Each week this college football season, BetFTW will take a look at the 2022 Heisman Trophy race and break down the contenders. Check back each Monday as the best college football players in the country jockey for position with both oddsmakers and bettors. Preseason odds can be found here and Week 3 here.
It’s not just that Tennessee keeps winning, but quarterback Hendon Hooker has been incredibly efficient in these games. He’s completing over 70% of his passes and has a 8-0 touchdown to interception ratio. Now, he has the big game on his resume after throwing for over 300 yards and rushing for another 100 in a win over Florida. His odds moved from +4000 last week to +1600 now.
Here’s how the rest of the board looks.
8
Will Anderson Jr., Blake Corum, Sam Hartman, Michael Penix Jr., Spencer Sanders (+4000)
Anderson and Sanders are in the same spot they were in last week. But now they’re joined by Corum, Hartman and Penix instead of Hooker, Drake Maye, Will Rogers, Jahmyr Gibbs and DJ Uiagalelei. The last four of which all dropped out of the Heisman picture.
7
Oklahoma QB Dillon Gabriel (+3300)
Gabriel tumbles down this list from +1600 odds a week ago, but a look at the box score from Saturday’s game wouldn’t tell the whole story. His numbers were great — 26-of-39, 330 yards, four touchdowns and no turnovers. But it was really a case of too little, too late. Two of his touchdowns came in the fourth quarter while Oklahoma tried to climb from behind in an upset loss to Kansas State.
6
Kansas QB Jalon Daniels (+3000)
Kansas didn’t get the love it deserves in the polls, as the Jayhawks remain unranked after improving to 4-0. But Daniels is finally getting love from oddsmakers and enters the Heisman conversation after throwing for 324 yards and four touchdowns against Duke on Saturday. He also led Kansas on the ground with 83 yards and a touchdown. On the season, he has 15 combined touchdowns to just one interception.
5
Georgia QB Stetson Bennett (+2200)
Georgia mysteriously struggled with Kent State on Saturday, falling well short of the 45-point line they were favored by. They ultimately won, but it wasn’t Bennett’s greatest showing. He had one interception and no passing touchdowns, though he did run for one. That all played a part in why the margin was only 17 points.
4
Tennessee QB Hendon Hooker (+1600)
Hooker takes one of the largest leaps on this list after outdueling Anthony Richardson to help the Vols take down Florida. He was incredible, completing 22-of-28 passes for 349 yards and two touchdowns and running for another 112 yards and a touchdown. Just as important, Tennessee remains undefeated at 4-0. His odds shorten quite a bit after being jumbled with the +4000 group a week ago.
3
USC QB Caleb Williams (+600)
USC was fortunate to escape Corvallis with a win, as Oregon State had the Trojans on the ropes until the final minute. Williams deserves credit for the 11-play, 84-yard game-winning drive, but the rest of this game was one to forget and dinged his Heisman resume a little. He completed less than 50% of his passes and finished with 180 yards on 5.0 yards per attempt.
2
Alabama QB Bryce Young (+400)
Young eliminated his mistakes of the previous week, throwing for 385 yards and four touchdowns in a 55-3 rout of Vanderbilt. The performance helped shorten his odds from +450 and move ahead of Caleb Williams for No. 2, though the gap between No. 1 and the rest of the field continues to grow.
1
Ohio State QB CJ Stroud (+150)
Stroud took his Heisman campaign into conference play Saturday against Wisconsin and ended up throwing his first interception of the season… He also threw for five touchdowns for a second straight week, bringing his total up to 16 through four games and shortening his odds from +250 to +150 to win the Heisman. It’s currently his to lose.
