Heisman Odds for Minnesota’s Tanner Morgan Shorten from +4700 to +4000

• Tanner Morgan’s 2020 Heisman odds have shortened from +4700 to +4000
• The Minnesota QB was one of the most efficient passers in the country last season
• Read below to see if Morgan should be considered a dark horse Heisman contender in 2020

Minnesota QB Tanner Morgan is seeing his 2020 Heisman odds improve after he helped the Golden Gophers to an incredible 11-2 season in 2019.

Is Morgan a good longshot bet for the Heisman or will the Gophers return to mediocrity in 2020?

2020 Heisman Odds

Odds taken May 23, 2020.

Morgan Is Lethally Accurate

Morgan is coming off an impressive sophomore campaign in which he threw for 3,253 yards and 30 TDs with just seven interceptions. He’s made significant strides with his accuracy, recording a 66% completion percentage in 2019 after completing only 58.6 percent of his passes the year prior.

What’s most promising about Morgan is his coolness under pressure. The redshirt junior is great at navigating the pocket and can make lethally accurate throws under immense pressure. This skill was on full display in Minnesota’s 2019 win over Penn State in which Morgan completed 18 of 20 passes for 339 yards and three touchdowns.

Passing grade under pressure:

1. Joe Burrow, LSU – 80.5
2. Tanner Morgan, Minnesota – 79.8 pic.twitter.com/oMkmS8zCnX

— PFF College (@PFF_College) March 25, 2020

Morgan also showcased his Heisman potential when he delivered another strong performance against a very good Auburn team in the Outback Bowl. In essence, Morgan has already demonstrated exactly what you look for when assessing Heisman potential: he delivered some of his best performances against elite opponents and didn’t crumble in the spotlight .

Morgan Will Get to Throw to Rashod Bateman

Morgan is once again going to be throwing to one of the best receivers in the country in Rashod Bateman. The projected 2021 first-round NFL draft pick had 60 receptions for 1,219 yards and 11 touchdowns in 2019. With Minnesota’s other elite receiver, Tyler Johnson, now off to the NFL, Bateman and Morgan should continue to develop their dynamic chemistry.

While Bateman will be Morgan’s favorite target in 2020, the Gophers are also returning nine total starters on offense and are getting back their entire starting offensive line.

The team also has a promising new offensive coordinator in Mike Sanford Jr., who has a prior relationship with coach P.J. Fleck and worked closely with 2020 first-round pick Jordan Love at Utah State.

Can Minnesota Produce a Heisman Winner?

You have to go back to 1941 (Bruce Smith) for the last and only time Minnesota produced a Heisman winner. But after the Golden Gophers shocked the college football world in 2019, nothing is off the table heading into 2020.

If Morgan is going to have any chance at the Heisman, Minnesota is going to need to win the Big Ten West Division for the first time in history. The Golden Gophers do avoid Ohio State and Penn State in 2020, but there are still several tough opponents on the schedule, including Iowa and Wisconsin. There isn’t one game that seems like a sure-fire loss but rather many matchups that could go either way.

2020 Schedule

9/3 – Florida Atlantic
9/12 – Tennessee Tech
9/18 – Iowa
9/26 – BYU
10/3 – at Maryland
10/10 – at Wisconsin
10/17 – Michigan
10/24 – at Illinois
10/31 – at Michigan State
11/7 – Purdue
11/21 – Northwestern
11/27 – at Nebraska #Gophers // #SkiUMah // #RTB

— Minnesota Football (@GopherFootball) January 4, 2020

The big concern for the Gophers is that they are losing five starters from their elite defensive unit. They’re set on offense with Morgan and Bateman, but replacing the production from defensive studs such as Antoine Winfield Jr., Carter Coughlin, and Thomas Barber will be their toughest obstacle.

Verdict On Morgan’s Heisman Hopes

Justin Fields, Jalen Hurts, and Joe Burrow were the only three quarterbacks who had a better passer efficiency rating than \Morgan in 2019. The Golden Gophers QB has all the tools to be considered a dark horse Heisman contender in 2020.

Minnesota is going to have to overcome some big defensive losses, but they still have the offense to be considered a Big Ten contender in 2020. If some of the younger defensive players step up, the Golden Gophers could be vying for a conference title by season’s end.

Morgan’s Heisman odds are improving because bettors are recognizing the impressive season he had as a sophomore. With a manageable schedule and plenty of returning firepower, Morgan is worth a look while he remains such a hefty longshot. Also keep him in mind when odds open on getting an invite to New York as a Heisman finalist.