Darnold, Mayfield and Jackson Top Heisman Futures Board
Scott Morris | August 16, 2017
The college football regular season kicks off in just 10 days. Later this month thousands of college football players will begin their quest to win the Heisman Trophy, the most coveted individual trophy in the sport.
However, as we all know, including sports bettors, there are only a couple of dozen players with the talent to separate themselves from the pack and have a chance at winning the annual award given to the top college football player in the country.
Big games open the season including Florida vs. Michigan, Florida State vs. Alabama and Texas A&M vs. UCLA, with players in each game that have a chance to win the Heisman Trophy in December.
Here are three players with the shortest odds on sportsbooks futures boards for the most coveted individual trophy in college football,
Sam Darnold
The USC quarterback is 9 to 2 to win the award. He is expected to be one of the top picks in the NFL draft next year, but first things first.
Darnold and his Trojans’ teammates have a favorable schedule this season, with his toughest road game at Notre Dame and the Irish are not expected to be as good as they have been in the past.
Darnold took the starting quarterback job early last season and led the Trojans to a Rose Bowl victory over Penn State.
Baker Mayfield
The Oklahoma signal caller is 10 to 1 to win the award. Last season Mayfield threw for close to 4,000 yards along with 40 touchdowns and was the third place finisher in the voting for the Heisman.
He has a new head coach at Oklahoma and a new corps of receivers but he should once again put up big numbers for the Sooners. He has a big game on September 9 against Ohio State, which he needs to play well in if he hopes to win the Heisman.
Lamar Jackson
Jackson won the Heisman Trophy last year and is also 10 to 1 to win it again this season. The Louisville Cardinals quarterback is a dual threat under center and could join former Ohio State star Archie Griffin as the only two players to win the Heisman twice in their college career.
He will have to put up passing, rushing and touchdown numbers even better than last season if he hopes to win his second Heisman.
Two others that round out the top five on the futures board for the Heisman are Ohio State quarterback J.T. Barrett at 12 to 1 and Washington quarterback Jake Browning at 15 to 1.
