Who Will Win the 2023 NCAA Football Heisman Trophy?

Well, folks, the wait is over.

Those of you who have been counting the days until college football begins can finally stop counting. Don’t you want to start watching some games? Have you been itching to get some bets in?

It’s going to be harder and harder to exploit the betting sites as the season progresses and more data becomes available.

That’s why I’m keen on locking in some wagers before the season starts, rather than waiting until the bookmakers get sharper. I’ve scoped the top college football betting sites, and I’ve seen just about all the lines out there.

The wager I want to talk about today is one that we’re all interested in – the Heisman Trophy. There are plenty of viable candidates, especially this early on.

So I ask.

Who do you think will win the award for the nation’s most outstanding player? Do you think a quarterback in the SEC will take it home, or can a running back make it to NYC and join the coveted list of Heisman Trophy winners?

My plan is to take a look at 10 players who I think have what it takes to be up for the most illustrious individual award that college football has to offer. Whether or not their team wins enough games for them to stay in the conversation as we approach December remains to be seen.

For now, all we can do is forecast what we expect to pan out.

Lurking as the current favorite in Vegas at +600 to win the Heisman Trophy is Stanford running back Bryce Love. For starters, Love was the runner-up in 2017 to the eventual Heisman winner, Baker Mayfield.

He won the Doak Walker Award as the country’s top tailback, so there really should be no surprise to see Love’s name head the betting sheet.

Coming off a year in which he rushed for 2,118 yards and 19 touchdowns, the Cardinal RB will likely see enough work to put up similar numbers in 2023, but will that be enough to claim the hardware?

Stanford starts the season ranked 13^th in the nation, and they’ll need to stay somewhere in the top-25 for Love to stay out in front of the pack. A 9+ win season and comparable rushing stats, and we could see this +700 bet pay off handsomely.

Nobody outside the Alabama football program really knew who Tua Tagovailoa was before last year’s National Championship game.

Limited to backup duties the entire season, the Alabama freshman stood patiently on the sidelines, holding a clipboard and taking mental notes as Jalen Hurts received all the credit.

Fast forward to today, and it’s Tua’s second-half performance versus Georgia in the final game of the season that has vaulted him all the way up the board. He’s now second-favorite at +750 at Sportsbook.ag, and it might not be that bad of a price.

The dual-threat QB from Hawaii hasn’t been confirmed as the starter by Nick Saban yet, but I think the writing is on the wall. Sorry, Jalen, but Tua Tagovailoa is now the big man on the Crimson Tide campus.

So freshman sensation Jonathan Taylor didn’t eclipse 2,000 yards rushing during his first season in Madison. But the 5’11” 221-pound beast from Salem, New Jersey, did accumulate 1,977 yards and 13 touchdowns on the ground during his breakout year for the Badgers.

The Wisconsin RB was touted as being a stud when he came in, but nobody expected him to burst through holes and break tackles the way he did from the get-go.

Now another year older and another year stronger, Taylor has the chance to break the lid open and bust well over the 2,000-yard mark in 2023. If this team stays in the top 10 like they are right now, go ahead and pencil Jonathan Taylor’s name in for a seat at the PlayStation Theatre in Times Square.

As electrifying as , the Wildcats are going to have to make some big strides in the PAC-12 Conference if the Tate is going to be invited to New York as a Heisman Trophy finalist later this year.

Talk about a running quarterback. The speedster from Inglewood, California, burst onto the scene in 2017 when he went off for 327 rushing yards in a game versus Colorado. His 840 rushing yards in the month of October were more than any other player had rushed for in October in more than 10 years.

If he improves his presence as a pocket passer, then it might not matter if Arizona is any good or not. His stats might be so bloated that he’ll force his way onto the stage in New York.

Looking for a guy who is trending upwards? Here is a quarterback whose stock is rising by the second.

Trace McSorley was good as a sophomore in for the Nittany Lions, but the Virginia native took a jump as a junior, landing in the upper echelon of college quarterbacks. People always knew that Trace had an abundance of talent, but could he channel all his energy and hone in on his skills?

Seeing his completion percentage go from a dismal 57.5% in 2016 up to an impressive 70.3% in 2017 makes me think he is serious about his craft and wants to play at the next level. He could rush for 15 TDs on top of throwing 30+, and don’t forget that Penn State is a top-10 preseason team.

I’ll buy some shares of McSorley at +1500 to win the Heisman because he’s on the short list of legitimate contenders.

If you look around the country, there are some pretty intense battles going on at the quarterback position.

However, that’s not at all the case in West Virginia.

The Mountaineers know exactly who their leader is entering the 2023 NCAA football season, and his name is Will Grier. After never getting the chance to fully shine in Gainesville, Grier opted to transfer to West Virginia and play for HC Dana Holgorsen.

The decision has paid off, as Grier threw for 3,490 yards and 34 touchdowns during his first season in Morgantown. Now entering his senior season on a team hovering around #20 in the preseason ranking, Grier has the opportunity to not only stand out but also to be a dominant passer in the Big-12 Conference.

We saw Baker Mayfield get it done last year, so the +1500 number attached to Grier isn’t as bad as you may think.

If the Heisman Award was handed out to the best pure athlete in the country, Oklahoma signal-caller Kyler Murray would probably take the cake.

The former Texas A&M dual-sport athlete transferred to Oklahoma and had to sit out the 2016 season. After patiently waiting his turn behind Mayfield, Murray will be the head honcho in Norman in 2023. And don’t be surprised if he takes the nation by storm with how dazzling he is with the ball in his hands.

After with the Oakland Athletics MLB organization earlier this month, the 21-year-old will eventually have a decision to make. With that being said, there is nothing standing in his way from blowing up SEC defenses.

At +2000 to win the Heisman, I’d get my money in on Murray now before he turns into one of the 2 or 3 favorites.

By playing on the west coast, half the country is sound asleep on Saturday nights when Jake Browning is lighting up opposing defenses in the PAC-12. If you are one of the individuals who live east of Texas, it’s time to stop sleeping on Jake Browning.

The Washington Huskies QB is no stranger to putting up massive numbers, as the 6’2” 205-pounder was the Gatorade Football Player of the year during both his junior and senior years at Folsom High School. This includes throwing an inconceivable 229 touchdowns during his high school career, a national record.

After three huge seasons under Chris Petersen, the senior quarterback is poised to have his best year yet for “U-Dub.” Starting the year ranked 6^th in the AP and Coaches Polls, the Huskies have a chance to do some serious damage in 2023.

I like Washington as a somewhat “under the radar” squad that has what it takes to land in the College Football Playoff. At +2500 to win the Heisman Trophy, Browning could represent the best value on the entire board.

The University of Georgia lost a pair of running backs via the top-35 picks of the 2023 NFL Draft. Their true freshman and five-star recruit Zamir White tore his ACL in practice and will miss the season.

And I’m sitting here telling you that the Georgia running game is still in terrific hands. That’s because sophomore sensation D’Andre Swift will be thrust into a bigger workload, and all signs are pointing to this .

He’s helped by the fact that the Bulldogs boast arguably the best offensive line in the country, not to mention that this team should build big leads throughout the season.

If Kirby Smart decides to let the Philadelphia native loose for 20+ carries per game, then we could see Swift seriously elevate his Heisman stock as we get nearer to December.

Currently at +2800, just keep an eye on how much Swift is being utilized by Georgia. If you see them pounding him into the ground, considering placing an investment on this wager.

The University of Missouri made strides in 2017, finishing 3^rd in the SEC East with a 7-6 record while qualifying for a Bowl Game. If they can continue the upward trend and get to 9 wins in 2023, then we might see “Mizzou” send their starting quarterback to New York as a nominee for the Heisman Trophy.

I am talking about Drew Lock, the senior signal-caller for Barry Odom’s Tigers. Drew has prototypical stature, standing at 6’4” and weighing 225 pounds.

He led the entire country with 44 touchdown passes a season ago, so I don’t think I’m going too far out on a limb here by calling him a Heisman candidate.

What I will say is that Lock is going to have to earn his numbers this season, as Missouri’s schedule faces a “who’s who” of the top defenses around. Lock will face Georgia on September 22^nd, before heading to South Carolina and Alabama for back-to-back road games.

The Tigers also have to travel to Gainesville to play the Gators and Knoxville to face the Volunteers, so nothing will be handed to the Mizzou quarterback. However, at +3000 and with this many chances to shine on the big stage, I’ll buy some of the “Lock Stock!”

The Heisman Trophy is an honor that doesn’t go away after your college career is finished. Joining the stays with a player forever and puts them in a special category of collegiate athletes.

Here’s the beauty for us fans.

An award this prestigious never comes without serious betting interest. You don’t just have to listen to the touts talk about who they think should or could win the award.

If you have an inkling or a hunch on who you think will win, go ahead and put your money where your mouth is!

I gave you a list of 10 of the preseason favorites, but there are a plethora of others who could wind up in New York City vying for this accomplishment. Get your bet in now, and it could pay off enormously!