Tagovailoa Retakes Heisman Favorite Status from Lawrence

• Tua Tagovailoa finished second in Heisman voting last year and is listed as the current favorite
• Trevor Lawrence, who led Clemson to the National Championship as a freshman, was the early front-runner
• J.K. Dobbins rushed for over 1,000 yards and 10 TD last year and should get more carries at Ohio State this year

The Heisman Trophy race is heating up already, and we’re still months away from the first snap of the season.  As it stands now, Alabama Crimson Tide QB Tua Tagovailoa is the new favorite to win the award, taking over from early frontrunner Trevor Lawrence of Clemson.

Heisman Trophy Odds

*odds taken 5/9

Stay up to date on all the movement with our 2019 Heisman odds tracker because this race is sure to change and change often.

As for where the odds currently sit, I’m fading the favorite.  Here’s the case for why Trevor Lawrence should be the favorite, as well as one other dark horse that could be worth some coin between now and the beginning of the season.

They said it couldn't be done.

Best Ever 💍🐅#ALLIN pic.twitter.com/uWI3OCuftL

— Clemson Football (@ClemsonFB) April 6, 2019

Get on the Trevor Lawrence Hype Train

Trevor Lawrence has to play two more college football seasons before being the 1st pick in the 2021 NFL Draft.  He already has a National Championship under his belt after leading Clemson to a 44-16 win over Alabama in the title game last season.

In that game, he had 347 yards and 3 TD in that game outplaying the current Heisman Trophy favorite Tua Tagovailoa.  The Crimson Tide QB has 2 TD and 2 INT in the game and when stacked side by side with Lawrence looked quite clearly to be lacking some of the same skills.

Only 1.6% of eligible NCAA football players are selected in the #NFLDraft.

Learn more about the chances of going pro: https://t.co/5kxfLgKWhu pic.twitter.com/OvhMNE1sEL

— NCAA Football (@NCAAFootball) April 26, 2019

Lawrence had 30 TD and 4 INT last season and should build on those numbers this season on a stacked Clemson roster.  Tagovailoa finished with 43 TD and 6 INT last year and was 2nd in Heisman Trophy voting so he’s obviously a strong candidate, but I’m still siding with the Tigers phenom to fill his trophy case with more hardware.

Could a RB Win the Heisman Trophy in 2019?

The last RB to win the award was Derrick Henry from Alabama in 2015.  There is a chance one could win this season with Ohio State Buckeyes RB J.K. Dobbins.  He was electric last year running for more than 1,000 yards and 10 TD and those numbers came while running in a committee with Mike Weber.  With Weber gone to the Dallas Cowboys this back field should be all Dobbins all the time and that’s exciting for not only fans in Columbus but any of you willing to fork some cash over and bet on him at +4000 to win the Heisman Trophy.

Mike Weber committed to rival Michigan. JK Dobbins wanted to go to Texas.@OhioStateFB is thrilled to have @mikeweberjr and @Jkdobbins22 as a fearsome 1-2 backfield punch. pic.twitter.com/2GwAnv6e2Y

— Ohio State on BTN (@OhioStateOnBTN) October 6, 2018

Ohio State has a new Head Coach in Ryan Day and a new QB in Justin Fields, whom you’ll also see in the odds. While that combination gets rolling, expect Dobbins to see a healthy amount of action in the early going.

When betting on an award that won’t get handed out for half a year, all you can do is try to find the value.  I can’t find anyone listed that provides more than Dobbins and you should take that into account.