Heisman watch: Taking stock of the race halfway through the season

There are four clear favorites for the Heisman Trophy at the midway point in the season.

All-world running back Ashton Jeanty — our midseason Heisman pick — is the favorite at BetMGM at +200. He’s followed by Oregon QB Dillon Gabriel at +350, and Miami QB Cam Ward and Colorado DB/WR Travis Hunter at +650.

The No. 5 favorite, Alabama QB Jalen Milroe, is all the way back at +1300.

Jeanty has been unstoppable so far this season. His 1,248 rushing yards are 311 more yards than anyone else in college football. He leads the country with 17 rushing touchdowns and is averaging an absurd 9.9 yards a carry.

Gabriel led Oregon to a big win over Ohio State in Week 7. He threw for 341 yards and two interceptions and also rushed for a 27-yard TD. With Florida’s Graham Mertz out for the season, Gabriel is the active completion percentage leader this season at 76.1%.

Ward leads all QBs who have played six games with 2,219 passing yards and is tied atop the passing TDs list with 20. The former Washington State QB has been integral in Miami’s turnaround from a disappointing 2023 season.

Hunter is Colorado’s leading receiver and top corner. He plays nearly every offensive and defensive snap and appeared to avoid a serious injury against Kansas State. He suffered an apparent right shoulder injury against the Wildcats and missed the second half. But coach Deion Sanders said Tuesday that Hunter would play on Saturday against Arizona.

Milroe heads into Alabama’s game on Saturday leading the country in yards per pass (11.2) and is tied with Ward and Texas State’s Jordan McCloud with 23 combined TDs. Milroe is also Alabama’s most important rusher.

It’s far from a guarantee, however, that the Heisman race is down to these five players. With conference races set to unfold over the next seven weekends, there is a mountain of opportunity for a player outside this group to make a Heisman statement. Just look at last season.

In 2023, eventual Heisman winner Jayden Daniels was +3000 to win the Heisman after Week 7. Daniels kept posting video game stats to win the award even though LSU finished the regular season at 9-3.

Two years ago, Ohio State’s CJ Stroud was the overwhelming favorite at the midway point of the season. His odds were way better than Jeanty’s. Stroud was -110 to win the award. Eventual winner Caleb Williams was at +700.

It’s easy to envision a few players outside the top five making a push over the second half too. Georgia’s Carson Beck (+1500) and Texas’ Quinn Ewers (+2000) will be on the same field Saturday night in the weekend’s biggest game. If either QB has a huge game during a win, he’s going to move up the board.

Clemson QB Cade Klubnik (+1600) keeps putting the ugly Week 1 loss to Georgia in the rearview mirror. Klubnik has thrown for 1,528 yards and 17 TDs to just two interceptions so far this season. He’s also rushed for four TDs as Clemson’s offense has really taken off.

LSU QB Garrett Nussmeier (+3000) threw the game-winning TD pass in the Tigers’ Week 7 OT win over Ole Miss and has shown he’s a very worthy successor to Daniels. If he keeps carving up opposing SEC defenses and LSU makes a run to the conference title game, LSU could have back-to-back Heisman winners.

And don’t totally rule out a player like Indiana QB Kurtis Rourke (+5000) either. Yeah, he’s a long shot, but the Hoosiers are 6-0 and Rourke has been excellent. The former Ohio QB is completing nearly 74% of his passes for nearly 11 yards a throw so far this season.

Midseason Heisman favorites

• Boise State RB Ashton Jeanty (+200)

• Oregon QB Dillon Gabriel (+350)

• Miami QB Cam Ward (+650)

• Colorado DB/WR Travis Hunter (+650)

• Alabama QB Jalen Milroe (+1300)

• Georgia QB Carson Beck (+1500)

• Clemson QB Cade Klubnik (+1600)

• Texas QB Quinn Ewers (+2000)

• LSU QB Garrett Nussmeier (+3000)

• Penn State QB Drew Allar (+3000)

• Ole Miss QB Jaxson Dart (+4000)

• Indiana QB Kurtis Rourke (+5000)

• Colorado QB Shedeur Sanders (+5000)