by
It’s a wide-open race for the Heisman Memorial Trophy in 2025, awarded to the top player in college football. Last year’s winner Travis Hunter played a unique role for Colorado as both a cornerback and wide receiver, but bookmakers anticipate a quarterback will take back the trophy. Fan favorite Arch Manning leads the list of candidates, but at (+600), there is plenty of opportunity for another student-athlete to leapfrog the favorite. Continue reading to access expert Heisman Trophy predictions and access statistical insights on NCAA football futures for 2025.
- NCAA college football
- 2025 season
- Heisman Memorial Trophy
- Awarded to the top player in college football
Heisman Predictions: Who do Sportsbooks Favor?
Arch Manning leads all players in college football in the race to win the Heisman Trophy according to the top online sportsbooks. The nephew of NFL legends Peyton and Eli Manning, Arch is starting at quarterback for Texas as they also lead the nation in National Championship odds. LSU QB Garrett Nussmeier follows behind at (+850). Cade Klubnik, Clemson QB, rounds out the trio of favorites at (+1000).
Heisman Trophy 
Arch Manning +600 +600 +500 Garrett Nussmeier +800 +800 +850 Cade Klubnik +1000 +900 +800 Ty Simpson +1600 +3000 +2500 LaNorris Sellers +1800 +1600 +1400 Julian Sayin +1800 +1600 +1700 Jeremiah Smith +2000 +1000 +900 DJ Lagway +2000 +1800 +1800 Dante Moore +2000 +1800 +2700 Austin Simmons +2200 +3500 +3500 John Mateer +2500 +2000 +1900
Want to explore the NCAAF futures market? See top college football betting sites and our page on 2025 Heisman Trophy betting odds.
Arch Manning Heisman Favorite in First Year as Starter
After sitting on the bench the past two seasons behind Texas’s Quinn Ewers, Arch Manning is expected to make a big leap this season. His few appearances for the Longhorns last year were electrifying, earning a National Player of the Week honor in Week 8. He had propelled Texas to a dominant victory over UTSA after Ewers exited early with an injury a few weeks prior.
Now a redshirt sophomore, Manning has “put his nose in the dirt” and earned it the hard way, as fellow Heisman frontrunner Cade Klubnik described it. Few quarterbacks in the NIL era are willing to wait several seasons on the bench. But Manning’s commitment to the program bucks the trend. Whether it’s due to nepotism, deserved hype or a bit of both, every sportsbook agrees the Heisman Trophy is Arch Manning’s to lose.
Opening odds were around (+900) for the Texas starter, making for some notable line movement looking at the current lines. While typically I would associate that with professional bettors laying smart money on Manning, there could be another factor at play. BetMGM announced Manning is getting almost a quarter of the tickets and a third of the money placed on the Heisman race. That indicates sportsbooks are liable to pay out Manning bettors massively if he were to win, potentially causing them to proactively reduce his odds for risk management reasons.
Heisman Predictions: Why You Should Bet on Jeremiah Smith Right Now
The biggest non-quarterback favorite for the Heisman Trophy is Jeremiah Smith, the standout wide receiver for Ohio State. Smith is glorified by college football pundits as the “clear best player in college football,” but his candidacy for the Heisman award is hindered by his position. The trophy is typically dominated by quarterbacks, with Travis Hunter and Devonta Smith defying odds in the last decade.
Hunter’s merits hinged on his dual role as a cornerback and receiver, however. Devonta Smith is the only exclusive wide receiver to win since Desmond Howard in 1991. Paul Finebaum, one of ESPN’s premier college football journalists, lauded the talent of Jeremiah Smith. Fniebaum called him “without a doubt the best player in the game.”
His concerns rested in Ohio State’s playcalling, which failed to get Smith opportunities in games against Michigan and Texas, most notably. But the biggest reason why I highlight Jeremiah Smith’s candidacy is from a pure market perspective. Most sportsbooks have Smith no longer than (+1300).
Yet BetOnline is offering (+2000) on the wideout, a clearly wrong number and worth pouncing on for market reasons alone. This number marks nearly double the payout of most sportsbooks. Official Heisman predictions: Go for Jeremiah Smith to win the Heisman Trophy while this line is still available. You won’t regret it.
Desmond Reid and Isaac Brown Jump Up Doak Walker Rankings
The Heisman Trophy isn’t the only player award bettors can wager on. BetOnline is taking bets on the Doak Walker award, given to the nation’s top college football running back. Penn State’s scary running back room demands respect from bookmakers. Nick Singleton and Kaytron Allen are priced prohibitively despite potential cannibalization of carries.
The top favorite for the Doak Walker award is Notre Dame’s Jeremiyah Love at (+400), but there are some other names that caught my eye. Desmond Reid’s odds have skyrocketed to (+900) after being essentially out of the picture when the market opened. Similarly, Isaac Brown has gone from a 50:1 underdog to now (+1600).
Desmond Reid’s senior year will be in Pittsburgh as the star RB spurned over a dozen teams reaching out to him in the transfer portal. A workhorse out of the backfield, Reid is poised to get plenty of chances to run up statistics and make his case. The same can be said for Brown. The sophomore should get a majority of the carries for the high-flying Louisville Cardinals.
Odds are accurate at time of writing but subject to change.
Top Sportsbooks for Heisman Predictions
Explore some of the best offshore sportsbooks below. Each website is reviewed by My Top Sportsbooks for user experience, customer service, new member promos, and more.
Sports Betting Sites 