The 2024 Heisman Trophy race is heating up, and after a thrilling Week 5 of the college football season, there’s been a significant shift in the odds. Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe now sits atop the leaderboard following a stellar performance against Georgia, where he accounted for nearly 500 total yards and four touchdowns. While Milroe’s odds have surged to +200, other top contenders like Miami QB Cam Ward, Colorado’s versatile star Travis Hunter, and Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty are still very much in the conversation. With plenty of football left to play, the Heisman Trophy battle is shaping up to be one of the most unpredictable in years.
Alabama QB Jalen Milroe (+200)
After knocking off Georgia in one of the more exciting matchups we’ve seen between those two teams in a long time, Alabama quarterback Jalen Milroe has surged to the top of the odds board, sitting at +200 on BetMGM. He started the day ranked fourth, but his performance on Saturday was certainly worthy of a Heisman Trophy. Milroe was 27-for-33 for 374 yards with two passing touchdowns and 117 yards added on the ground with two rushing touchdowns. Alabama might have blown a 28-point lead, but Milroe showed poise down the stretch and made a few huge plays in the finals minutes, allowing the Tide to hang on for the 41-34 win.
If you like Milroe to win the Heisman, I would wait to bet it. His +200 odds don’t provide much value and everyone is understandably high on him after what they just witnessed on Saturday. However, this is such a fluid market and we’re only through five weeks of the season. If one of the other Heisman candidates puts up an impressive performance this weekend, they’ll likely see their odds shrink while Milroe’s odds lengthen.
Miami QB Cam Ward (+500)
Speaking of those candidates, Miami quarterback Cam Ward entered Week 5 as the Heisman favorite but now owns the second shortest odds at +500 on BetMGM. He was great in the first quarter against Virginia Tech but struggled from then on. The Hurricanes narrowly won, 38-34, with Ward throwing for 343 yards and four touchdowns. He also had 57 yards and a touchdown on the ground but threw two interceptions and fumbled the ball once which led to two touchdowns for Virginia Tech.
Colorado WR/CB Travis Hunter (+700), Boise State RB Ashton Jeanty (+1000)
Travis Hunter and Ashton Jeanty were two longshots to start the season but have played their way into the conversation. Hunter opened at +3500 and is down to +700 while Jeanty wasn’t even on the board when the season started. After 13 total touchdowns through the first five weeks and averaging 169 rushing yards per game, the Boise State running back now has the fourth shortest odds at +1000. He’s surpassed big-name quarterbacks such as Dillon Gabriel (+1400), Nico Iamaleava (+1600), Jaxson Dart (+1800), and Quinn Ewers (+2500).
Playing for Colorado, Hunter will be in the conversation not only because of his ability to play both sides of the ball but also because of the spotlight that follows Coach Prime and that program. My only concern is that if the Buffs don’t sustain the success they’ve had lately, and therefore the lack of overall wins will work against Hunter.
The opposite is the case for Jeanty. Boise State is 3-1 with its only loss against a ranked Oregon team. They’re currently the favorite to win the Mountain West at -135, which would give the Broncos a solid chance at making the College Football Playoff as the highest-ranked Group of 5 champions. The downfall for Jeanty is that he plays in the Mountain West and no one within that conference has ever taken home the coveted award.
Georgia QB Carson Beck (+3000)
A player that offers some value in this market right now, is Georgia quarterback Carson Beck at +3000. Despite coming off a loss to Alabama, Beck led a seriously impressive comeback, throwing for 439 yards and three touchdowns against a very good Bama defense. We can’t overlook his three interceptions in that game too, but he’ll likely have a chance to redeem himself later in the season. There is a good chance that Georgia and Alabama see each other in the SEC Championship game and if Beck plays mistake-free football and leads the Dawgs to a win over the Tide, he’s likely to find himself in New York a few days later.
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