College Football Futures: Best Bet To Win The Heisman Trophy (2020)
The 2020 college football season will involve a high-profile two-man race for the Heisman Trophy, but as we saw last year, the hype surrounding two elite players means little if another player comes from nowhere to steal the show. Last year, Trevor Lawrence of Clemson and Tua Tagovailoa of Alabama were viewed as the two clear preseason frontrunners. Neither came especially close to winning the award as LSU’s Joe Burrow was the runaway winner with Chase Young of Ohio State, Justin Fields of Ohio State, and Jalen Hurts of Oklahoma in a tight three-way race for second place.
We’ve already seen a changing of the guard in 2020 as Lawrence opened as the favorite but has now fallen back to +600 as Fields is now favored. Let’s take a look at the 2020 race and see who is the best bet to win the award. And find our consensus 2020 Heisman Trophy Winner odds here.
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Justin Fields – Ohio State
Odds To Win Heisman Trophy: +300 at FanDuel Sportsbook
The favorite for the 2020 Heisman is Fields, who comes back to Ohio State for another season. Last year, Fields was dazzling, throwing for 41 touchdowns and just one interception in his first 12 games before an injury slowed him down (in the Big Ten Championship Game against Wisconsin and the Fiesta Bowl against Clemson). Fields’ ability as both a passer and a runner enables him to roll up huge numbers that look great for Heisman voters. If Ohio State’s offense performs at or near the level of the 2019 Buckeye offense, Fields will clearly be a Heisman finalist. Whether he wins or not is a less certain question. Fields is certainly at the head of the pack before the season begins.
Trevor Lawrence – Clemson
Odds To Win Heisman Trophy: +600 at FanDuel Sportsbook
The man who had been favored to win the 2020 Heisman early in the offseason, before Fields overtook him, is Lawrence, who has played in each of the past two college football national championship games. Lawrence will be expected to play in yet another national title game this season but his Heisman campaign didn’t evolved as many expected last season. He had eight interceptions on the year and had just five touchdowns and five interceptions after the first three weeks of the season. He threw for less than 235 yards in six of his first nine games. Will that change in 2020?
Lawrence will have the benefit of running back Travis Etienne, who surprised everyone in college football by staying for his senior season instead of turning pro. Lawrence and Etienne create the most devastating backfield in college football this year. They again have a cupcake schedule, though, so Clemson and Lawrence better light it up or he’ll be out of the conversation early once again.
Sam Howell – North Carolina
Odds To Win Heisman Trophy: +2500 at FanDuel Sportsbook
If we get a surprise, stay in the ACC. Lawrence was not spectacular last season; if he doesn’t improve, and Sam Howell leads North Carolina to an ACC Coastal Division championship, Howell could become the foremost Heisman threat from the ACC. Howell had an encouraging freshman season last year and is surrounded by talented, experienced wide receivers on the Tar Heels’ 2020 roster. North Carolina’s offense could explode this year, and if it does, Howell is going to be in the Heisman hunt.
Sam Ehlinger – Texas
Odds To Win Heisman Trophy: +1600 at FanDuel Sportsbook
The fact that Oklahoma no longer has a veteran quarterback gives Texas a real chance to steal the Big 12 title. If Sam Ehlinger can lead the Longhorns to their first conference championship since 2009, it would first mean that he and Texas have had a great season. If Fields and Lawrence are not at the top of their games, Ehlinger – as a Big 12 champion – would have a great chance of winning the Heisman. He would benefit from a “Texas is finally back!†mentality among a large share of Heisman voters who would be impressed by this change of fortune in Austin.
Spencer Rattler – Oklahoma
Odds To Win Heisman Trophy: +1600 at FanDuel Sportsbook
I don’t love betting favorites in this spot, so I’m looking at a long shot here. Spencer Rattler is the new starting quarterback at Oklahoma and to me, this is a plug-and-play system. He’s the Sooners’ first five-star recruit since 2004 class and the big thing here is the soft schedule to start. The Sooners are slated to host Missouri State and Tennessee at home before visiting Army and then coming back home to host Baylor. I would have rather handicapped this with some spring football to go off but with this type of schedule, Rattler should have a soft entry into the season to get accustomed to the offense. At +1600, he’s my flier to win the Heisman.
Pick: Spencer Rattler +1600 at FanDuel Sportsbook
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Dave Golokhov is a featured writer at BettingPros. For more from Dave, check out his archive and follow him @davegolokhov.