There are just two weeks remaining of the college football season, and the contenders for the sport’s highest individual accolade are slowly being whittled down. What are the latest Heisman Trophy odds, who are the favorites, and what should you watch out for in Week 12?
Heisman Trophy Odds Heading Into Week 12 of College Football
Only two freshmen in college football’s long, illustrious history have lifted the award for most outstanding player. As his Heisman Trophy odds continue to fall, can North Carolina quarterback Drake Maye place his name alongside Jameis Winston and Johnny Manziel in a truly exclusive club?
New York is calling. In 18 months’ time, the team with the first overall pick in the 2024 NFL Draft probably will be too. For now, however, Maye is content to consistently pick apart college football defenses. The redshirt-freshman star has taken college football by storm this fall after replacing Sam Howell under center on Chapel Hill.
In his latest phenomenal feat of fantastic CFB quarterbacking, Maye overcame a former Heisman Trophy odds favorite — Sam Hartman — in a dynamic dual against Wake Forest. While it was kicker Noah Burnette that dealt the knockout blow late in the fourth quarter, it was their QB that delivered the sixth consecutive win of a campaign that could see the Tar Heels land an ACC title for the first time since 1980.
Maye’s Heisman Trophy odds were cut to +550 by DraftKings Sportsbook following the 36-34 win, where the UNC quarterback threw for 448 yards and three touchdowns, all to dynamic wide receiver Josh Downs. The oddsmaker has installed the redshirt freshman as the fourth favorite behind a duo of College Football Playoff-chasing QBs and a running back with a legitimate case for the award.
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Statistically, Maye stands head and shoulders above his quarterback contemporaries for the Heisman Trophy. Matching C.J. Stroud‘s 34 touchdown passes, he’s thrown one less interception this season while outscoring the Ohio State QB on the ground. With 39 scores, he ties Oregon’s Bo Nix as the national leader in total touchdowns.
However, Maye has more yards per game (341.2), total yards (3,412), and a higher completion percentage (70.1%) than Stroud — the current Heisman Trophy odds favorite.
You could also argue that the UNC QB has achieved his success without the same supporting cast as Ohio State. While Downs has been incredible, the depth of wide receiver talent isn’t the same in North Carolina as it is in Columbus. The Tar Heels’ offensive line also lacks the star talent in the Buckeyes’ offensive trench.
Some questioned how North Carolina would fare when Howell left. Now, the nation is getting to watch Maye put himself in Heisman Trophy contention as an incredibly accurate quarterback with insane arm talent and his predecessor’s ability to take the Tar Heels kicking and screaming across the finishing line of games. On the verge of taking UNC into forgotten territory, Maye’s play has been worthy of the game’s highest individual accolade.
Marvelous Marvin Harrison Jr. in Heisman Trophy Contention
When DeVonta Smith lifted the Heisman Trophy in 2020, he broke a decades-long WR curse on the award for the most outstanding player in college football. Could we see a repeat pass catcher snag the accolade just two years later? While it seems unlikely, Marvin Harrison Jr. would be the odds-on favorite for a wide receiver to win the 2022 Heisman Trophy.
Alien. Not human. Freak. These are just a small selection of the superlatives that have been attached to the Ohio State WR this season. Of those, alien seems most adaptable for a pass catcher who has an otherworldly element of body control to his game and defies gravity with his catch-point acrobatics.
The photo of his sideline grab against Indiana — where it appears his leg position relative to his body has to be photoshopped — epitomizes the insanity of his contortionistic ability.
With the aforementioned catch-point prowess combined with an uncommon speed and route running capability from his 6’3″, 202-pound frame, Harrison is almost unstoppable. While his statistics might not catch the eye in the same way that Smith’s numbers did during his Heisman Trophy campaign, you only have to watch the game to understand that the Ohio State receiver is an equally dominant force.
That’s not to say his numbers aren’t impressive. His 16.2 yards per catch ahead of Week 12 is actually greater than Smith’s Heisman campaign. Harrison sits just short of 1,000 yards, with 11 touchdown grabs despite a wide receiver room positively bustling with talent. After logging 135 yards in the win over Indiana, he now has five 100+ yard games and odds of +10000 to win the Heisman Trophy.
Is It Time To Put Stetson Bennett on the Heisman Trophy Watch?
With the sixth-lowest Heisman Trophy odds per DraftKings Sportsbook, it might be time to start putting some respect on Stetson Bennett’s name. An unlikely hero of the Georgia Bulldogs’ run to their first national title in decades, the former walk-on is once again leading his team toward college football’s promised land.
Disrespect is a dangerous weapon. There’s no doubt that Bennett, and those around him, feel that he doesn’t receive the national recognition that he deserves. He isn’t mentioned in conversations as the best quarterback, nor does he hear his name uttered in Heisman Trophy talk.
Yet, each week, Bennett takes that disrespect, adds it to the chip on his shoulder, and takes it out onto the field as fuel for another Bulldogs’ victory. Whether it’s his ability to deliver a dime on time to Brock Bowers, or the desire to strap the team on his back and waltz into the end zone, “The Mailman” delivers every week.
Having a quarterback who has thrown just 14 touchdown passes through 10 games win the Heisman would be a throwback to the early origins of college football. However, you can’t always measure success with statistics.
The mantra of hard work and perseverance that the award is meant to reflect could be better described as “having heart.” There’s no doubt that Bennett is the beating heart of the Bulldogs.
What To Watch for in Week 12 of College Football
The season is careering towards a rapid and exciting conclusion, with the infamous “Heisman moment” that oft-defines a player’s candidacy frequently coming in the waning weeks of the season. With Week 11 in the rearview, which Heisman Trophy contenders should you watch out for in college football Week 12?
While Week 12 sees the re-introduction of “cupcake clashes,” three critical all-conference collisions have the potential to alter college football. It starts in Ann Arbor, where Illinois at Michigan sees two of the nation’s best running backs duke it out.
Blake Corum is the leading RB contender for the Heisman Trophy with odds of +550, but Chase Brown (+15000) has equal importance for the Fighting Illini.
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The hottest Heisman Trophy action takes place out west in college football Week 12. Caleb Williams’ (+1400) performances this season has USC dreaming of a place in the College Football Playoff. However, they’ll need to overcome a strong UCLA team led by Dorian Thompson-Robinson (+15000) in what promises to be the ultimate test of Pac-12 cannibalization.
Finally, after coming up short in defeat to Washington, can Oregon’s Nix (+8000) guide the Ducks past Utah, as the Utes bid for a second consecutive Pac-12 title? Nix has had an incredible redemption story, with a place in New York being the ultimate fairytale ending.
Right now, however, North Carolina, Ohio State, and Tennessee are the programs to watch as their quarterbacks battle it out for the 2022 Heisman Trophy.
Current Heisman Trophy Odds
If you’re passionate about a particular player winning the 2022 Heisman Trophy, take advantage of the current odds with a bet $5, win $200 offer on DraftKings Sportsbook.
- C.J. Stroud, QB, Ohio State +140
- Hendon Hooker, QB, Tennessee +350
- Blake Corum, RB, Michigan +550
- Drake Maye, QB, North Carolina +550
- Caleb Williams, QB, USC +1200
- Stetson Bennett, QB, Georgia +1400
- Max Duggan, QB, TCU +6000
- Jayden Daniels, QB, LSU +6000
- Bryce Young, QB, Alabama +8000
- Bo Nix, QB, Oregon +8000