Top 2025 Heisman Trophy Contenders and Value Picks Before Week 0

The 2025 college football season is fast approaching, with Week 0 matchups set for Saturday, August 23rd. It’s a good time to look at pre-season 2025 Heisman Trophy betting odds to find value before teams hit the gridiron.

Futures awards are one of the most popular betting markets in both collegiate and professional sports leagues. Find out more by downloading some of the best sports betting apps and registering a new account to claim hundreds in bonus bets.

Travis Hunter won the 2024 Heisman Trophy after opening as a sizable underdog at +4000 odds. The former Colorado Buffalo played both ways, as a wide receiver and cornerback, which garnered enough production to beat other talented finalists like Boise State RB Ashton Jeanty, Miami (FL) QB Cam Ward, and Oregon QB Dillon Gabriel.

Oddsmakers are currently bullish on Texas QB Arch Manning to win the 2025 Heisman Trophy at +700 odds. He’s now in the full-time QB1 role with the Longhorns under head coach Steve Sarkisian, who utilized him in certain packages to varying degrees alongside Quinn Ewers in 2024.

Manning’s family history likely has a lot to do with being the betting favorite to win the 2025  Heisman Trophy. His uncles are Peyton and Eli Manning, who both went on to become successful NFL franchise quarterbacks and combined for four Super Bowl wins.

Behind Manning sit another pair of quarterbacks at +900 and +950 odds. Garrett Nussmeier returns to LSU after a highly productive campaign in 2024, recording a 64.2 percent completion rate for over 4,000 passing yards and 29 total touchdowns.

At +950, Clemson’s Cade Klubnik has high expectations after taking the Tigers to the College Football Playoff last season. The signal caller racked up over 450 rushing yards and seven rushing touchdowns, while throwing for over 3,600 yards and a blistering 7.4 percent touchdown rate. Klubnik finished 2024 with 36 passing touchdowns and only six interceptions.

Nussmeier and Klubnik both offer more value at their current price compared to Manning. They also possess more in-game experience and aren’t dealing with the same level of expectations cast upon the Longhorns’ superstar quarterback.

2024 was the first time a defensive player won the Heisman Trophy since Charles Woodson in 1997. Hunter had more highlights as a wideout than a cornerback, but his ability to stay on the field and play two positions proved invaluable.

Hunter’s win ended a three-year streak of a quarterback winning the most prestigious individual award in college football. Seven of the last nine Heisman Trophy winners have been quarterbacks, with Hunter and former Alabama WR Devonta Smith being the outliers.

The last time there were back-to-back Heisman Trophy winners who didn’t play quarterback occurred in 1998 and 1999. A pair of star running backs, Ricky Williams and Ron Dayne, won this award for the top player in college football.

Despite this trend, Ohio State’s WR Jeremiah Smith is available to bet at +1100 odds. He’s going to have a new quarterback in 2025, but the sophomore wideout is a matchup nightmare for any opposing defense.

Penn State QB Drew Allar is sitting at +1800 odds. He’s coming back for his senior season and benefits from running backs Nicholas Singleton and Kaytron Allen also returning in the backfield. Allar nearly led the Nittany Lions to the National Championship game, falling just short in heartbreaking fashion to Notre Dame during the College Football Playoff Semifinal.

Quarterback DJ Lagway is an intriguing longshot at +2800 odds. He played well for the Florida Gators in 2024 under head coach Billy Napier, finishing with a 6.3 percent touchdown rate during his freshman season. 

At +5000 odds, Michigan’s freshman quarterback, Bryce Underwood, holds value, especially entering as the top-ranked quarterback in his recruiting class. Standing at 6-4, 228 pounds, the Detroit native could revive the Wolverines’ offense with his strong arm and athletic frame.