After dicing up the Alabama Crimson Tide defense for 347 passing yards and three touchdowns, showing the entire nation he's one bad dude, no player entered the college football offseason with more hype than Clemson Tigers quarterback Trevor Lawrence. It's safe to say he's just getting warmed up, too.
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If a commanding 44-16 victory over Alabama in the 2019 College Football Playoff National Championship game wasn't enough, the 19-year-old, sophomore-to-be signal caller was the very early favorite to win the 2019 Heisman Trophy, according to Bovada Sportsbook in Las Vegas, Nevada.
Coming off of last night's stellar performance, Trevor Lawrence leads the odds to win the 2019 #Heisman.🏆
There are a lot of familiar names on the list, check them out 👉 https://t.co/RYKyIEwRH0 pic.twitter.com/BKkB5Rmnxd
— Bovada (@BovadaOfficial) January 8, 2019
RELATED: Tua Tagovailoa Lost "About 15 Pounds" Ahead of 2019 Heisman Campaign
However, there's a new leader in the clubhouse.
The 6-foot-5 quarterback with a rocket right arm and long hair might be the gold standard to match next season, but Alabama's Tua Tagovailoa, the signal caller who dominated SEC defenses to become a 2018 Heisman Trophy finalist and runner-up is now picked to follow Oklahoma Sooners quarterback Kyler Murray from the Big 12 as the winner of college football's most prestigious regular season award.
So, who else has the best odds to be the 2019 Heisman Trophy winner this December in New York City? Let's take a look before the NCAA college football season kicks off this fall:
The Favorites
Tua Tagovailoa, Alabama (+260)
2018 Stats: 245-for-355 passing (69 percent), 3,966 yards, 43 touchdowns, 6 interceptions; 57 carries, 190 yards, 5 touchdowns
After the season he had, some might say it was unfair for Alabama's Tua Tagovailoa to not be the favorite right away heading into his junior campaign in Tuscaloosa. However, in two of the biggest games of the season — the SEC Championship Game and CFP National Championship Game — the 6-foot-1 signal caller from Ewa Beach, Hawaii did not play great. Alabama and head coach Nick Saban will return a lot of playmakers with NFL talent next season, so don't you dare ever count out Tagovailoa, who helped the Tide become an offensive juggernaut after replacing starter Jalen Hurts.
Trevor Lawrence, Clemson (+300)
2018 Stats: 259-for-397 passing (65.2 percent), 3280 yards, 30 touchdowns, 4 interceptions; 60 carries, 177 yards, 1 touchdown
Although he truly shined throughout the CFP, especially in the national title game, Lawrence was really sensational all season long. As a true freshman, the Cartersville, Georgia native proved he belonged and made secondaries look foolish time and time again. The scary thing is Lawrence might be even better in 2019.
Jalen Hurts, Oklahoma (+650)
2018 Stats: 51-for-70 Passing (72.9 Percent), 765 Yards, 8 Touchdowns, 2 Interceptions; 36 carries, 167 yards, 2 touchdowns
Well, well. Who do we have here? Could Hurts, who transferred to the Sooners from Alabama this offseason, be the third-straight Oklahoma quarterback under head coach Lincoln Riley to take home the Heisman Trophy? It's definitely possible, especially since his odds have skyrocketed since his announcement to leave Tuscaloosa for Norman. He doesn't have the stats like either Lawrence or Tagovailoa, but that's only because he didn't play much last year and will have one more college football season to prove just how good he really is.
The Contenders
Justin Fields, Ohio State (+900)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GxNM7LdYR8g
2018 Stats: 27-for-39 passing (69.2 percent), 328 yards, 4 touchdowns; 42 carries, 266 yards, 4 touchdowns
Jake Fromm was so good, it made this former five-star leave his home state to play for the Buckeyes, and now he has even better odds to take home the Heisman Trophy. A dual-threat quarterback, Fields has as much talent as anyone in the country and it's going to be interesting to see what he can do under head coach Ryan Day. With Fields eligible, don't be surprised to see his name in this discussion all season long and follow in the footsteps of Dwayne Haskins to NYC. He's that good to deserve these Heisman Trophy odds.
Other Players in The Contenders:
— Nebraska quarterback Adrian Martinez (+1000)
— Georgia quarterback Jake Fromm (+1400)
— Texas quarterback Sam Ehlinger (+1600)
— Georgia running back D'Andre Swift (+1700)
— Wisconsin running back Jonathan Taylor (+1700)
The Pretenders
Travis Etienne, Clemson (+2000)
2018 Stats: 204 carries, 1,658 yards, 24 touchdowns; 12 receptions, 78 yards, 2 touchdowns
Since 2010, this award has been dominated by the quarterback position. Only Alabama's Derrick Henry was able to take home the Heisman in 2015 as a running back. Still, the 5-foot-10, 200-pound running back from Jennings, Louisiana is an all-world talent and is poised for an amazing junior season in the ACC in 2019. The combination of Lawrence's arm and Etienne's legs make the Clemson Tigers scary good once again next year.
Other Players in The Pretenders:
— Oregon quarterback Justin Herbert (+2200)
— Michigan quarterback Shea Patterson (+2600)
The Long Shots
— Notre Dame quarterback Ian Book (+1800)
— Alabama wide receiver Jerry Jeudy (+3500)
— Alabama running back Najee Harris (+3500)
— West Virginia quarterback Austin Kendall (+4000)
— Clemson wide receiver Tee Higgins (+4500)
— Purdue wide receiver Rondale Moore (+5000)
— Stanford quarterback K.J. Costello (+6000)
— Houston quarterback D'Eriq King (+6500)
— Missouri quarterback Kelly Bryant (+6500)
— Miami quarterback Tate Martell (+7000)
— Arizona quarterback Khalil Tate (+7500)
— Arizona State running back Eno Benjamin (+8000)
— Boston College running back AJ Dillon (+10000)
— Oklahoma State wide receiver Tylan Wallace (+10000).
