3 Best Heisman Trophy Bets for 2024

The 2024-25 college football season is on the horizon, and it is shaping up to be an exhilarating year with the College Football Playoffs expanding to 12 teams and a plethora of programs entering new conferences. With guys like Caleb Williams and Jayden Daniels now in the NFL, this year's group of talented players are hoping to take home the Heisman Trophy.

Quarterbacks are always going to be at the forefront of Heisman Trophy discussions as 12 of the last 14 winners have been signal-callers. Being that it's almost time for Saturdays to be littered with college football games, FanDuel Sportsbook is offering Heisman Trophy Winner odds for the upcoming campaign.

There doesn't seem to be a clear favorite for the hardware this year, which could provide us with some value on the market. Let's discuss three of the best Heisman Trophy bets ahead of the campaign.

2024 Heisman Trophy Winner Odds

Dillon Gabriel (+700)

The Oregon Ducks didn't waste any time replacing Bo Nix upon his departure to the NFL, landing Dillon Gabriel in the transfer portal. Gabriel is entering his sixth year in college following a two-year stint with the Oklahoma Sooners, where he totaled 6,828 passing yards and 55 passing touchdowns.

According to PFF, Gabriel registered the fifth-most yards per attempt (9.5) and the eighth-highest completion percentage (68.9%) among quarterbacks with 200-plus drop backs last season. Gabriel also posted the fifth-highest completion percentage (56.4%) and was tied for the second-most yards per attempt (10.3) when under pressure.

Quarterbacks who can provide dual-threat production have an edge in the Heisman Trophy competition, and Gabriel is coming off a year where he tallied career-best marks in rushing yards (373) and rushing touchdowns (12).

Winning games is also seemingly important in the Heisman Trophy discussion as the last winner to have fewer than 10 wins was Lamar Jackson in 2016. Seeing that FanDuel Research's Riley Thomas believes the Ducks win 11-plus games this season, Gabriel should be an integral part of another stellar year under head coach Dan Lanning.

Jalen Milroe (+1400)

In the early portion of the 2023-24 season, Jalen Milroe looked out of sorts at times as the starting quarterback of the Alabama Crimson Tide. After being benched for a week, Milroe seemingly found his footing as the season progressed.

Across his final six games of last season (including matchups against the Georgia Bulldogs and Michigan Wolverines), Milroe completed 67.2% of his passes for 1,217 yards and 10 touchdowns while tacking on 389 rushing yards and 7 rushing touchdowns. Milroe would finish last season with the third-most yards per attempt (10.0) among quarterbacks who took 200-plus drop backs.

The departure of Nick Saban could certainly be a factor in how Alabama performs this season, but Kalen Deboer had gotten results with the Washington Huskies before taking over for Saban. The Huskies won 11 games in 2022 before winning 14 games a season ago when Washington lost to Michigan in the National Championship under Deboer.

Entering Deboer's first year at the helm, Alabama's win total is sitting at 9.5 -- with the over carrying +116 odds. Milroe could be a reason why the Crimson Tide overcome Saban's retirement, and his dual-threat production gives him an edge over the pocket quarterbacks in the race.

Travis Hunter (+6000)

There are unquestionably factors that could negatively affect the case of Travis Hunter winning the Heisman Trophy. Besides not being a quarterback, Hunter plays for a Colorado Buffaloes squad that has just a 5.5 win total -- with the over having -142 odds -- in their first year playing in the Big 12.

On the other hand, Hunter is a rare two-way player who is capable of logging notable stats on both sides of the ball. In his first year with the Buffaloes, Hunter caught 57 passes for 721 yards and 5 touchdowns while earning a solid 2.17 yards per route run.

When switching over to the cornerback position, Hunter tallied 30 tackles, 5 pass deflections, and 3 interceptions. Nothing suggests that Hunter won't be a focal point for Colorado on offense and defense in the upcoming season.

With it being a wide-open race for the Heisman Trophy, the door is opened for players like Hunter to buck the trend of quarterbacks always winning the award. Even though Colorado could fall short of double-digit wins in 2024, Hunter could produce enough numbers on both sides of the ball to earn an invite to the ceremony.

Take your sports betting to the next level with the FanDuel Parlay Hub! Explore a curated selection of popular parlays for trending games on FanDuel Sportsbook. Learn about today’s other offers at FanDuel Sportsbook Promos.

Looking for the latest NCAAF odds? Head over to FanDuel Sportsbook and check out all of the college football betting options.

Sign up for FanDuel Sportsbook and FanDuel Daily Fantasy today!

The above author is a FanDuel employee and is not eligible to compete in public daily fantasy contests or place sports betting wagers on FanDuel. The advice provided by the author does not necessarily represent the views of FanDuel. Taking the author's advice will not guarantee a successful outcome. You should use your own judgment when participating in daily fantasy contests or placing sports wagers.