Heisman Trophy Watch: Updated odds, top contenders to win 2021

The regular college football season has ended – minus the Army-Navy Game – meaning players can’t argue more on the field for the 2021 Heisman Trophy campaigns.

So: Who is the favorite to win the Heisman when the game and voting is over?

The favorite player of the off-season was Alabama’s second quarterback Bryce Young, who ended his season with a brilliant performance against Georgia in the SEC championship game. That said, don’t discount any of the other three finalists who have also claimed to have won the sport’s most famous individual awards: Michigan defensive linebacker Aidan Hutchinson, quarterback Pitt Kenny Pickett and Ohio State central defender CJ Stroud.

Only time will tell which of those four players will win against Heisman. Until then, Sporting News has told you about their Heisman campaigns, including the latest odds, the season’s overall stats, Heisman moments and more:

THAN: Who are the finalists of the Heisman Trophy the most?

Heisman Odds 2021

Here are the current Heisman odds FanDuel.

Heisman Top Candidates

Bryce Young, QB, Alabama (-6000)

Statistics: 314 out of 462 beans (67.9 percent); 4,322 yards; 43 ground hits to four interceptions; 31 yards in a hurry, three points in a hurry

Young is Heisman’s favorite player after weeks of consecutive Heisman moments. The first against rival Auburn, when he led the Crimson Tide, 10-3, on a 97-yard slide to close the game with just 24 seconds left. Alabama won in four innings, 24-22, to further nurture its College Football Playoff hopes.

His second came a week later in the SEC championship game, against Georgia’s vaunted defenses. Entering the game, that unit ranked first nationally in total defense score (230.4 ypg), second in defense pass (151.5 ypg), third in defensive pass (78.9). ypg) and first in points per game (6.9 pages). Young had surgery against the Bulldogs, completing 26 of 44 421-foot passes and three touchdowns. He also added 40 javelins and another score to his Heisman campaign to good results.

Young has been an incredible achievement for the Crimson Tide all season, helping to propel the team into championship positions in what has been seen as a rebuilding year for Nick Saban and Co. should be enough to win him the trophy.

THAN: College football fans are displeased after the announcement of the 2021 Heisman Trophy finalists

Aidan Hutchinson, DE, Michigan (+1800)

Statistics: Total 55 tackles (33 solos, 22 assists); 15 tackles for the loss; 13.5 sacks; twice forced fumbling; 10 midfield rush; break up twice

Another player with a stunning late-season burst, Hutchinson is the only defensive player among this year’s finalists, and the first since Ohio State’s Chase Young in 2019. Hutchinson has been unstoppable in the last four games, scoring seven sacks and eight touchdowns while losing to Penn State, Maryland, Ohio State and Iowa, the last of which was in the Big Ten championship game.

Hutchinson has more games with sacks (eight) than without (four) and has three games with multiple sacks. That number includes 2 1/2 bags against opponents not participating in Washington in Week 2, plus 3 bags each against Penn State and opponent Ohio State. Subsequent performance helped the werewolf defeat the Buckeyes for the first time since 2011. He also got a hit against Hawkeyes a week later.

Hutchinson has the second-highest odds of winning against Heisman, a miracle no defensive player has won it since Wolverines’ own Charles Woodson in 1997. Defensive finishes have been impressive in 2021 , but Michigan may have to wait a while before it helps another defensive player win Heisman.

Kenny Pickett, QB, Pitt (+3000)

Statistics: 334 out of 497 passes (67.2 percent); 4,319 yards; 42 touchdowns to 7 interceptions; 241 javelin, five javelin

Pickett did nothing to hurt his Heisman chances in the ACC championship game, knocking Wake Forest down to the tune of a 20/33 pass in 253 yards and two points. (He also added a controversial play to his Heisman campaign reel, forging a slide before surging above a 58-yard touchdown.) In terms of pure stats, Pickett ranks alongside Young in his form this season. But the loss to Western Michigan – a game in which Pickett threw six touchdowns – coupled with Young’s performance against Georgia may be too much for voters to look to the past. That said, Pickett was clearly the driving force behind this 11-2, ACC championship Panthers team. Without him, Pitt would not be nearly as successful in 2021.

CJ Stroud, QB, Ohio State (+4000)

Statistics: 280 out of 395 beans (70.9 percent); 3,862 yards; 38 hits to five interceptions

Stroud was perhaps the biggest hurdle to resolve in terms of Heisman’s vote, as he was the only finalist not to compete during the championship week (his Buckeyes were left out of contention. with the loss to Michigan in Week 13). That said, his reaching the finalists shows that a negligible number of voters saw him throughout the season to ensure he was on their ballot, some of them That is likely to have been voted on ahead of the conference championship weekend.

Stroud has a good chance of any player beating Heisman in the midweek game. He certainly wasn’t bad against the Wolverines, completing 34 of his 49 394-yard passes and two points. But his performance in the losing attempt was clearly overshadowed by Michigan’s first win since 2011. The fact that Stroud couldn’t compete in the conference championship over the weekend – as Young , Pickett and Hutchinson all bolstered their claim to Heisman – which would probably make it impossible for him to win it.

When does the Heisman Cup ceremony take place?

Heisman will be awarded on Saturday, December 11 – a week after the congress championship weekend. It returned to its normal position in mid-December after last year’s ceremony was held in January, following the first game of the College Football League semifinals.

Heisman Trophy Winner in History

The 2021 Heisman Trophy is shaping up to be one of the closest in recent history to the conference championship weekend, when Stroud has as good a chance as Young or Pickett to win the prize (though then , many consider the better performer of the latter two to be the favorites to win). Other players like Ole Miss’ Matt Corral, Kenneth Walker III and Alabama fullback WIll Anderson Jr are also considered part of the race.

However, Young’s performance against the Bulldogs seems to strengthen the race in his favor, at least among bettors.

So far, former Alabama runner Mark Ingram claims the closest finish in Heisman Trophy history, surpassing second-place runner Toby Gerhart of Stanford 1,304-1,276 in 2009, despite losing the Doak. Walker (best run) into the hands of player Cardinal. .

Only four non-midfielder defenders have won the award this millennium: USC running back Reggie Bush (2005), Alabama running back Mark Ingram Jr. (2009), Derrick Henry (2015) and Alabama receive DeVonta Smith (2020).

After all, it’s a quarter-focused award, as the past 10 years of Heisman Trophy winners show: