.5 points per game against every team not named Georgia. Klubnik is completing two-thirds of his passes so far this season with 20 touchdowns and just three interceptions. He also ran for four touchdowns. Klubnik averages more than two yards more per pass attempt in 2024 than he did in 2023 and his odds could decline significantly over the next three weeks with strong performances against Louisville, Virginia Tech and Pitt.
Georgia Quarterback Carson Beck (+3500)
Beck’s odds are probably so low because of his name recognition right now. His stats are down almost across the board from where they were in 2023 and he’s already thrown two more interceptions than he did in all of last season. However, his chances of slipping back into the mix cannot be ruled out. A big game against Florida would occur on an otherwise light college football slate and Georgia’s next two games are against No. 19 Ole Miss and No. 7 Tennessee. If Beck is the best player on the field in those two contests, his odds will go down.
Penn State quarterback Drew Allar (+6600)
If Allar can’t play Saturday against No. 4 Ohio State, his chances of winning the Heisman are nil. He could be a game-time decision after suffering a knee injury in the first half of Penn State’s win against Wisconsin in Week 9. Beau Pribula will start in Allar’s place if he can’t play; Pribula completed 11 of 13 passes for 98 yards and a touchdown against the Badgers.
Allar has been much better in 2024 than he was a season ago and a big game against Ohio State would be a statement. A season ago, Allar completed 18 of 42 passes for 191 yards and was sacked four times in PSU’s 20-12 loss to the Buckeyes.
Indiana Quarterback Kurtis Rourke (+10000)
Rourke could return to the field Saturday against Michigan State after missing Indiana’s win over Washington. Rourke lost the thumb on his right throwing hand in the team’s blowout victory over Nebraska. It seems like a particularly painful injury.
Rourke completed over 74% of his passes in 2024 and threw for nearly 11 yards per attempt. He’s a big reason Indiana is off to an 8-0 start this season and his Heisman value could increase considerably if the Hoosiers can beat Michigan and defeat Ohio State in November.
Tennessee Quarterback Nico Iamaleava (+15000)
Iamaleava has gone from an early-season favorite to a player with a chance to win the trophy thanks to Tennessee’s offense’s struggles against SEC opponents. Iamaleava hasn’t thrown for more than 200 yards in a game since UT’s Week 2 win over NC State and hasn’t completed more than 63% of his passes in a single game since.
But like Beck, he has a chance to earn some Heisman votes if Tennessee can get its offense back on track and the Vols reach the SEC title game. Tennessee’s remaining SEC opponents outside of the Bulldogs are Kentucky, Mississippi State and Vanderbilt. They are three very winnable games.