Every week of the 2024 college football season, I’ll look at some of the players that are trending up or down in the Heisman Trophy betting market. That should help you find some value when looking for in-season opportunities to get involved. Week 3 featured some massive performances from some of the most popular names, with Cam Ward, Jaxson Dart, Jalen Milroe and Dillon Gabriel all doing a lot to help themselves. However, it was Arch Manning that ended up being the biggest mover of the week. Manning had five total touchdowns after an injury to Quinn Ewers, and people are now running to the window to bet on Peyton Manning’s highly talented nephew. I’ll touch on all of those players, and some others, below.

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(All odds from DraftKings Sportsbook)

Cam Ward, Miami (Week 3: +800 / Week 4: +550)

Ward has been outrageous in his first year with Miami. The Washington State transfer has thrown for 1,035 yards with 11 touchdowns and only one pick, and he also has a rushing touchdown. Last week, Ward happened to have 346 passing yards and five touchdowns in a 62-0 beatdown of Ball State. With his big body, quick release and accuracy, Ward is just a perfect fit in Shannon Dawson’s offense. And it doesn’t hurt that the Hurricanes are loaded with talent at the skill positions.

Ward should be able to turn in another big effort against South Florida this weekend, as Miami is a 17-point road favorite in that game and the total is up at 65. So, Ward likely won’t be available at a better price next week. And if you missed your chance before the season, you’re going to have a hard time getting back. Truth be told, you might not want to. The Hurricanes have a tough stretch coming up. After the South Florida game, Miami will take on Virginia Tech, California, Louisville and Florida State. We’re going to learn a lot more about Ward and the rest of this team soon. But a loss in any of those games hurts Miami’s chances of making the College Football Playoff. And given the state of the ACC, two losses could eliminate Ward from Heisman contention.

Jaxson Dart, Ole Miss (Week 3: +850 / Week 4: +700)

Not only has Dart thrown for 1,172 yards with eight touchdowns this season, but he has also rushed for a score in all three of Ole Miss’ games. We all knew we could expect a hot start to the season from Dart, who is operating one of the most quarterback-friendly systems in college football. He didn’t disappoint against Furman, Middle Tennessee State and Wake Forest, and he’ll surely light up Georgia Southern this weekend.

The interesting thing about Dart is that he’ll actually face a pretty soft SEC schedule. Ole Miss takes on Kentucky, South Carolina, LSU, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Georgia, Florida and Mississippi State in conference play this year. Kentucky, Oklahoma and Georgia are really the only intimidating matchups there, and all three of those games will be played at Vaught Hemingway Stadium. So, even though this number has been a bit better at different points this year, Dart is one of the better bets you can make in the Heisman market moving forward. There’s a very good chance this Ole Miss team has one loss at the end of the year, meaning a College Football Playoff berth is likely. The Rebels are -250 to make the playoff at DraftKings.

Jalen Milroe, Alabama (Week 3: 12-1 / Week 4: +700)

Milroe toyed with Wisconsin last week, completing 12 of his 17 passes for 196 yards with three touchdowns and no picks in a 42-10 road win. He also rushed for 75 yards and two scores. Milroe has now thrown for eight touchdowns and no interceptions on the year, and he has also rushed for 156 yards and six scores. A lot of people were excited to see what the electric dual-threat quarterback would do with Kalen DeBoer as his head coach. The early returns have been promising.

Milroe’s next game has the potential to be the biggest one of the entire season when it comes to this race. Alabama will be hosting Georgia on September 28th. If he turns in a good effort and the Tide roll to a victory, Milroe is going to leap to the top of the oddsboard and it would take a lot to knock him off that spot.

Nico Iamaleava, Tennessee (Week 3: 12-1 / Week 4: +850)

Iamaleava wasn’t overly impressive in a 71-0 win over Kent State, but he didn’t need to be. He threw for 173 yards with a touchdown and no interceptions, and he rushed for 31 yards in the win. However, the Tennessee running game took care of the rest, with DeSean Bishop and Dylan Sampson combining to rush for 221 yards and six touchdowns. That likely won’t be the case this week. Iamaleava is going to need to make some big throws in order for Tennessee to beat Oklahoma in Norman. This is one of the toughest games on Tennessee’s schedule, meaning this one of Iamaleava’s biggest opportunities to prove he belongs at the top of the board.

So far this season, Iamaleava has been a little disappointing. He threw two picks in a 51-10 win over NC State in Week 2, but his team has been so good that it hasn’t mattered. But Iamaleava still possesses all the talent in the world, and he should get better as the season progresses. So, it’d be foolish to rule him out because of some up-and-down performances early in the year, and his odds tell you everything you need to know. The oddsmakers clearly believe he’ll factor into this race.

Dillon Gabriel, Oregon (Week 3: 11-1 / Week 4: +900)

Gabriel was sliding on the oddsboard as Oregon struggled to defeat Idaho and Boise State, but the lefty gunslinger was still accumulating some decent numbers. I actually listed Gabriel as a player that was “trending down” in Weeks 1 and 2, but I kept noting that it was strictly because of the betting market. I even said last week that I’d be buying Gabriel if I didn’t already take him in the offseason. Well, Gabriel just turned in his best performance of the season, throwing for 291 yards with two touchdowns and no picks in a blowout win against rival Oregon State. Gabriel was 20 for 24 in the game and had PFF’s highest passing grade amongst Power Four quarterbacks in Week 3. Gabriel also happened to rush for 64 yards and a touchdown.

Gabriel will face a weak UCLA defense in his next game, so he should once again turn in a great individual performance. After that, he faces Michigan State in Eugene, which is another good matchup for him. But the big game will be against Ohio State on October 12th. Like Milroe going up against Georgia, a strong performance against the Buckeyes would give Gabriel a great shot at winning this award. And that game will be played at home, so I like his chances. That’s why Gabriel remains my favorite play in this market.

Ashton Jeanty, Boise State (Week 3: 30-1 / Week 4: 20-1)

I mentioned that I’d play Jeanty at 40-1 last week. That number was out there after his 192-yard, three-touchdown performance against Oregon. The best number you’ll be able to find now is 25-1. And while those odds aren’t nearly as enticing, you probably won’t get a better opportunity to jump on him the rest of the season.

Jeanty will be going to work against FCS Portland State this weekend, so he should be in for another game with video game numbers. With that in mind, don’t be surprised if Jeanty is well below 20-1 heading into Week 5. And overall, Boise State still has as good of a shot as any team to be the G5 representative in the College Football Playoff. If the Broncos do end up flirting with that spot, Jeanty just might be the first running back to win this award since Derrick Henry in 2015.

Arch Manning, Texas (Week 3: 100-1 / Week 4: 20-1)

Ewers, who was the betting favorite to win this award heading into Week 3, went down with an ab injury against USTA. Manning then came in and terrorized the Roadrunners, throwing for 223 yards with four touchdowns and also adding a 67-yard rushing touchdown. Manning is viewed as one of the most promising young quarterbacks in the nation, and everybody is looking forward to seeing him as a starter. And people are clearly looking for opportunities to bet on him, as he went from 100-1 to 20-1 to win the Heisman Trophy after the win over USTA.

The problem here is that Ewers is only considered week-to-week with his abdominal injury, and Manning isn’t going to unseat Ewers as the Longhorns starter. Ewers’ command of the offense and overall experience under center is a big part of the reason Texas is viewed as a national title contender. So, even if Manning is a little more talented, this is still Ewers’ team. That means that any play on Manning to win the Heisman Trophy could be a waste of money. Betting Manning is more or less a bet against Ewers’ health.

Quinn Ewers, Texas (Week 3: +600 / Week 4: 20-1)

Ewers didn’t do anything to land himself on this list. In fact, he was playing well against UTSA before getting hurt, as he had already thrown for 185 yards with two touchdowns. He was well on his way to a big game in the box score, which likely would have kept him at the top of the oddsboard heading into Week 4. But Ewers’ ab injury does make it hard to back him in this market. Texas isn’t going to make Manning the starter, but the team can take its time in bringing Ewers back. Manning is good enough to lead Texas to wins over Louisiana Monroe and Mississippi State, so there’s no reason to rush Ewers. And it’s hard to win the Heisman Trophy without a sizable body of work.

Carson Beck, Georgia (Week 3: 10-1 / Week 4: 12-1)

I’m a little surprised to see that Beck only went from 10-1 to 12-1 after last week’s performance against Kentucky. Beck was just 15 for 24 with 160 yards and he didn’t throw for a single touchdown in a 13-12 win. That’s the same Kentucky team that gave up 31 points in a home loss against South Carolina the week before. Sure, Beck has still thrown for 680 yards with seven touchdowns and no picks this season, and he did play well in a 34-3 win over Clemson in Week 1. But it’s just a little hard to imagine him beating out some of the other quarterbacks in this race. Georgia’s offense doesn’t ask as much of him as other teams do with their signal callers. However, if Beck balls out in a road win over Alabama, he’ll be right back in the mix at the top. So, while I’m not personally impressed with him, there’s still a reasonable path towards Beck being a factor in this race.

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