Heisman Odds After Week 0: Thompson-Robinson, Martinez Underwhelm
- Spencer Rattler is the Heisman Trophy favorite entering Week 1
- Dorian Thompson-Robinson and Adrian Martinez both underwhelmed in Week 0
- See the updated Heisman Trophy odds after Week 0 along with betting analysis below
The 2021 Heisman Trophy race saw little shakeup following the opening weekend of the CFB season. Only 10 teams were in action during Week 0, and both UCLA’s Dorian Thompson-Robinson and Nebraska’s Adrian Martinez underwhelmed.
Oklahoma’s Spencer Rattler remains the Heisman Trophy favorite, while redshirt freshman Haynes King has entered the race after officially being named starting QB for Texas A&M.
The table below shows the updated Heisman odds following Week 0 of the season.
2021 Heisman Trophy Odds
| Player | Odds at DraftKings |
|---|---|
| Spencer Rattler (QB, Oklahoma) | +600 |
| DJ Uiagalelei (QB, Clemson) | +750 |
| Bryce Young (QB, Alabama) | +900 |
| JT Daniels (QB, Georgia) | +1200 |
| CJ Stroud (QB, Ohio State) | +1200 |
| Sam Howell (QB, UNC) | +1400 |
| Matt Corral (QB, Ole Miss) | +1800 |
| D’Eriq King (QB, Miami) | +2000 |
| Kedon Slovis (QB, USC) | +2800 |
| Bijan Robinson (RB, Texas) | +2800 |
| Haynes King (QB, Texas A&M) | +3000 |
| Jayden Daniels (QB, Arizona State) | +3500 |
| Brock Purdy (QB, Iowa State) | +3500 |
| Brian Robinson Jr (RB, Alabama) | +3500 |
| Michael Penix Jr (QB, Indiana) | +4000 |
| Desmond Ridder (QB, Cincinnati) | +4000 |
| Hudson Card (QB, Texas) | +4000 |
| Breece Hall (RB, Iowa State) | +4000 |
| Emory Jones (QB, Florida) | +4000 |
| Max Johnson (QB, LSU) | +5000 |
| Master Teague III (RB, Ohio State) | +5000 |
| Tank Bigsby (RB, Auburn) | +6000 |
| Bo Nix (QB, Auburn) | +6000 |
| Graham Mertz (QB, Wisconsin) | +6000 |
| McKenzie Milton (QB, Florida State) | +6000 |
| Dorian Thompson-Robinson (QB, UCLA) | +6000 |
| Spencer Sanders (QB, OK State) | +6000 |
| Dillon Gabriel (QB, UCF) | +6000 |
| Jase McClellan (RB, Alabama) | +6000 |
| John Metchie III (WR, Alabama) | +6000 |
Odds as of August 29, 2021.
Week 0 Notes
Week 0 was notably absent of teams with Heisman contenders, but that doesn’t mean there wasn’t movement. Nebraska QB Adrian Martinez saw his Heisman odds plummet from +10000 to +20000 after losing to Illinois. The fourth-year starter did reel off a 75-yard TD run, but he struggled in the passing game going 16-for-32.
Martinez was receiving some longshot Heisman consideration due to his experience, but he was never a legit contender. Even if Scott Frost manages to get this program turned around, Martinez hasn’t shown anything over the past two years to indicate he’s Heisman-calibre. In 2020, Martinez passed for 1,055 yards and four TDs with three interceptions.
SCOOP N SCORE ⚡️
Oh no, Adrian Martinez
— PFF College (@PFF_College) August 28, 2021
The other notable team in action during Week 0 was UCLA. Bruins’ QB Dorian Thompson-Robinson went 10-of-20 passing for 130 yards and one TD in a 44-0 victory over Hawaii. The senior pivot saw his Heisman odds stay put at +6000 following the game, as it was his teammate Zach Charbonnet who stole the show with three rushing TDs.
Thompson-Robinson has the chance to put himself on the map with a big performance against LSU in Week 1, but he’s still facing an uphill battle. UCLA lacks elite talent at the receiver position, and DTR still has to polish his passing skills. The better bet in the Pac-12 is USC’s Kedon Slovis, who begins his Heisman campaign vs San Jose State in Week 1.
Rattler Leads Loaded QB Group
Oklahoma’s Spencer Rattler is still the Heisman Trophy favorite after the first official Saturday of College Football. The second-year pivot will take the field for the first time this year at Tulane on Sept. 4th. Rattler is the Heisman favorite due to his 2020 campaign that saw him throw for 3,031 yards and 28 TDs with seven picks.
While Rattler has a soft schedule to open the season, the same can’t be said for the other top candidates. Clemson’s DJ Uiagalelei and Georgia’s JT Daniels faceoff in a huge matchup in Charlotte during Week 1. This game will have major implications on both the Heisman race and the four-team CFP odds.
Alabama’s Bryce Young will also face a good early test against Miami in Week 1. Ohio State’s CJ Stroud, meanwhile, will make his debut against Minnesota in Week 1. Both these quarterbacks have never started a game in college and could see major change in their Heisman odds depending on how they perform.
New King In Texas
Redshirt Freshman Haynes King has been given +3000 odds to win the Heisman after being named Texas A&M’s starting QB in 2021. The Aggies open the season at home against Kent State on Sept. 4. Jimbo Fisher’s squad is currently overwhelming -29 favorites.
King beat out third-year sophomore Zach Calzada in camp to earn the coveted gig. He’ll look to become the successor to longtime starter Kellen Mond, who was drafted by the Minnesota Vikings in the 2021 NFL Draft. King only appeared in two CFB games in 2020, going 2-of 4-passing vs Alabama and South Carolina.
King debuting just outside the top-10 tells you oddsmakers are buying in on the Aggies. Texas A&M returns 15 starters from the powerhouse team that went 9-1 with an all-SEC schedule in 2020. King will be surrounded by elite talent, including TE Jalen Wydermyer, WR Ainias Smith and RB Isaiah Spiller.
Only two freshmen have ever won the Heisman, but one of them was the Aggies’ very own Johnny Manziel in 2012. Texas A&M has the chance to catch Alabama in a down year and unseat the Crimson Tide in the SEC West, which is why the King hype isn’t going to die down anytime soon.
Brady is the lead NHL and College Football editor at Sports Betting Dime, where he specializes in betting odds and data-driven analysis. Brady has over 10 years experience working in sports media, with work published by outlets such as ESPN, CBS Sports, Yahoo! Sports and Fox Sports.
