Is Jalen Hurts a Heisman Contender with Oklahoma?
By Ryan Bolta in College Football
Updated: March 26, 2020 at 8:21 pm EDTPublished:
- Former Alabama QB Jalen Hurts has transferred to Oklahoma
- The last two Heisman Trophy winners were Sooner quarterbacks
- Is now the time to place a bet on the grad transfer?
A huge shift in the college football landscape occurred when Jalen Hurts made his transfer decision official: he’s heading to Norman, Oklahoma.
After a Heisman Trophy-winning season at Oklahoma, Kyler Murray has declared for the NFL draft: https://t.co/BGJfzrl2DS pic.twitter.com/8bvC1uPKBH
— Yahoo Sports College Football (@YahooSportsCFB) January 14, 2019
As a graduate transfer, Hurts doesn’t have to sit out a year and will be immediately eligible to play for Lincoln Riley and the Sooners. It’s the best case scenario for a program that, for the second year in a row, is losing a Heisman Trophy-winner. This year, it’s Kyler Murray, who’s headed to either the NFL or Major League Baseball.
Betting futures is a lot like playing poker: you don’t know what card is going to come up next. The best you can do is get your money in when the expected value is at its highest. For those looking to bet on Hurts, now is the time.
Here’s where the Heisman odds stood this morning.
2019 Heisman Odds
| Player (Team) | 2019 Heisman Odds |
|---|---|
| Trevor Lawrence (Clemson) | +200 |
| Tua Tagovailoa (Alabama) | +250 |
| Jake Fromm (Georgia) | +750 |
| Jonathan Taylor (Wisconsin) | +900 |
| Travis Etienne (Clemson) | +900 |
| D’Andre Swift (Georgia) | +900 |
| Sam Ehlinger (Texas) | +1000 |
| Jerry Jeudy (Alabama) | +1100 |
| Rondale Moore (Purdue) | +1600 |
| Shea Patterson (Michigan) | +1600 |
| AJ Dillon (Boston College) | +1600 |
| Jalen Hurts (Oklahoma) | +2000 |
Looking at these odds, it’s clear that Hurts is the best value play. He has no business being this low on the list no matter where he is starting, but especially not Oklahoma. The fact he’s behind QB’s Sam Ehlinger (+1000) from Texas and Shea Patterson (+1600) from Michigan is wild.
Hurts was the starting QB at Alabama for two full seasons before being replaced by Tua Tagovailoa. In those two seasons, he combined for 40 passing touchdowns and 4,861 yards through the air while also compiling 1,809 rushing yards and 21 TDs on the ground.
The Crimson Tide are a powerhouse, but they aren’t necessarily an offensive juggernaut. Put him in an offense like Oklahoma and he could find himself with an invite to New York.
Oklahoma Has Been There, Done That
Another reason to love the Jalen Hurts Heisman play? This is a script Oklahoma has followed not once, not twice, but three times in a row.
Baker Mayfield
Kyler Murray
Jalen HurtsNot a bad run of QBs for Oklahoma 😳 pic.twitter.com/JTRuvH41UH
— ESPN (@espn) January 16, 2019
Baker Mayfield was born in Texas, transferred to Oklahoma and won the Heisman trophy. Kyler Murray was born in Texas, transferred to Oklahoma and won the Heisman trophy. Jalen Hurts was born in Texas, transferred to Oklahoma and can complete the trifecta if he uses the skills that made him the 2016 SEC Offensive Player of the Year at his new school.
Final Sales Pitch
The odds will change, and soon. Hurts’ average 2019 Heisman Trophy odds are already much shorter, when multiple sportsbooks are taken into consideration. It’s not a unique take believing Hurts has a chance to win some hardware joining a program with the rich history of Oklahoma, so make the bet now.
Going back to the poker analogy, Hurts is the pocket queens of the Heisman race. Is he absolutely the favorite? No, that title belongs to the newly minted National Champion Trevor Lawrence.
But if someone is willing to give you 20-1 odds on a hand this good, don’t muck it and lose out on a potential windfall.
Sports Writer
Ryan has been working at TSN for over eleven years, and is now a lead writer and content producer at That's Hockey. Over the years, he's launched and hosted TSN's first NCAAF podcast, The College Football Show, and been featured on the likes of TSN 1050, Sportscentre, and That's Hockey 2Nite.
