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Poor performances from Heismann Trophy contenders in Week 4 have led sportsbooks to make Ole Miss Rebels’ Matt Corral and Cincinnati Bearcats’ Desmond Ridder frontrunners to win the award. After having his odds rise for the fourth week in a row, quarterback Matt Corral is now the hot favorite to win the prize for the most outstanding player in college football. Ridder also saw his odds cut, making him the third most likely winner. With only eight games left in the season, find out which players are in the running to take home the Heisman Trophy in 2021.

Top Ten Heisman Contenders After Week 4

Bookmakers have made Matt Corral Corral and Bryce Young two close favorites to win the Heisman Trophy after a frustrating week 4 for other preseason favorites. In third place sits Desmond Ridder*

  • 1. Matt Corral, QB, Ole Miss +130
  • 2. Bryce Young, QB, Alabama +200
  • 3. Desmond Ridder, QB, Cincinnati +1500
  • 4. Spencer Rattler, QB, Oklahoma +2200
  • 5. JT Daniels, QB, Georgia +2500
  • 6. TreVeyon Henderson, RB, Ohio State +3500
  • 7. C.J. Stroud, QB, Ohio State +3000
  • 8. Malik Willis, QB, Liberty +3500
  • 9. Jake Haener, QB, Fresno State +4000
  • 10. Kenneth Walker III, RB, Michigan State +4000

*Odds are correct at the time of publication and are subject to change.

Awful Week for Contenders

Previous Heisman Trophy favorites had a week 4 to forget. In fact, Spencer Rattler performed so poorly that many Oklahoma supporters in attendance were chanting for him to be replaced by Caleb Williams mid-game. Despite once being a favorite for both the Heisman Trophy and the QB1 of the 2022 NFL Draft class, his recent struggles have led many online sportsbooks to give him +2500 odds of lifting the Heismann trophy.

Also, Sam Howell – another early favorite for the trophy – spent more time on the ground than in the end zone during UNC’s 45-22 loss to Georgia State. These poor performances have made Bovada tip Corral as a +130 favorite. At the same time, Riddler’s odds went from +1800 to +1500.

Alabama’s Bryce Young also continued his impressive start to the season in a dominating 63-14 win over Southern Miss. The Crimson Tide talent went 20/22 for 313 yards, scored five touchdowns, and threw the first interception of his career. Despite the solid performance, his Heisman Trophy odds went from +175 to +200. Young and Corral are now the two close frontrunners after Week 4 of college football.

New Contenders

As SMU continued their unbeaten run with a 42-34 win over TCU, Tanner Mordecai appeared on the Heisman Trophy odds for the first time this college football season. The quarterback has been slicing through defenses for the Mustangs. After putting up four touchdowns on the Horned Frogs, he’s now the player with the most passing touchdowns in the nation (20). What’s more, Mordecai’s 1,268 passing yards make him one of the top 10 passers in the country.

Another player to look out for is Jake Haener. His heroics for Fresno State has also made him an outside contender for the prestigious award. Haener played well in the 31-24 defeat against Oregon in Week 1 and in the victory over UCLA in Week 3. Although Fresno State’s 38-30 win over UNLV was closer than anticipated, Haener leads the nation in passing after throwing for 378 yards and five touchdowns in the Week 4 game.

Because of Haener’s recent displays, bookies have given him +4000 odds to win the Heisman Trophy in December 2021. As a result, he makes this week’s top 10, just behind Liberty quarterback Malik Willis. Despite the loss to Syracuse on Friday night, the talented dual-threat QB saw his Heisman Trophy odds shortened to +3500 from +4000.

DJ Uiagaleli Out of the Running

Although DJ Uiagalelei was another early favorite to win the Heisman Trophy, he is struggling to fill the shoes left by Trevor Lawrence. Following the Clemson Tiger’s 27-21 loss against NC State, his odds are now +7500. The Tigers started the season as favorites to lift the national championship. Yet, their thrilling defeat to North Carolina State has ended any hopes of them making the playoffs.

Check out the latest odds for college football games in Week 5.

Ben Perks
Writer

Ben is a sports journalist & part-time trader with a passion for finding +EV bets. Ben lives in Madrid, Spain where he enjoys the live poker scene, and sunshine where he covers UFC, MLB, NHL, NBA, as well as tennis betting.