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Bryce Young is the top bet according to bookmakers to win the Heisman Trophy, but he’s not without competition for the award. Four other quarterbacks are in the running -- quarterback CJ Stroud, quarterback Matt Corral and quarterback Caleb Williams – along with Michigan State’s star running backKenneth Walker III. In this column, we look at these top five hopefuls to win College Football’s top individual award.
Alabama quarterback Bryce Young, Ohio State quarterback CJ Stroud and Ole Miss quarterback Matt Corral are three of college football’s top signal callers with the best odds to win the Heisman Trophy ahead of Week 11. Young leads the charge as the +180 bet to clinch the coveted award while Stroud is priced at +400, Corral is priced at +550 and Williams is priced at +750.
In all likelihood, a quarterback will win the Heisman Trophy this season. However, running back Kenneth Walker III muscled his way into the conversation a couple of weeks ago after putting up a five-touchdown performance in Michigan State’s 37-33 win over Michigan. Walker insinuated himself in the conversation, and he remains the second-best bet this week despite the Spartans taking their first loss of the season. Michigan State lost to Purdue 40-29 in Week 10.
Nick Saban’s track record of success in college football is legendary, and the program he’s cultivated in Alabama is without a doubt one of the best in the country. That championship pedigree is the reason why the NFL repeatedly turns to Saban’s breeding ground for some of its choicest morsels in the draft. Indeed, the 2021 NFL draft saw a record eight Crimson Tide alumni go in the first three rounds.
Bryce Young couldn’t be in a better setup, so it’s no surprise that he’s the top favorite to win the Heisman Trophy this season. No.3 Alabama is once again amongst the best in the country, underscoring Saban’s coaching nous as he seamlessly overcomes the mass exodus of players in last year’s NFL draft. The Crimson Tide are 8-1 overall and 5-1 in the SEC.
Following Alabama’s 20-14 win over LSU, Young advanced his candidacy bid to become Alabama’s second straight Heisman Trophy winner after Devonta Smith clinched the honour in 2020. He has six games over 300 yards passing, and 28 touchdowns to just three interceptions so far. However, Young may yet have a season-defining moment if Alabama and top-ranked Georgia face-off in the SEC championship game. This big stage moment coupled with playing with a top team underscores his favorable Heisman Trophy NCAAF odds.
Michigan State’s star running back Kenneth Walker III is the second overall bet in the race for the Heisman Trophy, and he’s the top non-quarterback to win the honour. However, with the Heisman Trophy typically going towards a quarterback, so Walker would need to have an other-worldly performance down the stretch against Maryland, Ohio State and Penn State (the last three games on Michigan State’s schedule) to strengthen his case.
Walker is the top running back in the country right now, leading the field with 1,330 yards and 15 touchdowns – five of which came in just one game (versus Michigan last month). The second-best running back after Walker is Syracuse’s Sean Tucker with 1,267 rushing yards and 11 touchdowns.
No.6 Ohio State (8-1, 6-0 Big Ten) maintained it’s unbeaten run in conference play last weekend, beating a determined Nebraska 26-17. CJ Stroud didn’t enjoy a flawless performance in Ohio State’s victory, throwing two interceptions before regrouping and leading the Buckeyes to the pivotal win. That said, he’s still a player to watch in the Heisman Trophy race. Stroud has 25 touchdowns to five interceptions through the first ten weeks of the season, and he has 2,675 yards passing.
Ole Miss quarterback Matt Carrol slipped on the odds board for the Heisman Trophy, but he’s having a solid season. He has 2,526 passing yards, 16 passing touchdowns and two interceptions. He also has 10 rushing touchdowns to his credit. Carrol has a big game this weekend when No.11 Texas A&M descends on No.12 Ole Miss. It goes without saying, a win would advance his case ever so slightly for consideration.
No.4 Oklahoma (9-0, 6-0 Big 12) are one of a couple of teams that are undefeated ahead of the last few laps of college football in November. However, Sooners quarterback Caleb Williams is a bit of a longshot to win the Heisman Trophy at +750 due to the fact that he started midseason. He has 1,189 passing yards, 14 touchdowns and one interception through seven games on the season.