Does Lesser-Known Quarterback Have Chance To Steal Heisman?

Ohio State quarterback C.J. Stroud has had the Heisman locked up for weeks. Right?

Well… not quite.

Stroud is far and away the favorite to take home the Heisman trophy, possessing +130 odds at BetMGM. His Buckeyes are undefeated through 10 weeks and will roll into the College Football Playoff so long as they take care of business at home against Michigan on Nov. 26. Even if it doesn’t end up being Stroud, Hendon Hooker rode the biggest wave of momentum in the country this season, leading Tennessee to an 8-0 start before falling to the top-ranked Georgia Bulldogs. He had his moment when the Volunteers took down Alabama, and currently holds the second best odds (+300) at BetMGM.

The number start to dip considerably when looking at other Heisman candidates, but one quick glance at the numbers show that the player with the third best odds should be squarely in the conversation to win the award this season. Here is a blind look at the numbers for the players, all quarterbacks, with the top three odds, per BetMGM.

Player A
Team Record: 10-0
Completion Percentage: 67.1%
Passing Yards: 2,750
TD/Interception: 34/4
Rushing Yards/TD: 83/0

Player B
Team Record: 9-1
Completion Percentage: 71.1%
Passing Yards: 2,888
TD/Interception: 24/2
Rushing Yards/TD: 405/5

Player C
Team Record: 9-1
Completion Percentage: 70.1%
Passing Yards: 3,412
TD/Interception: 34/3
Rushing Yards/TD: 584/5

Player A is Stroud. Player B is Hooker. Player C? That’s North Carolina quarterback Drake Maye.

Maye has clearly had the most productive season among the three quarterback’s, but still sits behind his two contemporaries with +500 odds to win the Heisman Trophy. There are two explanations for that. First, his team hasn’t had as much success, coming in at No. 13 in the Week 12 College Football Playoff rankings. Ohio State (No. 2) and Tennessee (No. 5) play in better conferences and have better quality wins. Second, Maye just isn’t that big of a name yet. The redshirt freshman will not be draft eligible until next season, whereas Stroud and Hooker are both likely to be picked within the Top 100 picks in the upcoming draft. Stroud may even go first.

So, due to factors outside of on-field production, Maye has seen his stock drag behind that of the two other quarterbacks who are even in the same stratosphere as him.

Should you go ahead and place a large sum of money on Maye to win the Heisman? Probably not. There are simply too many factors working against him. That doesn’t mean he’s not worthy of being in the conversation, however.