2026 Heisman Trophy Odds: Target CJ Carr, Fade Arch Manning

From future pros to former college legends, the Heisman Trophy has been exchanged between plenty of incredible players, including Fernando Mendoza who was last year’s recipient of the prestigious title. In a stacked class of quarterbacks, expect a tight race to take place until the very end, giving us a thrilling market to wager on.

Heisman Trophy Odds and Picks for 2026

When it comes to betting on the Heisman Trophy winner, QBs have dominated the voting over the past decade, winning 8 of the last 10. While winning is important, putting up dominant stat lines is vital, drawing enough media interest to keep you in contention by the end of the season.

Heading into 2026, expect QBs to continue to tighten their grip on the field with CJ Carr, Arch Manning and Dante Moore sitting at the top of the oddsboard. Below is a breakdown of who is in a great position to compete for the award, as well as who to monitor for a potential mid-season wager and big names to avoid with negative regression looming large.

CJ Carr | QB | Notre Dame (+750, bet365)

While I normally try to avoid tying up money on the betting favorite for a volatile season-long market, it’s impossible to ignore how well CJ Carr is set up for success next season. Other than a highly anticipated matchup against Miami, the Notre Dame Fighting Irish are expected to be a double-digit favorite in 11 of their 12 games.

Notre Dame also brings back a majority of its offense, surrounding Carr with familiar faces to help avoid suffering any early-season growing pains. While his lack of running ability is certainly a cause for concern, Carr makes up for it with his arm talent, averaging nearly 10.0 yards per throw. With Jeremiyah Love out of the picture, the Fighting Irish will lean heavier on Carr’s arm, leading to more eye-popping stats on a weekly basis.

Dante Moore | QB | Oregon (+1300, FanDuel)

Rivaling Carr at the top of the oddsboard is Dante Moore, the Oregon Ducks star QB and one of the betting favorites to be the first player selected in the 2027 NFL Draft. Moore thrived in the Ducks' high-powered offense last season, finishing the year with 3,565 passing yards and 30 touchdowns while completing 71.8% of his passes.

Like Carr, Moore also gets the benefit of a favorable schedule, suffering no real challenges until their date with Ohio State. If Oregon can take care of the Buckeyes, then the Ducks will have a great chance to go undefeated, shining the spotlight brighter on Moore to help garner more media attention for the award.

Kevin Jennings | QB | SMU (+10000, Fanatics)

In his fourth year with SMU, Kevin Jennings struggled with his consistency, completing just 66.1% of his passes. His sporadic play under center made it difficult for the Mustangs to stay ahead of the sticks, leading an offense that ranked just 68th in Success Rate.

Fortunately for Jennings, he will be able to connect with his wideouts at a more consistent rate while taking advantage of a favorable schedule that is littered with below-average defenses, thrusting him up the oddsboard for the Heisman in the process. By the time SMU plays Notre Dame, we will have a clear picture of how the race for the award is shaking out, giving us the opportunity to potentially hedge our bet before their matchup.

Players to Monitor

Will Hammond | QB | Texas Tech(+5500, FanDuel)

If Will Hammond is able to give it a go in Week 1, his odds to win the Heisman will plummet, making him worth monitoring for a potential bet before the season starts.

Devon Dampier | QB | Utah (+8000, FanDuel)

A dangerous dual-threat QB, if Devon Dampier is able to prove he can thrive under a new regime at Utah, he will be worth a wager to win the Heisman.

Players to Avoid

Arch Manning | QB | Texas (+850, theScore Bet)

Until the Texas Longhorns' new faces on offense can prove they can mesh together, pass on Arch Manning at his short odds with intentions of adding him later when we get more data.

Keelon Russell | QB | Alabama (+4000, BetRivers)

After making minimal adjustments to their ground game, the Alabama offense will be too one-dimensional, making it difficult for Keelon Russell to string together enough performances to make a case for winning the Heisman.

Bryce Underwood | QB | Michigan (+5000, BetRivers)

It has been anything but pretty for Bryce Underwood after underwhelming in Michigan’s spring game, signaling a change may take place in the middle of the season if he cannot elevate the Wolverines offense.

Published Jul 18, 2026, 4:00 AM ETUpdated Jul 18, 2026, 9:10 AM ET