Odds Say Jalen Hurts Will Not Be a 2019 Heisman Finalist

• Jalen Hurts has been named Oklahoma’s starting QB for Sept. 1 opener
• The Sooners have produced consecutive Heisman Trophy winners 
• Odds say the Alabama transfer will not be a 2019 Heisman finalist, though

Predicting the Heisman Trophy winner is always a difficult task. Oklahoma’s Kyler Murray won the award in 2018 after beginning  as a +2300 longshot in late July. What we do know is that the Heisman usually goes to a quarterback. Since the year 2000, only three non-QBs have won the prestigious award.

Oklahoma has produced consecutive Heisman Trophy winners in Murray and Baker Mayfield (2017). Jalen Hurts has just been named the Sooners starting QB for Week 1, but the oddsmakers don’t believe he will even be a 2019 Heisman finalist.

Will Jalen Hurts be a Top 3 Heisman Finalist?

Odds taken 08/20/19.

Reasons to Bet on Jalen Hurts

Jalen Hurts has had an amazing college football career to date, posting a 26-2 record as a starter at Alabama and being named the SEC’s Offensive Player of the Year as a freshman in 2016. Hurts helped the Crimson Tide to a National Title in 2017 and replaced  injured starting QB Tua Tagovailoa in the SEC Championship last season to lead Alabama back to the National Championship.

While Hurts lost Alabama’s starting QB job last season to Tagovailoa, he still played 13 games, scoring 10 total touchdowns and passing for 765 yards. He also impressed in the SEC title game in relief of an injured Tagovailoa, going 7-of-9 passing for 82 yards and a touchdown.

Hurts is hoping to follow in the steps of Murray and Mayfield, who were both transfer quarterbacks to Oklahoma that won the Heisman under the tutelage of Lincoln Riley. Hurts has shown he’s a great runner and game manager, and after spending last season learning from Dan Enos while he was the QB coach at Tuscaloosa, should have all the tools for Riley to mould into another star pivot.

How Good is the Competition?

The odds are saying Jalen Hurts will not be a finalist for the Heisman because there are some very strong candidates in the field. Tua Tagovailoa (+260) and Clemson’s Trevor Lawrence (+260) are the two heavy favorites in the Heisman Trophy Odds — and for good reason.

Both are elite-level quarterback prospects and projected first overall draft picks in their respective classes. Tagovailoa was the favorite to win for most of last season before eventually being overtaken by Murray, while Lawrence threw for three touchdowns and 347 yards in the National Championship game and is considered the best college football quaterback prospect since Peyton Manning.

Alabama and Clemson dominate the college football landscape, and they will likely be dominating the Heisman Trophy race.  You don’t have to bet on Hurts beating out these two prized QB prospects, but you do have to bet that he’ll be a finalist.

This month, Trevor Lawrence has received the most mentions among the expected @HeismanTrophy candidates. Curious to see if this predicts the #Heisman winner throughout the season. pic.twitter.com/oLLfUaWFX3

— Rob Vanderzyppe (@robvanderzyppe) August 14, 2019

After Tagovailoa and Lawrence, I think Hurts has a good a shot as anyone to be the third finalist.  Ohio State’s Justin Fields might provide the strongest competition, but his lack of experience is a big question mark.

Texas QB’s Sam Ehlinger’s also has a strong chance to be a finalist after he threw for 3,292 yards and ran for 482 yards last year, but just like many players below Tagovailoa and Lawrence in the Heisman odds, I don’t think he has an edge over Hurts. If Ehlinger somehow leads the Longhorns to a Big 12 Title, he could win the trophy, but the Sooners are the better overall team and should win the conference.

Verdict

At these odds, I’m not betting against Lincoln Riley and his ability to develop Heisman winning quarterbacks.

Oklahoma is the favorite once again to win the Big-12 and Hurts has been named the starting QB.

Hurts has the weapons to power himself to a monstrous campaign as well, with All-American Junior CeeDee Lamb leading the receiving corps which also returns Charleston Rambo and has three freshman receivers who were all top ten in their position class this year in Jadon Haselwood, Theo Wease and Trejan Bridges.

I wouldn’t pick Hurts to outright win the Heisman given the strong competition at the top, but I see good value at +330 for him to be a finalist.