Arch Manning leads the 2025 Heisman Trophy odds despite having just two career starts as a quarterback.
The redshirt sophomore is the betting favorite heading into his first season as Texas’s full-time starter. Manning showed flashes of his five-star talent in limited action last season, but jumping to Heisman contention represents a major leap.
The stages are set for Manning to prove himself. Texas opens against No. 3 Ohio State. The Longhorns face No. 18 Oklahoma in the Red River Rivalry on Oct. 11. Road trips to No. 15 Florida (Oct. 4) and No. 5 Georgia (Nov. 15) highlight the SEC schedule.
Manning will navigate this gauntlet with four new starters on the offensive line.
It’s a challenging path, but Manning starts with the popular vote ahead of other SEC quarterbacks including LSU’s Garrett Nussmeier and South Carolina’s LaNorris Sellers.
The Manning family has Heisman history without a winner. Archie Manning finished fourth in 1969 and third in 1970 at Ole Miss. Peyton Manning had three top-10 finishes at Tennessee, including second place in 1997. Eli Manning finished third at Ole Miss in 2003.
Will Arch be the first Manning to win the Heisman Trophy?
Here’s a look at the current Heisman Trophy odds and top contenders for the 2025 season, according to Caesars:
Current Heisman Trophy Odds
Twelve players have Heisman odds of +2000 or better:
| PLAYER | SCHOOL | POS. | ODDS |
| Arch Manning | Texas | QB | +500 |
| Garrett Nussmeier | LSU | QB | +700 |
| Cade Klubnik | Clemson | QB | +800 |
| LaNorris Sellers | South Carolina | QB | +1000 |
| Jeremiah Smith | Ohio State | WR | +1000 |
| Drew Allar | Penn State | QB | +1500 |
| Dante Moore | Oregon | QB | +1600 |
| Julian Sayin | Ohio State | QB | +1600 |
| Sam Leavitt | Arizona State | QB | +1600 |
| Ty Simpson | Alabama | QB | +1800 |
| Carson Beck | Miami | QB | +1800 |
| John Mateer | Oklahoma | QB | +2000 |
Best Heisman Trophy Favorites
A closer look at the top six candidates in the 2025 Heisman Trophy race:
Arch Manning, QB, Texas (+500)
2024 stats: 939 yards, 67.8%, 9 TDs, 2 INTs
The wait is over for Manning to take center stage. His odds will improve significantly if he leads the Longhorns past Ohio State in Week 1. Manning averaged 28.7 rushing yards per game with two TDs against UTSA, UL-Monroe and Mississippi State.
Garrett Nussmeier, QB, LSU (+700)
2024 stats: 4,052 yards, 64.2%, 29 TDs, 12 INTs
Nussmeier leads all returning FBS quarterbacks in passing yards. He’s a high-volume passer who should put up big numbers for the Tigers this season.
The opener at Clemson gives him a chance to make an early Heisman statement. He could follow Joe Burrow (2019) and Jayden Daniels (2023) as the third LSU Heisman winner in seven seasons.
Cade Klubnik, QB, Clemson (+800)
2024 stats: 3,639 yards, 63.4%, 36 TDs, 6 INTs
Klubnik is the top returning quarterback outside the SEC. The three-year starter can make his case in regular-season games against LSU and South Carolina.
He averaged 255.4 yards per game with 21 TDs and three interceptions in ACC play last season. Deshaun Watson finished second in 2016, and Trevor Lawrence was second in 2020. Can Klubnik be the Tigers’ first Heisman winner?
LaNorris Sellers, QB, South Carolina (+1000)
2024 stats: 2,534 yards, 65.6%, 18 TDs, 7 INTs
Sellers also rushed for 674 yards and seven TDs. He’s a popular Heisman pick for good reason.
He had six games with at least a 70% completion percentage last season and played well against ranked teams. If he can push South Carolina into the CFP, he’ll have a real chance.
Jeremiah Smith, WR, Ohio State (+1000)
2024 stats: 76 catches, 1,315 yards, 17.3 ypc., 15 TDs
This represents value considering Smith is widely viewed as the best player in college football. The 6-foot-3, 215-pound sophomore is a future No. 1 draft pick.
The question is whether he gets enough production while sharing targets with Ohio State’s other receivers. Smith can make an opening statement against Texas and a closing argument against Michigan.
Drew Allar, QB, Penn State (+1500)
2024 stats: 3,327 yards, 66.5%, 24 TDs, 8 INTs
Allar is a three-year starter on a top-five team with 53 TDs and 10 interceptions for his career. He needs strong performances against Oregon (Sept. 27) and Ohio State (Nov. 1) to stay in contention.
Penn State’s last unbeaten season came in 1994, when Ki-Jana Carter finished second and Kerry Collins finished fourth in Heisman voting.
Best Heisman Trophy Sleepers
Four sleeper candidates with odds at +2000 or +2500:
John Mateer, QB, Oklahoma (+2000)
2024 stats: 3,129 yards, 64.6%, 29 TDs, 7 INTs
Mateer added 826 rushing yards and 15 TDs at Washington State last season. Offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle is joining Mateer at Oklahoma.
The SEC schedule and an early test against Michigan make Mateer one of the most popular early-season sleepers. His stock could peak heading into the Red River Rivalry.
DJ Lagway, QB, Florida (+2000)
2024 stats: 1,915 passing yards, 59.9%, 12 TDs, 9 INTs
Lagway is the fifth SEC quarterback on this list. He faces seven ranked teams, including head-to-head matchups with LSU (Sept. 13) and Texas (Oct. 4) in the first five games.
Those duels with Manning and Nussmeier will determine whether Lagway stays in the race by midseason.
Ryan Williams, WR, Alabama (+2500)
2024 stats: 48 catches, 865 yards, 18.0 ypc., 8 TDs
Williams had 16 catches for 462 yards with five TDs in four September games last season. That’s an average of 28.9 yards per catch.
If he maintains that production through a full season with first-year starter Ty Simpson, a DeVonta Smith-like Heisman run is possible.
Best Heisman Trophy Longshots
Three players with odds at +3000 or more who could enter the mix:
Jeremiyah Love, RB, Notre Dame (+3000)
2024 stats: 163 attempts, 1,125 yards, 6.9 ypc., 17 TDs
Love is one of the most exciting players in college football, and Notre Dame should be in the College Football Playoff mix. The question is whether he’ll get enough carries.
Derrick Henry remains the last running back to win the Heisman Trophy in 2015. Henry had 2,219 yards and 28 TDs that season – nearly double Love’s 2024 yardage.
Devon Dampier, QB, Utah (+5000)
2024 stats: 2,768 yards, 57.9%, 12 TDs, 12 INTs
Dampier transfers from New Mexico, where he had 1,166 rushing yards and 19 TDs last season. Those rushing numbers are significant.
Recent Heisman winners Cam Newton (2010), Johnny Manziel (2012), Lamar Jackson (2016), Kyler Murray (2018) and Jayden Daniels (2023) all had 1,000-plus rushing yards. If Dampier hits those numbers and leads Utah to a Big 12 championship, he could emerge as the surprise candidate.
Haynes King, QB, Georgia Tech (+6000)
2024 stats: 2,114 passing yards, 72.9%, 14 TDs, 2 INTs
King also had 587 rushing yards and 11 TDs. If Georgia Tech makes a playoff push from the ACC, King could win over Heisman voters with his all-out style of play.
The Yellow Jackets open with a spotlight game in the Friday night opener at Colorado.
When is the Heisman Trophy Ceremony?
The Heisman Trophy will be awarded on Dec. 13, 2025, one week after conference championship games.
The ceremony will be televised at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN.
