The 2022 Heisman Trophy odds are all over the place, but there are plenty of familiar faces at the top. Even if it’s January, it’s never too soon to talk College Football! Georgia just took home the CFP National Championship, but it’s going to be tough for them to repeat. Who are the best that College Football has to offer?
Top Five 2022 Heisman Trophy Odds (As of January 22nd)
Bryce Young, Quarterback, Alabama: 5/2
Atop the 2022 Heisman Trophy odds is the 2021 Heisman winner, naturally. Everyone knew that Young was going to be able to step up and ball out the moment he got his chance. He was such a highly-recruited quarterback out of high school. The knock on Young is that he’s reliant on top-tier talent around him. Reality check: every great player, not just quarterback, had talent around him.
After falling in the CFP National Title Game, Young is set on “proving the doubters wrong,” whatever that means coming from a five-star, Alabama quarterback who just won the Heisman. Nevertheless, the 2022 Alabama schedule remains favorable. The out-of-conference foes are Utah State, Texas (who knows what Texas is going to be), UL-Monroe, and (FCS) Austin Peay on November 19th. If the Tide can replace their two stud receivers, Young’s 4,872 yards and 47 touchdowns are just the beginning.
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C.J. Stroud, Quarterback, Ohio State: 7/2
Stroud finished fourth in the 2021 balloting and he took it personally. The latest play-making quarterback at Ohio State is the second-best odds to take home the Heisman heading into spring practice. Sure, his play was great last year and he got better as the weeks went by, recency bias is likely at play.
The Rose Bowl was a clinic for Stroud and his multiple future first-round receivers (not Chris Olave or Garrett Wilson, as they opted out). He threw for 573 yards and six touchdowns while completing 80.4% of his passes. If it weren’t for his shoulder injury early on in the year and missed a game, he could’ve had the stats to challenge for the honor last year.
The Ohio State football schedule was changed around recently, but they still start off with their three non-conference foes: Notre Dame, Arkansas State, and Toledo. Start off with a primetime, impressive win over Notre Dame and Stroud’s 2022 Heisman Trophy odds will take a jump.
Caleb Williams, Quarterback, Transfer Portal (from Oklahoma): 5/1
The first of five quarterbacks who are either still in the Portal or have already transferred, Caleb Williams is a hot topic. Even before he took a snap at Oklahoma, he had fans clamoring for his services. He was behind a potential Heisman but earned his spot as he led his team back from a massive deficit to beat Texas.
Williams has the tools and traits to be great. The issue is that he’s still just a true sophomore. There have been plenty of murmurs that he will be reuniting with Lincoln Riley at USC. Once (if) he commits to USC, look for his 2022 Heisman Trophy odds to jump just a little bit. Riley has been recruiting and utilizing the Transfer Portal like a madman. Williams will have the tools to instantly succeed.
TreVeyon Henderson, Running back, Ohio State: 12/1
There are only two running backs on this list and the latest in a long line of great Ohio State running backs leads the way. The running back room at Ohio State was extremely crowded before the 2021 season. His first career touch resulted in a 70-yard touchdown catch out of the backfield.
Henderson was a highly sought-after recruit and the hype was 100% justified. His ability to make plays every time he has the ball is almost unrivaled.1,255 yards and 14 touchdowns for his first season at the college level at Ohio State is impressive.
It’s very likely that, barring injury or a decision that rivals Maurice Clarett’s, Henderson could go down as one of, if not the greatest Ohio State running back. Plenty of ball left to play, of course.
D.J. Uiagalelei, Quarterback, Clemson: 15/1
There will always be head-scratchers and Uiagalelei’s inclusion here is a big one. Heading into 2021, Uiagalelei looked to continue Clemson’s reign as king of the ACC and pick up where Trevor Lawrence left off.
He did not.
There will likely be an open competition at the quarterback position this spring and summer between Uiaglalelei, Hunter Johnson (who just transferred back), and five-star recruit, Cade Klubnik. Feel free to plaster this on @OldTakesExposed if this is wrong, but there are better ways to throw away money than to bet on Uiagalelei winning the Heisman.
Rest of Top 10:
Bijan Robinson, Running back, Texas: 20/1
Spencer Rattler, Quarterback, South Carolina (from Oklahoma): 20/1
Case Thompson, Quarterback, Nebraska (from Texas): 25/1
Dillon Gabriel, Quarterback, Oklahoma (from UCF): 25/1
JT Daniels, Quarterback, Transfer Portal (from Georgia): 30/1
Full List:
2022 Heisman futures, from last night in Atlantic City @CaesarsAC
Nine players below 30/1 odds:
• Young, Alabama
• Stroud, Ohio St
• Williams, ???
• Henderson, Ohio St
• Uiagalelei, Clemson
• Robinson, Texas
• Rattler, South Carolina
• Thompson, Nebraska
• Gabriel, OU pic.twitter.com/BwQZg3zxl7— Pick Six Previews (@PickSixPreviews) January 23, 2022
Bryce Young or The Field?
Will Young be the first two-time winner since Archie Griffin? Will we get a non-offensive player? Will the voting be so straightforward that we won’t have to argue on Twitter on who deserves it? Well, two out of three may be possible.
Plenty of athletes have legitimate shots at taking home College Football’s most prestigious award. With recruiting continuing to heat up and the Transfer Portal going nuts, who knows who is going to go off? If you said 365 days ago that a guy at Western Kentucky who transferred from the FCS level would break Joe Burrow’s untouchable records, you’d be institutionalized. That’s what makes College Football great!
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