College football Preseason Heisman Projections: Analyzing the top contenders for the 2024 Season
With college football only days away, the race for the Heisman Trophy is about to start up again. The award for the nation's top player is always a big feature of the college football season.
While the Heisman race will play out over the season, there's a pack of favorites above the field. Here's an early look at the top Heisman contenders, with odds taken from BetMGM.
College football Preseason Heisman Odds 2024
Dillon Gabriel, Oregon (7/1)
A sixth-year quarterback, Gabriel has lit up scoreboards at UCF and Oklahoma. In 50 career games, he has passed for 14,865 yards and 125 touchdowns. Gabriel is already eighth on the all-time NCAA passing yard list and touchdown pass list. He could end up the NCAA's all-time leader in both stats.
Meanwhile, Oregon has a solid shot at the Big Ten title and looks to be a likely College Football Playoff qualifier, which is why Gabriel is the early favorite.
Carson Beck, Georgia (15/2)
After three seasons at UGA on the bench, Beck took over in 2023. He passed for 3,941 yards and 24 touchdowns.
Beck's advantage here is that Georgia is the favorite to win the national title. Being the best player on a national title team isn't a requirement for the Heisman, but it certainly won't hurt Beck's chances.
Quinn Ewers, Texas (10/1)
A much-hyped recruit at Ohio State, Ewers has found stardom at Texas. He led the Longhorns to their first CFP berth last season, throwing for 3,479 yards and 22 touchdowns.
Texas is one of the favorites for a CFP spot from the SEC. If Ewers can take the Horns back to the Playoff for a second time in their new league, he could very much be in the Heisman frontrunner mix.
Jalen Milroe, Alabama (10/1)
Being the star player at Alabama is a pretty good situation for Heisman Trophy consideration. A season ago, he helped the Tide reach the CFP, passing for 2,834 yards and 23 scores while rushing for 531 yards and 12 more touchdowns.
Now, with Nick Saban's retirement, Milroe will play in Kalen DeBoer's spread-out passing attack. He could pass for 4,000 yards this season. There's certainly some unknowns here, but Milroe is a solid-value Heisman candidate.
Jaxson Dart, Ole Miss (12/1)
Lane Kiffin's Rebels have gone all-in on the 2024 season, and that extends to the quartebrack.
A season ago, Ole Miss won 11 games, with Dart throwing for 3,364 yards and 23 touchdowns. This season, he could do even more. The SEC will be daunting, but if Dart can get the Rebels into the CFP, he's a likely Heisman finalist.
Which early Heisman favorites would you pick? Share your thoughts and suggestions below in our comments section: