julian-sayin-ohio-state-buckeyes-imagn-images.jpg
Imagn Images

One of the most popular traditions for college football bettors is taking a look at the early Heisman Trophy odds and taking positions that will hopefully give them a sweat throughout the season. Now that most sportsbooks have opened their prices for the 2026 Heisman odds, football analysts everywhere are mining the board for hidden value and the possibility of a massive payout.

Part of the intrigue surrounding early Heisman betting is that the possibility of cashing a longshot is far from some sort of contrived myth that never comes to fruition. In the past decade alone, savvy college football handicappers have seen college football's top individual award handed to players who were offered massive preseason betting odds. Just last year, Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza had an opening price of around +6000, and 2019 winner Joe Burrow memorably was off the early betting menu at most outlets before the LSU signal-caller made his debut with odds of around +10000 and eventually took the trophy amid LSU's historic national championship season.  

However, even when the occasional chalky candidate gets the Heisman hardware, now is still the best time to get the optimal price. For instance, Jayden Daniels was among the top five 2023 Heisman candidates with opening odds of around +1000, but that price quickly shrunk before the former LSU star became the runaway favorite.

Although many football observers believe the Heisman has become a quarterback-only award, three non-quarterbacks have won the honor in the past 11 seasons. They are former Colorado two-way star Travis Hunter (2024), former Alabama receiver DeVonta Smith (2020) and former Alabama running back Derrick Henry (2015).

Even so, the candidates who are most likely to have lasting equity in the Heisman trophy odds are quarterbacks who play for programs that are contending for a College Football Playoff berth. 

Learn more about the BetMGM Sportsbook promo code to get a great offer if you want to place CFB futures bets. 

Here's a look at the early Heisman Trophy betting odds for 2026: 

Heisman Trophy 2026 odds (via FanDuel)

Check out the FanDuel promo code to see the great new offer available when you wager on CFB futures.

The built-in bias toward quarterbacks among Heisman voters is reflected in the futures odds, as 14 of the top 16 candidates listed above are signal-callers, with Smith, Ohio State's dynamic receiver, and flash Miami wideout Toney, who was a key part of Miami's run to the national title game, the lone exceptions.

We're going to pass on Manning, who opened last year as the Heisman favorite at +550. Despite his immense talent and the power carried by his namesake, he fell out of contention after a modest showing against Ohio State in Week 1 and the Longhorns' penchant for the occasional no-show as a team has the potential to knock him out again. Co-favorite Carr had a standout freshman year and should be in the limelight on a Notre Dame club that is opening favorite to win the national title, but we don't necessarily see value in the Irish quarterback at this price.

With that, here are our initial leans for the 2026 Heisman future odds.

Julian Sayin, Ohio State (+1000): The Ohio State star was essentially a co-favorite along with Mendoza heading into their clash in the Big Ten title game last season. He had a statistically better game than his counterpart but missed some key opportunities as the Buckeyes lost a 13-10 defensive slugfest. But considering the Buckeyes have a decent chance at an undefeated regular season against a relatively modest schedule (though it includes a road date with Indiana), we believe Sayin, who showed immense improvement throughout his first year as a starter, is likely the safest investment for long-term equity in this year's Heisman race.

Gunner Stockton, Georgia (+1600): The dual-threat quarterback's breakout sophomore campaign went somewhat under the radar in large part because Georgia's usually reliable defense was a culprit in losses to Alabama and Ole Miss in the playoff. Even so, he threw for 2,894 yards and 24 touchdowns against five interceptions while adding 462 rushing yards and 10 scores. The Bulldogs have a manageable schedule by SEC standards, and we believe Stockton should put up equivalent or even better numbers than last season and has a strong chance to be among the Heisman finalists.

Byrum Brown, Auburn (+5500): As longshots are considered (Brown isn't among the top 16 favorites listed above), we like the explosive dual-threat quarterback who led South Florida to a 9-3 record before following his coach Alex Golesh in a move to Auburn. The Tigers will likely need to win a game or two that they are not supposed to, such as at Georgia or against rival Alabama in the Iron Bowl, but a breakout season behind a fast-rising coach such as Golesh isn't out of the question and Brown will be an integral part of a potential Auburn turnaround from last year's 5-7 campaign. At USF last season, Brown threw for 3,158 yards and 28 touchdowns while also totaling 1,008 rushing yards and 14 scores.

Bet on the 2026 Heisman Trophy winner with the latest DraftKings promo code.