After another phenomenal weekend of upsets, action, and unbelievable plays in college football, which Heisman Trophy contenders should you watch out for in Week 5, what are the latest Heisman odds, and how have the favorites been impacted by the ups and downs, highs and lows that was Week 4 of the college football season?
Heisman Trophy odds heading into Week 5 of college football
Florida at Tennessee. Duke at Kansas. The game that College GameDay chose to be at and the game that everyone from fans to analysts were outraged that the Saturday morning staple of college football spurned. Both games produced outstanding football, high drama, and, ultimately, two quarterbacks who are surging up the Heisman Trophy odds and watch.
Ladies and gentlemen, Hendon Hooker and Jalon Daniels are legitimate players to watch both in terms of the Heisman Trophy and with an eye on the 2023 NFL Draft class. They’re propelling their teams into the conversation at the very top of their conferences.
They’re playing football of the highest caliber while being amongst the most entertaining playmakers in the nation. All the while, the two quarterbacks could be set to battle it out as the “best of the rest” behind C.J. Stroud and Bryce Young in the upcoming QB draft class.
While there was outrage at GameDay’s decision to head to Knoxville instead of Lawrence, the stakes were arguably higher for Hooker and Tennessee as they faced a Florida team led by a quarterback in Anthony Richardson with fluctuating Heisman Trophy fortunes.
After all, the SEC allegedly means more. For Hooker, it meant more eyes on him, more opportunity to elevate his team and stock, and ultimately he emerged as more of a Heisman Trophy odds favorite than at any time in his career.
The phrase “Heisman Trophy moment” gets bandied around freely, and it’s certainly difficult to define. Yet, for Hooker, the way he consistently drove Tennessee down the field against a Florida defense that came ready to play, the way he commanded the game with his arm and his legs, and his 461 total yards and three touchdowns that secured the Vols a famous win was as close to that moment as you’ll find this year.
Hooker and Daniels surging in the Heisman Trophy race
DraftKings Sportsbook responded by slashing Hooker’s Heisman Trophy odds to +1600, making him the fourth favorite to receive college football’s greatest individual accolade in December. Remarkably, he would be the first Vols winner of the award should he manage to overcome stiff competition from the established Heisman Trophy frontrunners.
Kansas quarterback Daniels wasn’t even born the last time the Jayhawks were relevant in the national scheme of football things. However, his play is ensuring that they’re the team everyone is talking about through Week 4 of the college football season.
There’s no denying that head coach Lance Leipold is doing a phenomenal job, but you’d wonder if the team would be experiencing their current level of success if it wasn’t for their junior quarterback.
Watching Daniels each week is like watching a human highlight reel combined with teaching tape on how to play the quarterback position. His arm talent is off the charts, making throws that some contemporaries can only dream of — and there were plenty of them on show during Saturday’s game.
The Kansas QB also adds a dynamic ground game presence that mixes the entertaining and effective to provide a devastating and dangerous dual threat.
Daniels completed all but four of his passes in the 35-27 win over what had been an unbeaten Duke team. The ascending Kansas QB threw for 324 yards and four touchdowns while adding another 83 yards and a score on the ground.
His performance earned him Week 4 PFN Team of the Week honors while seeing him enter the top-10 favorites for the Heisman Trophy as per DraftKings Sportsbook odds. Daniels is currently +2500 to win the award.
What to watch for in Week 5 of the college football season
There are a number of marquee matchups in Week 5 to watch out for with significant Heisman Trophy relevance. Two of those come from the ACC and feature two quarterbacks who put in outstanding performances last Saturday in an epic overtime dual that saw both contenders have their Heisman Trophy odds shortened by DraftKings.
DJ Uiagalelei finally delivered on the promise that he’d shown in 2020 with a combative performance against Wake Forest that featured multiple next-level throws. In what was an emotional game for the Clemson Tigers, DJU threw for 371 yards and five touchdowns, including a strike to Dennis Allen in overtime that sealed the game.
Clemson faces a top-10 ranked NC State team in Week 5, with Uiagalelei’s odds of +4500 set to shorten if he can successfully out-duel Devin Leary (+7000) and overcome an impressive Wolfpack defense.
Sam Hartman has had more than defenses to overcome. The Wake Forest quarterback had offseason surgery, with a mystery surrounding his potential to even play this season.
However, Hartman has returned to the sensational form he displayed last season. Despite defeat for the Demon Deacons, his Heisman Trophy odds were slashed to +3500 after throwing a program-record six touchdowns.
Hartman embodies the “ability combined with diligence, perseverance, and hard work” element of the award’s mantra, perhaps more so than any other candidate this season. His Wake Forest team faces a Florida State Seminoles squad that is undefeated so far in what will be a must-watch matchup. The fact that DraftKings don’t offer odds on FSU QB Jordan Travis to lift the Heisman Trophy is a travesty. A TRAVIS-TY!
There’s a particularly exciting Friday night slate of college football in Week 5, with multiple must-watch matchups. They include an all-AAC tussle between Houston and Tulane and the Mountain West going to war as San Diego State and Boise State seek to gain an advantage in the conference after difficult starts to the season.
However, it’s the all-undefeated Pac-12 clash between Washington and UCLA that you should watch out for with Heisman Trophy candidates for both teams. UCLA QB Dorian Thompson-Robinson (+9000) and Zach Charbonnet (+15000) lead the Bruins contenders.
But, it’s Huskies hustler Michael Penix Jr. who has the best shot at landing college football’s top individual prize. Penix has been commanding and all-conquering in leading the Washington offense. If he can lead them to a Pac-12 title and the CFB Playoffs, his Heisman Trophy odds of +4000 following week 4 will seem like an absolute steal.
Current Heisman Trophy odds
- C.J. Stroud, QB, Ohio State +140
- Bryce Young, QB, Alabama +350
- Caleb Williams, QB, USC +600
- Hendon Hooker, QB, Tennessee +1600
- Stetson Bennett, QB, Georgia +1800
- Jalon Daniels, QB, Kansas +2500
- Dillon Gabriel, QB, Oklahoma +3000
- Will Anderson Jr., EDGE, Alabama +3000
- Sam Hartman, QB, Wake Forest +3500
- Blake Corum, RB, Michigan +3500
Want to place a bet on one of these Heisman candidates? Head on over to DraftKings Sportsbook to get started.