Jonathan Taylor and Bryce Love Emerge as Heisman Favorites

• The Heisman Trophy odds are being led by a Wisconsin running back and *checks notes* two backup quarterbacks
• Learn why the running back is a worse pick than the two backups

We’re less than two months away from kickoff of the 2018 College Football season. And as we draw closer to Week 1, we continue to see some movement in the odds to win the 2018 Heisman Trophy.

Odds to win the 2018 Heisman Trophy

New to the upper part of the list is Clemson freshman Trevor Lawrence, who has never played a real snap for the Tigers, but impressed in the spring game and is maybe the most highly-touted QB recruit in history. Jonathan Taylor stubbornly stays at the top of the odds sheet, despite that maybe not being a great pick based on our search volume metric.

Shea Patterson’s transfer to Michigan and first-year eligibility has had major effects on both this odds sheet and the national championship odds. He’s a supremely talented QB, and is maybe the missing piece Jim Harbaugh needs to get the Wolverines back on top.

Disappearing from the odds sheet is Alabama quarterback Jalen Hurts, who is widely expected to either transfer or lose his starting job after being benched in the second half of the national title game. None of that has happened yet though, and despite what a lot of fans think, Hurts has a great chance of starting under center for the Crimson Tide this fall.

Stats of Heisman Hopeful Running Backs

As you can see, Jonathan Taylor isn’t exactly blowing his competition away, besides being the outright favorite to win the Heisman Trophy. Maybe look elsewhere!

Stats of Heisman Hopeful Quarterbacks

That’s right, neither of the two quarterbacks favored to win the Heisman Trophy started under centre for their current team in 2017. Obviously both Lawrence and Tagovailoa have huge upside, but at these odds you’d at least expect a starting job.

Trace McSorley had incredible stats last year, and not just because he was sharing a backfield with Saquon Barkley. This year will be a great opportunity to prove himself without his preternaturally talented companion, and he’ll likely work his way up the draft boards.

God help us all if Khalil Tate finds whatever form he had in October of last season. Tate was nigh on unstoppable until about the Oregon State game, and put up some incredible numbers against Colorado, Washington State, and every California team he could get his hands on.