FanDuel Sportsbook Opens 2025 Heisman Trophy Odds: Manning, Nussmeier Are Co-Betting Favorites

Just hours after the final flake of scarlet and gray confetti touched down in Atlanta, FanDuel Sportsbook launched opening odds for the 2025 Heisman Trophy. Texas QB Arch Manning (+850) and LSU QB Garrett Nussmeier (+850) opened as co-favorites. Clemson’s Cade Klubnik, Tennessee’s Nico Iamaleava, Penn State’s Drew Allar, and Ohio State’s Jeremiah Smith opened just behind at +1200. With most NFL Draft decisions set and the transfer portal more or less at its level watermark, let’s dive into these opening Heisman odds for the 2025 college football season.
2025 Opening Heisman Trophy Odds
The numbers below indicate static opening odds. Before placing your bet, check out the best college football betting sites and compare updated odds.
PLAYER
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Arch Manning (QB, TEX)
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Garrett Nussmeier (QB, LSU)
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Cade Klubnik (QB, CLEM)
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Nico Iamaleava (QB, TENN)
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Drew Allar (QB, PSU)
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Jeremiah Smith (WR, OHST)
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LaNorris Sellers (QB, SCAR)
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Julian Sayin (QB, OHST)
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Carson Beck (QB, MIA)
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Dante Moore (QB, ORE)
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John Mateer (QB, OKLA)
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DJ Lagway (QB, FLA)
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Kevin Jennings (QB, SMU)
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Miller Moss (QB, LOU)
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Austin Simmons (QB, MISS)
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Gunner Stockton (QB, UGA)
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Sam Leavitt (QB, ASU)
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Marcel Reed (QB, TAMU)
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Steve Angeli (QB, ND)
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Jackson Arnold (QB, AUB)
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Jalon Daniels (QB, KAN)
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Dylan Raiola (QB, NEB)
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Thomas Castellanos (QB, FSU)
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Fernando Mendoza (QB, IND)
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Jeremiyah Love (RB, ND)
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Jayden Maiava (QB, USC)
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Ty Simpson (QB, BAMA)
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All other players not listed lined at odds higher than 50-1.
Quarterbacks Dominate Odds Board
Despite Colorado WR/CB Travis Hunter and Alabama WR DeVonta Smith breaking up the trend in the past five years, the Heisman Trophy is essentially a quarterback award. Since 2010, 12 quarterbacks have won the award versus three non-quarterbacks. Further, there’s a pretty strong correlation between team wins and this award. Hunter, again the outlier, became just the fourth winner since 2010 to play for a team that won fewer than 11 games; every winner since then won at least nine.
Given those criteria, seeing Manning and Nussmeier atop the odds boards is unsurprising. Opening win totals at FanDuel line Texas at Over 9.5 (-200) and LSU at Over 8.5 (-120). Nussmeier returns as a starter for the Tigers after throwing for over 4,000 yards, a potential signal. Since 2010, nine of 12 quarterback winners started before winning the Heisman — only Cam Newton (2010), Kyler Murray (2018), and Bryce Young (2021) interrupt the trend as first-year winners.
However, Heisman voters are the most susceptible to recognizable names and narratives among major award winners. Over 900 people vote for the Heisman, many of whom don’t regularly keep up with the sport. Let’s take a look at the 2024 voting breakdown:
PLAYER | 1st | 2nd | 3rd |
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Travis Hunter | 552 | 261 | 53 |
Ashton Jeanty | 309 | 517 | 56 |
Dillon Gabriel | 24 | 52 | 340 |
Cam Skattebo | 3 | 18 | 125 |
Shedeur Sanders | 1 | 7 | 30 |
Kurtis Rourke | 2 | 3 | 10 |
Despite not being the best player on his team — indicated by his teammate winning the award — Shedeur Sanders received a first-place and seven second-place votes. Kurtis Rourke received two first-place votes despite not meeting any historical QB criteria and trailing the others on this list by at minimum 800 passing yards.
The narrative aspect provides a significant leg up to Manning, the likely face of college football in 2025.
Top Non-Quarterbacks
Ohio State phenom Smith returns as the top name outside of the signal-callers. As a true freshman, he logged over 1,300 receiving yards and 15 touchdowns. NFL Draft analyst Dane Brugler said the 6-foot-4 Smith would be the top non-QB NFL Draft prospect this April should he be eligible. As recently as 2023, the Buckeyes sent a star receiver to New York as a Heisman finalist (Marvin Harrison Jr.).
Opposite Smith in the national championship, Jeremiyah Love returns as the top running back in 2025 Heisman odds. Love rushed for over 1,100 yards and 17 touchdowns as a true sophomore but turned heads with highlight-worthy hurdles and constant explosiveness. Notre Dame turns over at QB, a potential advantage for Love early on.
The next handful of non-QBs fall to 150-1 odds or longer:
- Texas RB Tre Wisner (150-1)
- Michigan RB Justice Haynes (180-1)
- Ohio State safety Caleb Downs (180-1)
- Auburn WR Cam Coleman (180-1)
- Texas A&M WR Kevin Concepcion (180-1)
Longshot Names To Note For 2025 Heisman Odds
This summer, I’ll have a full breakdown of longshot Heisman betting criteria and picks. But let’s take a quick look at names not yet written in this article with longer than 50-1 odds to note.
Kaidon Salter transferred from Liberty to Colorado and likely assumes QB1 duties ahead of incoming freshman Julian Lewis. With head coach Deion Sanders strongly linked to the Dallas Cowboys opening, Salter is a conditional pick. He led Liberty to a New Year’s Six berth in 2023.
Alabama doesn’t appear to have an obvious successor to quarterback Jalen Milroe. Ty Simpson (+5000) leads Austin Mack (+10000) on this odds board, indicating he may be the frontrunner for the job early on. However, with such a volatile room that could change with the final spring transfer window, Mack presents an intriguing consideration. Kalen DeBoer proved he can produce Heisman-level QBs (Michael Penix Jr.).
Returning starters in 2025 include Noah Fifita (120-1), Jake Retzlaff (120-1), and Eli Holstein (120-1). Retzlaff and Holstein started 2024 off hot, with the former leading BYU to an 11-2 final record. Holstein sustained injuries as Pitt dropped its final six games of the year after a 7-0 start. Fifita played well in 2023 but underwhelmed in 2024 under a new coaching staff. He loses his No. 1 target, Tetairoa McMillan.
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