Heisman Trophy Odds Update: Bo Nix Is On the Rise

The Heisman Trophy is one of the most coveted awards in American athletics.

In the modern era, the accolade is typically awarded to the nation's best quarterback, but it is not intended as such; that would be the Davey O'Brien Award.

Still, via the college football odds at FanDuel Sportsbook, we are seeing one particular non-quarterback on the rise: Ohio State Buckeyes receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. At 16-to-1, Harrison is a legit contender in the market; he scored twice last weekend versus the Rutgers Scarlet Knights.

However, only three players in the past 17 seasons have won the Heisman at a position other than signal-caller. Most recently, wide receiver DeVonta Smith accomplished the feat before going on to shine with the Philadelphia Eagles.

Last year's trophy winner, USC Trojans quarterback Caleb Williams, just lengthened in the market after losing a high-scoring affair with the No. 5 Washington Huskies. With that being USC's third loss of 2023, Williams is now 120-to-1 in the Heisman Trophy odds at FanDuel Sportsbook.

As the market leader for the second consecutive week, Michael Penix Jr. of Washington was the main reason aforementioned Southern Cal suffered another loss. Yet, it is no longer Michigan Wolverines quarterback J.J. McCarthy nipping at his heels for the award; Oregon Ducks signal-caller Bo Nix has moved into second place on the oddsboard.

You'll also notice Jayden Daniels has been dropped from FanDuel Sportsbook's Heisman list; the LSU Tigers quarterback sustained a second-half concussion in a loss last weekend to the rival Alabama Crimson Tide.

Let's break down some of the perennial Heisman candidates to this point in the season and their respective odds to bring home college football's most celebrated individual award.

All college football odds via FanDuel Sportsbook.

*Denotes 2022 Heisman Trophy winner

Heisman Trophy Odds

Michael Penix Jr., QB, Washington (+140)

Pun intended, but Michael Penix Jr. is still top "dawg" in the 2023 college football circuit.

As alluded to, the Husky quarterback was already pacing this market at FanDuel Sportsbook, but then he proceeded to help generate 52 points in an electric game at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Washington defeated USC by double digits, essentially ending Caleb Williams' back-to-back Heisman bid while strengthening Penix's own campaign.

Shortening from +270 odds to +140 after the recent victory in L.A., it is difficult to make a case against Penix. At 84.4, he has the fourth-highest QBR in the nation right now. He has already tossed 26 touchdowns this season, showing a prolific passing clip of 355.7 YPG. Penix's 69.4% completion percentage in 2023 has kept Washington efficient and undefeated at 9-0.

No player from UDub has ever won the prestigious Heisman Trophy, but it is beginning to seem like Penix will ultimately squash that storyline in about a month or so. However, he and the Huskies will face the No. 13 Utah Utes and No. 12 Oregon State Beavers over the next two weeks. Penix can certainly seize the moment here, but losses would open this market.

Bo Nix, QB, Oregon (+200)

As the most hated Pac-12 rival of Penix and the Dawgs, Bo Nix and the Ducks are still swimming through 2023 with both speed and grace. Nix is fresh off a monster performance versus the California Golden Bears, notching a 63-19 victory in the process. For that contest, the Oregon quarterback threw for four touchdowns while adding two more scores with his legs.

Prior to the game with Cal, Nix was labeled with +550 odds at FanDuel Sportsbook to win the upcoming Heisman. After a sizeable leap, Nix now shows two-to-one odds in this market. Of course, he and the Ducks already had their shot at Washington earlier in the season, suffering their only loss (36-33) of the year in Seattle. Nix displayed a completion clip of 75% in that Week 7 meeting.

Oregon will close out their regular season by next facing USC before Oregon State and the Arizona State Sun Devils. Simply, Nix's play against the Trojans and Beavers may end up sealing his fate when pertaining to the Heisman Trophy.

The Ducks will need to put up big number on Southern Cal if Nix looks to continue ascending -- especially considering all the points Washington just scored at the L.A. Coliseum.

J.J. McCarthy, QB, Michigan (+800)

Despite a solid showing against the Purdue Boilermakers this past Saturday, Wolverine quarterback J.J. McCarthy saw his Heisman odds at FanDuel Sportsbook plummet. Undefeated Michigan rolled over Purdue by a score of 41-13, but strangely enough, McCarthy failed to account for a single touchdown in the bid. He did well by throwing for 335 yards last weekend, but the Wolverines used five separate rushing scores to earn the win.

Two weeks ago, McCarthy led this market at +250 odds. After falling to +300 prior to the Purdue game, he is currently yielding eight-to-one odds. However, I don't think we can count McCarthy completely out, here. The Michigan man is sporting an ultra-precise completion clip of 75.7% in 2023. Additionally, his QBR of 92.3 is the second-best mark in the country right now.

Still, a play on anything Wolverine related can be viewed as risky at the moment. Notably, an investigation into alleged illegal sign stealing on behalf of Michigan is well underway. Naturally, their contemporaries are calling for action, but no official decision on the matter has been made as of Monday of Week 11. Also, the Wolverines have two heavyweight fights through the final three weeks of the regular season. They're at the No. 9 Penn State Nittany Lions this weekend and versus archrival No. 3 Ohio State to end the regular season.

Jordan Travis, QB, Florida State (+800)

Currently tied with McCarthy for the third-shortest Heisman odds at FanDuel Sportsbook, Jordan Travis has been the most consistent dual-threat quarterback of the 2023-24 CFB campaign. At an undefeated 9-0, Travis' No. 4 Florida State Seminoles have been dominant behind a 39.6 PPG clip. Of all their wins this year, only two have even been within a single score, and both came against ACC foes on the road.

At 6-foot-1, Travis might not be the tallest quarterback in the room, but his athleticism is something to marvel at. As a native of "The Sunshine State", Travis has propelled the program from Tallahassee back to levels that legendary head coaches Jimbo Fisher and Bobby Bowden once achieved. Over their most recent five games, Travis has powered the effort by accounting for 14 total touchdowns (including 5 rushing scores in that span) to only 1 interception.

Throughout history, there have been three different Heisman Trophy winners to represent Florida State and all were quarterbacks: Charlie Ward (1993), Chris Weinke (2000), and Jameis Winston (2013). That leaves FSU with one different signal-caller winner in this market from each of the past three decades. If Travis hopes to make if four consecutive decades with a Heisman for FSU, he'll need to fill up the stat sheet in all three remaining contests -- but especially so against the in-state rival Miami (FL) Hurricanes and Florida Gators.

Longshots

• Carson Beck, QB, Georgia (+1200)

• Marvin Harrison Jr., WR, Ohio State (+1600)

• Ollie Gordon II, RB, Oklahoma State (+4000)

• Jalen Milroe, QB, Alabama (+5000)

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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.