Every single 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 2 didn’t have as many signature performances as Week 1, but Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers did become the betting favorite to win the award. With 246 yards and three touchdowns in a road win over Michigan, Ewers did enough to jump six players that were listed ahead of him. That includes Oregon quarterback Dillon Gabriel, who was the favorite to win the Heisman Trophy before the season and after Week 1. I’ll touch on both of those players, and a bunch of others, below.

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(All odds from DraftKings Sportsbook)

Quinn Ewers, Texas (Week 2: 14-1 / Week 3: +600)

As previously mentioned, Ewers is now the betting favorite to win the Heisman Trophy. The junior went 24 for 36 with 246 passing yards and three touchdowns in a road win over Michigan, and he didn’t throw a single interception. Ewers now has a Passer Rating of 165.6 through two games. You might not see as many massive performances from Ewers as you will from some of the other quarterbacks that are vying for this award, but he’s the unquestioned offensive leader of a Texas team that has a real shot at being the top-seeded team in the College Football Playoff.

I personally wouldn’t run to back Ewers, especially at this price. At some point, I think he’ll need to go out and torch some opponents, and Texas’ offense might be a little too balanced for him to do that more than once. However, Ewers does get UTSA, Louisiana Monroe and Mississippi State over the next three games, so he could pile up some numbers there. He then faces Oklahoma and Georgia in Austin. If he plays well in both of those big games, he’ll be in great shape here.

Miller Moss, USC (Week 2: 22-1 / Week 3: 18-1)

Moss didn’t do much in USC’s win over Utah State, as he threw for 229 yards with a touchdown and no picks. However, the oddsmakers still moved him from 22-1 to 18-1. The reason for that could be that the Trojans shut out the Aggies, which means new defensive coordinator D’Anton Lynn’s defense has looked great two weeks in a row. If USC is now legit on that side of the ball, a 10-win season is suddenly within reach. That could be enough for Moss to get himself into the mix given the numbers we usually see from Lincoln Riley’s quarterbacks. USC’s next game will be extremely interesting. The Trojans have a bye week in Week 3, but a good performance in The Big House would really put Moss on the map.

Ashton Jeanty, Boise State (Week 2: 100-1 / Week 3: 30-1)

I thought Oregon was going to do a good job of slowing Jeanty down, which is why I was on the Ducks to cover the big number in Week 2. Well, I couldn’t have been more wrong about everything there. After rushing for 267 yards and six touchdowns against Georgia Southern in Week 1, Jeanty rushed for 192 yards and three scores against Oregon. The Broncos also had a real shot at winning that game outright.

It now looks like Jeanty is going to be able to run all over every team he faces this season. The Broncos won’t face a defense as talented as the Ducks all year. So, Jeanty is actually an interesting play at 30-1. Of course, everybody will wish they took this when it was available at 100-1. But the reality is that running backs face an uphill battle in this market, and a poor game against Oregon would have been it for Jeanty. Now, if Boise State wins the Mountain West and ends up being the Group of Five representative in the College Football Playoff, Jeanty just might be able to beat out the quarterbacks. It’s at least something that might be worth sprinkling. You can find 40-1 out there.

Cade Klubnik, Clemson (Week 2: 120-1 / Week 3: 45-1)

Klubnik was trending down after his miserable performance against Georgia, and I questioned whether or not the Tigers offense can be explosive enough for him to get himself back in the conversation. Well, Klubnik responded by going 24 for 26 and throwing for 378 yards with five touchdowns and no picks against Appalachian State in Week 2. The junior also rushed for two touchdowns in the game. All offseason, people viewed the Appalachian State matchup as an important one for Clemson. There was nothing shocking about the blowout loss to the Bulldogs. However, a poor showing against a good Group of Five program would have been a rough look for Dabo Swinney’s group. The Tigers passed that test with flying colors and now look like the team to beat in the ACC again.

Klubnik still has a pretty small margin for error in the Heisman Trophy market. Clemson needs to be a factor in the College Football Playoff race, and Klubnik is going to need some other big performances down the road. But he looked dead in the water after pooping the bed against Georgia. We now have some signs of life. You might not see a better quarterback performance all year.

Dillon Gabriel, Oregon (Week 2: +800 / Week 3: 11-1)

Gabriel is only here because his odds have dipped quite a bit since the offseason. However, Gabriel has thrown for 623 yards with four touchdowns and no picks through two games. He also rushed for a score last week, totaling three touchdowns in a win over Boise State. Sure, Oregon hasn’t been blowing teams out, and these wins have been a little too close for comfort. But the record says 2-0 and the Ducks are still one of the most talented teams in college football. With that in mind, you shouldn’t be surprised if Oregon flips the switch and starts beating up on opponents.

The Ducks should still be 5-0 heading into an October 12th meeting with Ohio State, and that game will be played in Eugene. I have maintained for weeks that if Oregon wins that game, Gabriel will be in pole position in the Heisman race. That said, nothing has changed in my mind. I’m already holding a Gabriel Heisman ticket, so I won’t be jumping in now. But this is a good opportunity to buy stock.

Shedeur Sanders, Colorado (Week 2: 22-1 / Week 3: 80-1)

Sanders is going to put up some monstrous numbers this season. He’s one of the most talented quarterbacks in college football, and the Colorado offense gives him every opportunity to showcase that. However, last week’s 28-10 loss to Nebraska, combined with the close call against North Dakota State in Week 1, showed us that the Buffaloes probably won’t be flirting with eight or nine wins this season. And it’s going to be hard for Sanders to even contend for the Heisman Trophy without his team reaching that mark.

Sanders will probably light up Colorado State this weekend, so perhaps his odds will get worse after this week. But I just wouldn’t be looking to get involved with him.

Travis Hunter, Colorado (Week 2: 25-1 / Week 3: 50-1)

Like Sanders, Hunter is going to have his chances to impress this season. He’s an outstanding player on both sides of the ball, and nobody else in college football is doing what he’s doing. However, Colorado just isn’t good enough for him to win awards. So, while there will be people that argue he’s the most valuable player in the nation, I wouldn’t be buying any of that. What he’s doing is far from meaningless, but it will be on a national level until the Buffaloes start winning. Sanders and Hunter might both be in the NFL by the time Deion Sanders really turns this program around.

Riley Leonard, Notre Dame (Week 2: 30-1 / Week 3: 80-1)

Leonard had big expectations heading into this season, but he has thrown for just 321 yards with no touchdowns and has also thrown two interceptions. Leonard has added 79 yards and a score on the ground, but this passing game was supposed to hum under Mike Denbrock. Last year, Denbrock’s LSU offense helped Jayden Daniels win the Heisman Trophy. So, Notre Dame was excited about bringing him in as offensive coordinator. It’s still entirely possible that Leonard and the passing game will get things going, but the damage might already be done as far as the Heisman goes.

Leonard didn’t play well in a Week 1 win over Texas A&M, throwing for just 158 yards. However, Notre Dame won that game and Leonard did have 63 rushing yards. So, that performance could have been forgivable. But Leonard was miserable in a 16-14 home loss against Northern Illinois. Notre Dame was a 28.5-point favorite in that game, making it an historic upset. It’s going to be nearly impossible for Leonard to recover from that. Notre Dame would need to win out and Leonard would need to play extremely well against Louisville, Florida State and USC.

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Zachary Cohen
Zachary Cohen
Zach has been writing about betting since he was a student at the University of Wisconsin, which is when he started working with StatFox — and contributing to the weekly Platinum Sheet. His work has since been featured for brands like Covers, Sports Illustrated and Tennis Channel. Zach is extremely passionate about the NBA, but he does a bit of everything and has found a niche as a tennis handicapper. Outside of work, Zach likes watching bad comedies and getting shots up in empty gyms — or spending time with his wife and dog.
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