2025 Heisman Trophy Odds Tracker – Nussmeier Takes Lead After Week 1

• College football Heisman odds are available for the 2025 NCAAF season
• LSU’s Garrett Nussmeier leads the pack at +775 after Week 1 action
• Track the 2025 Heisman odds movement for all contenders throughout the season

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The Heisman Trophy is college football’s most prestigious award, presented annually to the most outstanding player in the sport. The odds to win the 2025 Heisman Trophy shifted dramatically after Week 1. Garrett Nussmeier took over as the betting favorite while preseason favorite Arch Manning tumbled down the board.

Check out the Heisman Trophy odds available at our most trusted sportsbooks below. The graphs show each player’s average odds to win the 2025 Heisman.

2025 Heisman Trophy Odds

Garrett Nussmeier currently sits at +775 to win the Heisman Trophy. The LSU quarterback leads all contenders after Week 1. The +775 odds give Nussmeier an 11.4% implied probability to win the award. A $20 bet on Nussmeier would profit $155 if he wins.

Week 1 turned the Heisman race upside down. Arch Manning opened as the favorite but struggled badly against Ohio State. The Texas quarterback’s odds crashed from +650 to +1533 after managing just 170 yards and a pick in the 14-7 loss.

John Mateer made the biggest jump among top contenders. His 392-yard, four-touchdown performance against Illinois State sent his odds from +2500 to +1350. Carson Beck and Gunner Stockton also saw their odds improve by over 1000 points each.

*Heisman odds above are updated every 15-60 minutes from top-rated college football betting apps, including FanDuel, DraftKings, and BetMGM.

Odds to Win 2025 Heisman Trophy

Here are some notes on the Heisman Trophy odds movement:

• [September 2] Florida State’s Tommy Castellanos made the week’s biggest move after stunning Alabama. His odds rocketed from +12500 to +3000 following his 150-yard passing, 75-yard rushing performance in the 31-17 upset. He’s the first non-SEC quarterback to hit those marks against the Tide since Kyler Murray in 2018.
• [September 2] Arch Manning’s debut disaster sent him tumbling down the board. The Texas quarterback went from +650 favorite to +1533 after throwing for just 170 yards with a pick in the 14-7 loss to Ohio State. He held the ball too long and looked every bit like a first-time road starter.
• [September 2] John Mateer’s Oklahoma debut couldn’t have gone better. The quarterback torched Illinois State for 392 yards and four total touchdowns, improving his odds from +2500 to +1350 and vaulting into the top five.
• [August 22] Final preseason update shows Arch Manning as the +650 favorite, with Garrett Nussmeier at +883 and Cade Klubnik at +900 rounding out the top three.
• [August 13] Ty Simpson’s Heisman odds surged from +4000 to +2000 after winning the Alabama starting QB job. Bryce Young (2021) remains the only Crimson Tide quarterback to win the award.
• [August 1] LSU’s Garrett Nussmeier keeps climbing the board. He opened at +900 but now sits around +800 at most books.
• [April 15] Nico Iamaleava’s odds dropped to +8000 after transferring from Tennessee to UCLA. Joey Aguilar went the other way (UCLA to Tennessee) and jumped from off the board to +4500.
• [January 31] Arch Manning opens as the +750 favorite to win the 2025 Heisman Trophy. The Texas QB takes over a loaded offense despite limited 2024 snaps. LSU’s Garrett Nussmeier sits second at +800.

Heisman Trophy Betting Trends

• A quarterback has won 20 of the last 24 Heisman Trophies
• Since 2000, only four non-QBs have won the award – three running backs and Travis Hunter (CB/WR)
• Travis Hunter broke a 27-year drought for defensive players in 2024
• Winners typically come from teams that win at least 10 games

Top Contenders by Position

Quarterbacks dominate the current top 10, with Ohio State’s Jeremiah Smith (+1700) the lone non-QB in serious contention. The freshman wide receiver actually lost ground despite his team’s win over Texas, dropping from +1075 after managing just six catches for 43 yards.

• Eight of the top 10 favorites are quarterbacks
• No running backs currently sit in the top 15
• Jeremiah Smith is the highest non-QB at ninth (+1700)

Who Usually Wins the Heisman Trophy?

Quarterbacks have owned the Heisman Trophy for years. Then Travis Hunter showed up in 2024 and changed everything as a cornerback/receiver.

Travis Hunter’s Historic 2024 Heisman Win

Colorado’s Travis Hunter became the first defensive player to win the Heisman since Charles Woodson in 1997. Playing both cornerback and receiver, Hunter put up crazy numbers on both sides:

• Offense: 92 catches, 1,152 yards, 14 TDs
• Defense: 4 picks, 11 pass breakups, 32 tackles

Coach Prime let Hunter do his thing all season. The kid played 118 snaps per game. That’s 709 on offense and 713 on defense.

Hunter’s win broke the QB stranglehold on the trophy. Quarterbacks had won 18 of the previous 22 Heismans before Hunter shook things up. Maybe more two-way players and defensive stars will get a real shot now.

Recent Heisman Trophy Winners

Before Hunter and DeVonta Smith (2020), you have to go back to 2015 for a non-QB winner. That was Alabama’s Derrick Henry at running back. Charles Woodson in 1997 was the only other defensive player to take home the hardware.

Since 2000, quarterbacks have won 20 of 24 Heismans. Only four other guys broke through: Henry (RB), Smith (WR), Hunter (CB/WR), and Reggie Bush (RB).

Where Can You Bet on the Heisman Trophy?

All the main sports betting apps offer Heisman Trophy betting, including BetMGM, DraftKings, FanDuel, Caesars, bet365, and ESPN Bet among others. Some sites pull their Heisman odds on Saturdays during games but they’ll be back once the books adjust for the day’s results.

Heisman Trophies by Conference

The SEC leads all conferences with nine Heisman winners since 2000. If Nussmeier wins in 2025, the conference will hit double digits this century. The Big Ten has dominated preseason favorites but only produced two actual winners.

Heisman Odds FAQ

Who's the favorite to win the 2025 Heisman?

Garrett Nussmeier is currently favored to win the 2025 Heisman Trophy. The LSU quarterback sits at +775 after Week 1, just ahead of LaNorris Sellers (+933) and Carson Beck (+1100).

When is the Heisman Trophy awarded?

The Heisman Trophy gets handed out in early December, right after the regular season ends.

Has a defensive player ever won the Heisman Trophy?

It’s super rare. Charles Woodson won in 1997 as the only pure defender. Travis Hunter broke a 27-year drought in 2024 playing both cornerback and receiver.

What happened to Arch Manning's Heisman odds?

Arch Manning’s odds crashed from +650 to +1533 after Week 1. The Texas quarterback struggled against Ohio State, throwing for just 170 yards with a pick in the 14-7 loss.

Who made the biggest jump in Week 1?

Tommy Castellanos saw his odds rocket from +12500 to +3000 after leading Florida State to a 31-17 upset over Alabama. John Mateer also jumped from +2500 to +1350 after his 392-yard performance.

Has a freshman ever won the Heisman?

Only two freshmen have won the Heisman Trophy. Johnny Manziel (2012) was the first, as a redshirt freshman. Jameis Winston (2013) is the only true freshman ever to win the award.

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Archived Heisman Trophy Odds:

• 2023
• 2022
• 2021
• 2020
• 2019
• 2018