Bryce Young Overtakes Spencer Rattler as Heisman Favorite After Week 1

• Alabama’s Bryce Young is the new Heisman Trophy favorite after Week 1
• Spencer Rattler, Sam Howell, and DJ Uiagalelei all struggled on opening weekend
• See the updated Heisman Trophy odds after Week 1 along with betting analysis below

There’s a new Heisman Trophy favorite after Week 1 of the 2021 College Football season. Alabama QB Bryce Young has moved into the top spot after torching Miami in his season opener.

Oklahoma Spencer Rattler, North Carolina’s Sam Howell and Clemson’s DJ Uiagalelei all saw their odds lengthen following disappointing showings in Week 1. Cincinnati’s Desmond Ridder is the longshot who saw the most improvement in his odds.

The table below shows the updated Heisman odds following Week 1 of the season.

 2021 Heisman Trophy Odds

Odds as of September 5th, 2021.

Young Takes Command 

Alabama QB Bryce Young is the Heisman Trophy favorite after Week 1 of the 2021 CFB season. The sophomore pivot made his first ever collegiate start against Miami on Saturday, and he lived up to the hype. Young went 27-of-38 for 344 yards and four TDs in a 44-13 blowout win over the Hurricane.

Bryce Young went off in his first start for @AlabamaFTBL 😤

• 344 pass yds
• 4 pass TD
• 31-point W

That's the most pass TD and pass yds in a starting debut in school history. pic.twitter.com/OW3jKmeaDz

— SportsCenter (@SportsCenter) September 4, 2021

Young made history with his performance, becoming the first Alabama quarterback to throw four TD passes in his starting debut. A good sign for Young Heisman bettors is that the youngster connected with eight difference receivers in the opener. Previous Crimson Tide QB Mac Jones lost out on the 2020 Heisman due to the solo dominance of WR DeVonta Smith.

Young has the chance to become the first ever Alabama quarterback to win the Heisman. Jones finished third in voting last year, while Tua Tagovailoa and A.J. McCarron finished second in 2018 and 2013, respectively. Young looked super poised in his debut, which is something that can’t be said for several other young pivots in Week 1.

Rattler Underwhelms vs Tulane 

Oklahoma QB Spencer Rattler entered Week 1 as the clear Heisman Trophy favorite at almost every sportsbook. He failed to live up to the hype in his season opener against Tulane. The second-year pivot saw his odds lengthen after throwing two interceptions in a close win over the Green Wave. Rattler still posted strong numbers overall, finishing 30-of-39 for 304 yards and two total TDS.

Spencer Rattler and No. 2 Oklahoma escape Tulane, 40-35 👀⁰⁰Rattler went 30/39 for 304 yards, 2 total TDs and had 2 INTs ⁰⁰What a great effort from Tulane pic.twitter.com/iwzKs3FwX6

— Bleacher Report (@BleacherReport) September 4, 2021

Rattler’s odds movement was fairly miniscule, as he showcased his potential by having the Sooners up 37-14 at halftime. It’s still not a good sign that Rattler made several mistakes and looked inconsistent. This looked very much like the Rattler that struggled in the early goings of the 2020 season rather than the Rattler that dominated the second half of last year.

Oddsmakers believe Rattler still has a good chance at winning, although FanDuel has dropped his price to +1000. Oklahoma simply has too many weapons on offense to discount Rattler after one mediocre showing. The matchups that will truly determine Rattler’s Heisman campaign (Texas & Iowa State) come in the second half of OU’s season.

Uiagalelei, Howell Plummett

Week 1 of the 2021 College Football season was not kind to the top quarterbacks in the ACC. Both Clemson’s DJ Uiagalelei and North Carolina’s Sam Howell saw their Heisman odds significantly lengthen after opening weekend. Uiagalelei went from +750 to +1100, while Howell went from +1400 to +2500.

Georgia sacked DJ Uiagalelei SEVEN times tonight

Trevor Lawrence was sacked 14 times all of last season pic.twitter.com/S9XVCr7Dmo

— PFF College (@PFF_College) September 5, 2021

It’s hard to see a Heisman path for either of these pivots after what transpired in Week 1. Clemson’s Uiagalelei really struggled in a 10-3 season-opening loss to Georgia. The first-year starter was very hesitant, couldn’t connect with his receivers and was sacked seven times. Uiagalelei finished 19-of-37 for 178 yards and one interception.

UNC’s Sam Howell threw three interceptions in a shocking Week 1 upset loss to Virginia Tech. The senior pivot lost his top two receiving targets from last season, and those holes couldn’t have been more evident in the Tar Heels’ season opener. Howell finished 17-of-32 for 208 yards and one TD.

Ridder Is Rising Longshot

While Week 1 was full of underwhelming performances from Heisman contenders, there was one player who caught the eye of oddsmakers in a positive way. Cincinnati’s Desmond Ridder saw his odds increase from +4000 to +3500 after torching Miami of Ohio in Week 1. The senior saw an even bigger boost at FanDuel (+2500).

Desmond Ridder kicking off his Heisman campaign with this 1st half
🚀 14/16
🚀 229 Yards
🚀 3 TDs pic.twitter.com/ENFNTUJDgP

— PFF College (@PFF_College) September 4, 2021

Ridder finished 20-of-25 for 295 yards and four TDs with one interception in a 49-14 beatdown of the RedHawks. He also ran six times for 31 yards, including a 25-yard TD carry. Cincinnati entered Week 1 ranked No. 8 in the AP Top 25 Poll and have the best chance of any non-Power Five team to make the four-team CFP.

Ridder is an intriguing Heisman longshot because Cincinnati has two marquee non-conference showdowns with Indiana (Sept. 18) and Notre Dame (Oct. 2) this season. He’s still facing an uphill battle due to the conference he plays in. UCF’s McKenzie Milton was the last Group of Five QB to receive Heisman buzz, and he only finished eighth in the 2017 voting despite throwing for over 4,000 yards and going undefeated.

Other Week 1 Notes

Every single Heisman contender was in action during Week 1, which led to movement all over the board. Ohio State’s CJ Stroud saw his odds stay put at +1200 after making his anticipated first start against Minnesota. Stroud finished 13-of-32 for 294 yards and four TDs with one interception. The youngster was jittery in his debut and got helped by WR’s Chris Olave and Garrett Wilson.

CJ STROUD: GAME READY

pic.twitter.com/TY1fU5xbjM

— PFF College (@PFF_College) September 2, 2021

Popular preseason contenders JT Daniels (UGA) and Kedon Slovis (USC) didn’t see any movement in their odds following Week 1. Daniels went 22-of-30 for 135 yards and one interception in a defensive battle with Clemson, while Slovis passed for 256 yards and two TDs in a 30-7 win over San Jose State.

Miami’s D’Eriq King saw his odds lengthen from +2000 to +3000 after coming out on the losing end of the Chick-fil-A Kickoff Game on Saturday. The 24-year-old QB went 23-of-30 for only 173 yards and one TD in a blowout loss to the Crimson Tide. King spent the majority of the game trying to escape Alabama’s pass rush and was sacked four times.