Opening 2020 Heisman Trophy Odds Favor Ohio State’s Justin Fields; Clemson’s Trevor Lawrence Listed at +300

• Justin Fields (+250) is the current favorite to win the 2020 Heisman Trophy
• The Ohio State QB finished third in the 2019 Heisman voting
• LSU’s Derek Stingley Jr. (+2500) is the only defensive player listed in the opening 2020 Heisman odds

The 2019 Heisman Trophy winner was a no brainer this year. Quarterback Joe Burrow took the country by storm leading LSU to an undefeated season and the top seed in the College Football Playoff.

By the end of the regular season, Burrow was a clear favorite in the 2019 Heisman Trophy odds.

There should be more competition next year as there are a handful of players nipping at the heels of the current favorite, Ohio State quarterback Justin Fields.

2020 Heisman Trophy Odds

Odds taken December 20th

Fields’ Encore Season?

Quarterback Justin Fields has been a revelation for Ohio State and head coach Ryan Day. The 6’3″ sophomore out of Kennesaw, Georgia has proven himself time and time again this season.

Fields threw for 2,953 yards, 40 touchdowns, and just one interception in 13 games this season. Not to mention, he boasted a 67.5 completion percentage along with a 190.3 quarterback rating. Fields added 471 yards and 10 touchdowns on the ground as well. These eye-popping numbers led Fields to be named the Big 10 Player of the Year.

Will Fields be able to recreate the same magic in 2020 that he did in 2019? Unfortunately for the sophomore quarterback, he will be losing a few of his favorite weapons. Running back J.K. Dobbins will be headed to the NFL, along with wide receivers  K.J. Hill and Binjimen Victor.

Ohio State always excels in recruiting, so Fields will have some new shiny toys to experiment with next season. The number one receiver in the nation, Julian Fleming, has signed his letter of intent to play at Ohio State next season.

The Buckeyes have also locked down three four-star receivers in Jaxon Smith-Njigba, Gee Scott Jr, and Mookie Cooper. This puts Justin Fields in a great position to put up even bigger numbers next season and win the coveted Heisman Trophy.

The Golden Boy

The Clemson Tigers and Trevor Lawrence fell by the wayside a little bit this year. Probably because their hardest opponent came in the ACC Championship game against Virginia, in which they won 62-17.

Despite Clemson’s easy schedule, Lawrence still proved why he’s one of the top quarterbacks in the nation. The Cartersville, Georgia native threw for 3,172 yards, 34 touchdowns, and eight interceptions. Lawrence added 404 rushing yards and seven rushing touchdowns.

Lawrence did not receive a Heisman bid this season because of how easy his schedule was. It was also hard to fit him in with the three quarterback candidates this year after the incredible seasons they all had.

Lawrence will be losing his favorite weapon in wide receiver Tee Higgins to the NFL, but like Ohio State, Clemson recruits very well. The Tigers will be adding five-star running back Demarkcus Bowman and four-star receiver E.J. Williams.

"Clemson's schedule is so soft. We are talking about one of the easiest schedule in the Power 5. They are 2 TD favorites over everyone on their schedule and the toughest game is at South Carolina" – @SethWalder pic.twitter.com/j3mBz9xCpD

— Paul Finebaum (@finebaum) April 17, 2019

The ACC does not seem like it will be getting a whole lot better next season, which will make it difficult for Lawrence to get a Heisman bid unless his numbers are out of this world.

The Tigers do play Notre Dame and South Carolina next year, but those games do not increase the difficulty of their schedule by a large margin.

The Best Bets Are Longshots

There are a couple of interesting angles you can take when betting on the 2020 Heisman Trophy winner at this point. The first one is Derek Stingley Jr.

The LSU freshman cornerback had an unbelievable year knocking down 15 passes, and corralling six interceptions. To make this narrative even more interesting, there is speculation that he will play on both sides of the ball next year.

The last defensive player to win the Heisman Trophy was Charles Woodson in 1997. The 2018-19 Gatorade Player of the Year finalist has great value at +2500, so throwing a small bet at this price would be a great idea.

Oklahoma quarterbacks have put up incredible numbers in the last three years under Lincoln Riley, and I believe Spencer Rattler will do the same thing next year.

Baker Mayfield and Kyler Murray both won the Heisman Trophy as a Sooner. Jalen Hurts would have been on the same path if it was not for Joe Burrow’s exceptional season.

Rattler threw for 73 yards and one touchdown on just eight attempts this season. The Arizona native absolutely lit up the high school football circuit at Pinnacle in Arizona. Rattler threw for over 11,000 yards and 116 touchdowns in his high school career.

With the coaching and experience Riley has to offer, I believe he can set up Rattler for a Heisman type season. At +1000, the value to take Rattler probably won’t get any better.

Best Bet: Spencer Rattler +1000