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Heisman Odds After Week 7: Bama’s Mac Jones Closing Gap on Lawrence; BYU’s Zach Wilson Enters Top Five

Brady Trettenero

by Brady Trettenero in College Football

Updated Mar 3, 2021 · 3:11 PM PST

Alabama QB Mac Jones throwing a pass
Alabama QB Mac Jones is trending up in the Heisman odds after his performance in the 2020 Iron Bowl. (Photo by Steve Nurenberg/Icon Sportswire)
  • Alabama QB Mac Jones is closing the gap on Clemson’s Trevor Lawrence in the Heisman Trophy odds
  • BYU’s Zach Wilson is now a top-five favorite after Week 7 of the season
  • See the updated Heisman Trophy odds after Week 7 along with betting analysis, below

Alabama junior quarterback Mac Jones continues to gain on Clemson’s Trevor Lawrence in the Heisman odds. The Crimson Tide pivot went from +700 to +400 after leading his team to a huge win over UGA on the weekend.

Lawrence remains the heavy favorite after decimating Georgia Tech, but there are some fresh faces in the top-five.

The table below shows the top-15 Heisman favorites at FanDuel following Week 7 of the season.

2020 Heisman Trophy Odds

Player Odds
Trevor Lawrence (QB, Clemson) -150
Mac Jones (QB, Alabama) +400
Justin Fields (QB, Ohio State) +800
Jaylen Waddle (WR, Alabama) +2000
Zach Wilson (QB, BYU) +2000
Najee Harris (RB, Alabama) +2500
Shane Buechele (QB, SMU) +2500
Travis Etienne (RB, Clemson) +2500
Kyle Trask (QB, Florida) +4000
Devonta Smith (WR, Alabama) +5000
Chuba Hubbard (RB, Oklahoma State) +8000
Joe Milton (QB, Michigan) +8000
Master Teague (RB, Ohio State) +8000
Sean Clifford (QB, Penn State) +8000
CJ Verdell (RB, Oregon) +10000

Odds as of Oct.18, 2020.  

Bama’s Jones Continues To Climb

Alabama QB Mac Jones continues to see his Heisman stock rise after impressing for a third straight weekend. The Crimson Tide signal caller threw for 417 yards and four touchdowns with one interception to lead No. 2 Alabama past No. 3 Georgia by a 41-24 score on Saturday.

This marks the third straight game that Jones has thrown for over 400 passing yards. He’s putting up video-game like numbers on the best-looking team in the country. The Georgia defense was the top defense Bama will face this season, so it’s hard to see Jones slowing down.

What’s even more impressive is when you compare him to the Tide’s last starting QB, first-round pick Tua Tagovailoa. Through four games this season, Jones has a better completion percentage (78.2%) and has thrown for more passing yards (1,518) than Tua did in his first four games of his senior season.

You have to keep in mind that Alabama’s receiving group is the best in the country, but there’s no denying Jones has the talent to contend for the award. Jaylen Waddle and Devonta Smith each topped 160 receiving yards against UGA, which led to Waddle moving from +2500 to +2000 and Smith staying at +5000.

Georgia QB Stetson Bennett was a top-five favorite at some sportsbooks entering the showdown with Alabama. You can fade the former walk-on QB after he crumbled under pressure in the second half vs Bama and finished with three interceptions. FanDuel adjusted his odds from +4000 to +10000 after the loss.

Lawrence Dominates Georgia Tech 

Only a quarterback as talented as Trevor Lawrence can throw for five touchdowns in a blowout win and not see major improvement in his Heisman odds. Lawrence has gone from -110 to -150 after he went 24-of-32 for a career-high 404 passing yards and five touchdowns with one interception in a whopping 73-7 victory over Georgia Tech.

YouTube video

Lawrence only played one series in the second half, so you can only imagine what his numbers would’ve been if he had played the whole game. Clemson’s wide receiver depth was on full display against the Yellow Jackets, with Amari Rodgers, Cornell Powell, Frank Ladson and Davis Allen all catching passes from Lawrence.

This unique season could work in favor of Lawrence getting his first invite to New York.  With conferences playing a different amount of games, voters may be forced to look at individual performances over end-of-year numbers. But that’s also something that would help one of Lawrence’s top competitors, Ohio State QB Justin Fields. The Buckeyes’ pivot was more efficient than Lawrence in 2019 and begins his eight-game schedule next week.

BYU’s Zach Wilson Enters Race

BYU QB Zach Wilson is now tied with Alabama’s Waddle for the fourth-best Heisman odds after leading his Cougars to a fifth straight win over Houston in Week 7. Wilson threw for 400 yards and four touchdowns with no interceptions to help his squad rally from 26-14 third-quarter deficit and defeat Houston.

YouTube video

Wilson’s numbers through five games are eye-popping. He’s gone off for 1,641 passing yards and 12 touchdowns with just one interception as the Cougars remain undefeated. Wilson will stay in the conversation if he keeps up these numbers, but it’s hard to justify a wager. As talented as he is, BYU isn’t going to play a top-10 team all season. He simply won’t garner enough attention playing against lower competition.

Instead of jumping on the Wilson hype, try and find better value further down the list. Florida’s Kyle Trask fell from +2000 to +4000 during a bye week (postponed game). He ranks second in the nation with 14 TD passes to go with just one interception. He’ll get his chance to shine on the national stage with upcoming matchups against Georgia, LSU and (potentially) Alabama in an SEC title game.

Heisman Analysis After Week 7

Bama’s Mac Jones is rising in the Heisman odds, but so are a few of his elite wide receivers. Jones may be one of the best quarterbacks in the country, but there will still be those that point to his supporting cast as a big part of his success. That’s why running back Najee Harris is the best value play on the Tide. He added another 152 yards on the ground against UGA and leads the nation with 10 rushing touchdowns.

It’s fun to try and find the next Joe Burrow, but this unique season is pointing towards a preseason favorite taking home the trophy. Lawrence is too talented not to get an invite this year, even though he may not play as many snaps as the other contenders. If you can get odds on Lawrence being at the ceremony in December, jump on them.

Lawrence has a head-start on Fields, but the Ohio State QB begins his campaign on Oct. 24 vs Nebraska. Prior to the season, Fields was listed in the +300 range at most sportsbooks. There’s great value at +800 right now considering the likelihood Ohio State goes undefeated and wins the Big 10 championship. Fields’ odds will only get better once he hits the field and reminds the football world just how good he is.

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