We’re not even out of the spring window yet, and already the Heisman race has been flipped on its head.
What was shaping up to be a relatively stable list of contenders heading into summer workouts has now taken a sharp turn, all thanks to a pair of quarterback moves that feel more like an NFL-style trade than your typical college transfer.
Nico Iamaleava heading from Tennessee to UCLA was surprising enough, but when Joey Aguilar jumped from UCLA to Tennessee literally the next day, it created a massive shakeup on the board. And, interestingly enough, it actually pushed Aguilar ahead of Iamaleava on the Heisman board.
Here's a look at the complete odds for the 2025 Heisman Trophy as we look towards the 2025 season.
2025-26 Heisman Trophy Odds
The leaders:
- Garrett Nussmeier (QB, LSU): +800
- Arch Manning (QB, Texas): +800
- Cade Klubnik (QB, Clemson): +1000
- Jeremiah Smith (WR, Ohio State): +1200
- Julian Sayin (QB, Ohio State): +1300
- Dante Moore (QB, Oregon): +1600
- LaNorris Sellers (QB, South Carolina): +1600
- DJ Lagway (QB, Florida): +1600
- Drew Allar (QB, Penn State): +1600
- Carson Beck (QB, Miami): +2500
Others with odds:
- John Mateer (QB, Oklahoma): +3300
- Kevin Jennings (QB, SMU): +3300
- Gunner Stockton (QB, Georgia): +3300
- Austin Simmons (QB, Ole Miss): +3300
- Sam Leavitt (QB, Arizona State): +3300
- Ty Simpson (QB, Alabama): +3300
- Miller Moss (QB, Louisville): +3500
- CJ Carr (QB, Notre Dame): +3500
- Marcel Reed (QB, Texas A&M): +4000
- Ryan Williams (WR, Alabama): +4000
- Joey Aguilar (QB, Tennessee): +4500
- Dylan Raiola (QB, Nebraska): +5000
- Jackson Arnold (QB, Auburn): +5000
- Fernando Mendoza (QB, Indiana): +5000
- Jeremiyah Love (RB, Notre Dame): +5000
- Bryce Underwood (QB, Michigan): +5000
- Devon Dampier (QB, Utah): +5000
- Jayden Maiava (QB, USC): +5000
- Jalon Daniels (QB, Kansas): +6000
- Sawyer Robertson (QB, Baylor): +6000
- Gio Lopez (QB, North Carolina): +6500
- Haynes King (QB, Georgia Tech): +7500
- Avery Johnson (QB, Kansas State): +7500
- Nico Iamaleava (QB, UCLA): +8000
- Kaidon Salter (QB, Colorado): +10000
- Kyron Drones (QB, Virginia Tech): +10000
- Thomas Castellanos (QB, Florida State): +10000
- Demond Williams Jr. (QB, Washington): +10000
- Beau Pribula (QB, Missouri): +10000
- Darian Mensah (QB, Duke): +10000
Who will take home the Heisman this season?
The truth of the matter is that the Heisman has become more about a "hype" award and much less about what it traditionally was believed to be. So, the big question here is this: Which player will be the most viral and talked about all season long?
Travis Hunter was absolutely deserving of the award last season, but no one can deny that he had help in winning the award due to the media lovefest that we saw for both him and Colorado throughout the season. So, who seems most likely to get that same kind of attention and treatment this time around? In my opinion, you don't have to look too far down the list.
If Arch Manning is able to put up any kind of legitimate stats and lead Texas to compete for a College Football Playoff spot — and there's no reason that shouldn't be the case — we can easily see the hype train carrying him all the way to New York.
Manning is already one of the most-talked-about players in the country and he's only going to be hyped up that much more if he has any semblance of success on the field.
There's a reason his odds are so high — despite never being a full-time starter — and it's because oddsmakers know that — whether it's deserved or not — the hype is coming.