Gold: Breaking down the Pac-12's post-spring Heisman odds
According to FanDuel’s updated Heisman odds, three Pac-12 quarterbacks rank among the top-4 candidates in what is a crowded post spring-field.
But Caleb Williams, Michael Penix Jr. and Bo Nix aren’t the only conference names up for wagers.
Here’s a look at where the Pac-12’s top Heisman hopefuls stack up after spring ball…
USC QB Caleb Williams — +500
Can Williams do what just Ohio State legend Archie Griffin has done and win a second straight Heisman? The odds on that ostensibly seem long, but Williams’ Heisman odds are not. He’s the clear-cut favorite to win it again coming out of spring, but it’s hard to imagine him topping his numbers from last year. Make it to the College Football Playoff and he won’t have to.
Current Heisman Odds by Fanduel
Caleb Williams +500
Jordan Travis +1200
Michael Penix Jr. +1200
Bo Nix +1200
Drake Maye +1500
Sam Hartman +1500
Jayden Daniels +1500
Quinn Ewers +2000
Kyle McCord +2000
Joe Milton III +2500
Draw Allar +2500
Cade Klubnik +2500
JJ McCarthy +3000— CFB Home (@CFBHome) May 9, 2023
Washington QB Michael Penix Jr. — +1200
My favorite bet on this list. If anything, I might be too high on Penix. But when Rome Odunze announced he was joining Ja’Lynn Polk and Jalen McMillan in returning this season, I went all in on Penix and the Huskies. A tough non-conference schedule makes Penix an early favorite to shorten his odds.
Oregon QB Bo Nix — +1200
If Nix survives October, he might just be in the driver’s seat for this thing. A pair of road games at Washington and Utah, separated by just 2 weeks, will absolutely define Nix’s season. Win both, and Nix sets up a potential Heisman showdown against USC on Nov. 11. Any one of those three games could go down as Pac-12 game of the year.
Utah QB Cam Rising — +6000
Rising might not even start the season, but when he’s on the field, he might just be the most valuable player in the Pac-12. I have a sneaking suspicion that Utah may backslide this year, particularly if Rising is out for an extended period as he recovers from a torn ACL. If he bounces back in a big way and the Utes get off to a good start, he’ll have that kind of narrative-fueled ascension.
UCLA QB Dante Moore — +8000
Welcome to Westwood, kid. It speaks to Moore’s mammoth potential that he has the 5th-highest Heisman odds in the Pac-12. This is a bit premature, but it speaks volumes about what people expect out of the Chip Kelly/Moore combo. If Kelly can get that Marcus Mariota-type magic out of Moore, he’ll have even higher preseason odds in the future.
Oregon State QB D.J. Uiagalelei — +10000
This feels inflated on name alone. But if there is an upside pick in the bunch, it might be this one. Oregon State was a good quarterback away from a 1-loss season, and the Beavers only appear to be getting better from here. Is Uiagalelei a good quarterback, though? He hasn’t lived up to his massive expectations, but if Jonathan Smith can tap into his talent — and if he can fend off Ben Gulbranson and Aiden Chiles — this could be a fun one.
USC RB Marshawn Lloyd — +15000
Well this is bold. Lloyd could make a splash with the Trojans this year, but he’ll be sharing a backfield with Austin Jones, and, oh yeah, Caleb Williams. Lloyd could make a Travis Dye-like impact for USC, but he won’t get the carries to top the magical 1,500-yard mark.
Arizona QB Jayden de Laura — +15000
Like the player, don’t like the odds. If the ball bounces the right way in a few games this year, the Wildcats are going bowling for the first time in years. That is reason to celebrate. But unless de Laura puts up mind-blowing numbers, this just ain’t happening. At +30000, maybe it’d be worth a flyer.
UCLA QB Collin Schlee — +15000
Strange to me that Schlee is on the list along with Moore but without Ethan Garbers, who stands a better chance at claiming the UCLA starting job after an impressive spring campaign. Schlee, the Kent State transfer, might go down as the league’s best 3rd-string quarterback if he stays with the Bruins.
USC WR Dorian Singer — +20000
The conference’s leading receiver from a year ago, Singer moves on to Heritage Hall, where he could just be Caleb Williams’ best friend. But we saw last year that prodigious production does not always translate from one program to the next, as we saw with Jordan Addison last year. Addison went from monster numbers as the Biletnikoff Award winner at Pitt in 2021 to a very good year with USC a year ago. Singer will have to share the ball with many more offensive weapons than he did last year with Arizona.
Arizona State QB Drew Pyne — +20000
Pretty wild that Pyne is on this list, considering he might not even start. With Trenton Bourguet and Jaden Rashada in the fold, Pyne — who played well in long relief of Tyler Buchner last year at Notre Dame — has a tough road ahead just to win the job. Plus the Sun Devils will win maybe 4 games this year. Don’t flush your money down the toilet.
Colorado QB Shedeur Sanders — +20000
He looked terrific in Colorado’s spring game, but the Buffaloes aren’t going to win enough games for him to be in the running. Besides, even if they do, I wonder if his former Jackson State teammate Travis Hunter will steal the buzz. But — and this is one big but — Sanders can set himself up for a big 2024 if the Buffs can get back on track.
UCLA RB Carson Steele — +20000
The man with the golden locks owns a pet alligator. Take my money. Take all of it. Will the former Ball State back ball out for the Bruins? That remains to be seen. He should get the lion’s share of the carries, but probably won’t be utilized like form Michigan-turned-UCLA running back Zach Charbonnet was.
Arizona LB Justin Flowe — +30000
I’m surprised this one is even on the board. Flowe failed to live up to his prodigious potential at Oregon and found a soft landing spot in Tucson, where he is expected to make an instant impact on the Wildcats’ defense. But a Heisman candidate? Come on.
Colorado WR/DB Travis Hunter — +40000
Now THIS is a bet. If the Buffaloes completely defy expectations and pull off any kind of impressive season, the heat on Hunter will be enormous. More so than Sanders, even. The nation’s top recruit in his class, Hunter is expected to play a much greater role on the offensive side of the ball this season. In a pass-happy conference, if he can top 1,000 yards and grab 6 interceptions — which would obviously be absurd — then I could see this bet hitting. Weirder things have happened.