D’Eriq King’s 2020 Heisman Trophy Odds as Short as +1000, as Long as +2500

• Former Houston QB D’Eriq King has transferred to the University of Miami
• King’s 2020 Heisman odds are as short as +1000 but still +2500 elsewhere
• Is King a good early longshot bet to win the Heisman?

Former Houston QB D’Eriq King is now the third-favorite in the 2020 Heisman Trophy odds after officially confirming that he’s transferred to Miami. The newest Hurricane is still listed at +2500 elsewhere.

Miami posted a 6-7 record in their first year under Manny Diaz and struggled on offense. King is a proven dual-threat QB who put up fantastic numbers in the 2018 season for the Cougars.

Despite the acquisition, Miami remains a +12500 longshot to win the 2021 National Championship. Is King good enough to overcome any team issues and win a Heisman?

2020 Heisman Trophy Odds

Odds taken Jan. 20.

King Is a Proven Producer

King started Houston’s first four games this season before announcing in late September that he was redshirting his senior season to preserve his final year of eligibility.

https://twitter.com/deriqking_/status/1219377835061760003

King is a talented dual-threat QB with a proven history of success at the collegiate level. The former Houston QB really showcased his potential in the 2018 campaign when he went off for 2,982 passing yards and 36 TDs with just four interceptions. He also added 674 rushing yards and 14 TDs on the ground before having his season cut short by a knee injury in November.

This is a huge addition for a Miami team that struggled on offense in Diaz’s first year as coach. The Hurricanes ranked 98th nationally in total offense and barely averaged 25 points per game. Unlike Miami’s high-profile quarterback recruit last season, Tate Martell, King has already proven he can be a difference-maker at this level.

Miami’s Struggles Go Beyond Quarterback

King might seem like a great early longshot bet based on the change of scenery and his numbers at Houston, but it’s important to look at why Miami struggled this season.

The Hurricanes offensive line has been very poor for several years now and isn’t guaranteed to improve in 2020. They allowed a whopping 47 sacks this season and couldn’t protect starting QB Jarren Williams. Joe Burrow is an incredible talent and deserved to win the Heisman this season, but his offensive line doesn’t get enough credit for the tremendous job they did blocking and creating time in the pocket for their QB.

After a poor six-win season, the Hurricanes did make some promising changes that should help King succeed. They brought in SMU’s Rhett Lashlee as the new offensive coordinator and UNLV’s Garin Justice as the new OL coach. The Lashlee hiring is significant, as he’s run a spread offense throughout his career and helped the Mustangs record over 4,000 passing yards this season.

Best To Wait

There are so many intriguing Heisman longshot contenders this year that it’s best to wait and see what else Miami does this offseason before laying down money on King.

Oklahoma is #⃣5⃣ in the USA Today's Early Top 25 for 2020.

"[Spencer Rattler's] arm strength and ability as a passer should lead the offense to more closely resemble the teams led by Baker Mayfield and Kyler Murray."

➡️ https://t.co/4cpLynVbsm#OUDNA | #BoomerSooner pic.twitter.com/RswvLceTyV

— 𝕺𝖐𝖑𝖆𝖍𝖔𝖒𝖆 𝖛𝖘. 𝕿𝖍𝖊 𝖂𝖔𝖗𝖑𝖉 (@soonergridiron) January 14, 2020

There’s believed to be a party culture surrounding Miami right now after it was reported several players broke curfew policy and went out late the night before their 14-0 loss to Louisiana Tech in the Indepence Day Bowl. This is a program that needs to improve in a variety of areas to get back on track in 2020.

King has a lethal arm and can burn you with his legs, so if the Hurricanes beef up their offensive line and get better at receiver, King could make for an intriguing dark-horse candidate in the 2020 Heisman Trophy race. But there’s no reason to invest now, before we have any clue how all of the new parts will fit together in Coral Gables.