Big Names to Avoid in the 2019 Heisman Futures

• The latest Heisman odds are high on Clemson WR Justyn Ross, who’s coming off a 1,000-yard, 9-TD season
• Notre Dame QB Ian Book (19 touchdowns, nearly 70% completions) might be worth a flier
• But DO NOT bet on Miles Sanders, who was drafted by Philadelphia in the 2019 NFL Draft

The 2019 Heisman Trophy futures have been updated and the list is filled with some landmines.

Let’s take a closer look at who is on the board and see which players are to be avoided at all costs and which might be worth a bet.

2019 Heisman Trophy Odds

*Odds taken 05/09/19

Don’t Bet On Miles Sanders!

The No. 1 reason you shouldn’t bet on Miles Sanders to win the 2019 Heisman Trophy is because there is no possible way for him to win it. Literally.

The moment Miles Sanders joined the fam.

Tune in to the NFL Draft on ABC, ESPN, and NFL Network.#EaglesDraft | #FlyEaglesFly pic.twitter.com/Xda1dIpL0T

— Philadelphia Eagles (@Eagles) April 27, 2019

Sanders was drafted by the Philadelphia Eagles in the 2019 NFL Draft with the 53rd-overall selection. He’s going to play in the NFL next season, which, in short, means it’s physically not possible for him to win the award. Betting on him would be an immediate lost bet, although you’d probably get a refund.

Pass On Kellen Mond

I actually like the trajectory of Texas A&M and the general shape of their program. I even like Mond as a player; he, like the program, showed a lot of promise under Jimbo Fisher. However, Mond winning the Heisman is extremely unlikely.

KELLEN MOND in the CLUTCH ? pic.twitter.com/kTtKKpjOma

— SEC Network (@SECNetwork) November 25, 2018

The main thing working against him is the schedule. Texas A&M may have one of the toughest slate of games in the country this coming season and that’s going to be too much for Mond and the Aggies to overcome.

They’ll have to go to Clemson in Week 2, then they’ll host Alabama in Week 6. They’ll also have to host Mississippi State and then finish up the season with South Carolina and back-to-back road games at Georgia and LSU.

If he manages to get through that unscathed and puts up great numbers, he deserves the award, but it’s unlikely that happens.

Nix Bo Nix From Your List

Bo Nix is one of the two quarterbacks vying for to replace Jarrett Stidham as the Auburn Tigers starting quarterback. He still has the challenge of winning this job but he’s not a good bet to win the Heisman even if he wins it.

Bo Nix showing the wow factor pic.twitter.com/lUvUBV6iSz

— Skye Underwood (@SkyeUnderwood) January 3, 2019

It’s hard to believe that Nix would be in better position than Stidham was last season or the year before. Stidham was a polished passer entering the both seasons with plenty of promise. Auburn has somewhat morphed into a smashmouth running team under head coach Gus Malzahn and while Nix is a tantalizing duel threat, he’s too raw and there’s not a ton of proven talent around him.

On top of that, the schedule is tricky. They’ll start with Oregon in Week 1 on a neutral site. They’ll also have to go to Texas A&M, Florida and LSU this season, then also host Alabama and Georgia. That’s a lot to ask of a new starter in an offense that was far from explosive last season.

Ross Not Worth The Cost

I have a hard time betting on Ross, even though the star wideout is coming off a 1000-yard, nine-touchdown season with the Clemson Tigers. To start, receivers always have an uphill battle to win the award as quarterbacks are always valued higher. The last wide receiver to win was Desmond Howard in 1991, so that gives you an idea.

74 YARDS!! Justyn Ross to the HOUSE! ? pic.twitter.com/kCIP1tJmfF

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) January 8, 2019

Secondly, Ross plays with Trevor Lawrence, the superstar passer who enters the season among the Heisman Trophy favorites. The challenge for Ross is that the two are married together.

For Ross to have a good season, it would seem that Lawrence has to play pretty well too. It’ll always be hard for Ross to outshine Lawrence. That being the case, pass on Ross for this prop. He’ll probably have a good year but he’ll have a really hard time finishing as the Heisman Trophy winner.

Book Worth A Flier

If you’re looking at players in the range of 50/1 and higher, one player I do like is Ian Book. Of course, he struggled against Clemson in the College Football Playoff, but he otherwise had 19 touchdowns with six interceptions last season. He completed nearly 70% of his passes.

Capped off by his 23-yard TD run, QB Ian Book led No. 4 Notre Dame to a road win at Northwestern.

(?@MBUSA) pic.twitter.com/Vu43qW1WJ1

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) November 4, 2018

He’s quarterbacking Notre Dame and they’re expected to be a Top 10 to start the season. If he can navigate the team through a tough schedule, he’ll have a shot to win the Heisman. Of all the people in this range, I like him the most.