Only one school has two players with Heisman Trophy odds of +3500 or better after Week 1.
Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders and two-way star Travis Hunter are on the board, according to BetMGM.com. Those two star players led the Buffaloes to a 45-42 victory against TCU in Deion Sanders' coaching debut on Saturday.
Now, both have emerged as legitimate Heisman Trophy contenders. Sanders and Hunter both have odds of +3500 after Week 1, which puts them in the top 20 among the favorites. Those odds also might improve heading into another Big Noon Kickoff against Nebraska in Week 2.
Will Sanders and Hunter continue to live up to the hype? Will you be able to cash those receipts? Colorado's only Heisman Trophy winner was Rashaan Salaam in 1994.
What are Shedeur Sanders' Heisman odds?
Sanders is +3500 to win the Heisman Trophy heading into Week 2, which while impressive is still 16th best among FBS quarterbacks.
Sanders was brilliant in his debut. He hit 38 of 47 passes for 510 yards – the most yards by any quarterback in Week 1 – with four TDs and no interceptions. He was 9 of 18 for 213 yards and a TD on passes of 10 yards or more, according to Pro Football Focus. He was 21 of 21 for 190 yards and two TDs on passes of 1-10 yards. That accuracy is going to keep him in the mix, and the performance was outstanding considering it was his first FBS start.
Sanders will stay in the spotlight against Nebraska, but it's almost impossible not to peek ahead to a Sept. 30 matchup against USC at Folsom Field. The quarterback duel between Sanders and Williams will be off the charts and will determine whether Sanders stays in the Heisman Trophy hunt.
MORE: Shedeur Sanders is the biggest star in CU galaxy
What are Travis Hunter's Heisman odds?
Hunter has the same +3500 odds as Sanders and is the better long-term bet for 2023.
No matter what Colorado's record is – Hunter will stay in the “best player in the country” conversation as long as he continues to put on performances like he did against TCU. He played 144 snaps, according to Pro Football Focus.
Hunter had 11 catches for 119 yards and three tackles and an interception. It was one of the greatest single-game performances in recent memory because we haven't seen something like that. If Hunter is able to handle playing both ways at that level all season, then there is no doubt he will be in New York City as a finalist.
Heisman voters can push that in his favor too if quarterback fatigue becomes a factor. Hunter has the appeal of past winners such as Michigan's Charles Woodson (1997) and USC's Reggie Bush (2005), who later vacated the award. Hunter also will get that stage against USC on Sept. 30.
Current Heisman Trophy Odds
Here are the current Heisman Trophy odds according to BetMGM.com. Caleb Williams and Michael Penix Jr. are the only players with odds of better than +1000.
A total of 17 players have Heisman odds of +3500 or better.
| PLAYER | SCHOOL | ODDS |
| Caleb Williams | USC | +450 |
| Michael Penix Jr. | Washington | +850 |
| Jordan Travis | Florida State | +1000 |
| J.J. McCarthy | Michigan | +1700 |
| Cade Klubnik | Clemson | +1800 |
| Quinn Ewers | Texas | +2000 |
| Sam Hartman | Notre Dame | +2000 |
| Bo Nix | Oregon | +2000 |
| Drake Maye | North Carolina | +2500 |
| Joe Milton | Tennessee | +2500 |
| Drew Allar | Penn State | +2500 |
| Jalen Milroe | Alabama | +2500 |
| Carson Beck | Georgia | +3000 |
| Dillon Gabriel | Oklahoma | +3000 |
| Jayden Daniels | LSU | +3500 |
| Travis Hunter | Colorado | +3500 |
| Shedeur Sanders | Colorado | +3500 |
Top Heisman Trophy candidates
Here is a closer look at the top four candidates in the Heisman Trophy race for 2023. USC's Caleb Williams remains the front-runner, but he has competition.
Caleb Williams, USC (+450)
2023 stats: 597 passing yards, 73.5%, 9 TDs, 0 INT
Williams still is the leader, and with good reason. According to PFF, Williams is 14 of 19 for 374 yards, six TDs and no interceptions on throws of 10 yards or more. There has been no drop-off in his play, and USC is averaging 61 points per game. The battles with all those other Pac-12 quarterbacks – including Sanders – are coming. Williams is in great position to repeat as the Heisman Trophy winner. Pac-12 play starts with Stanford in Week 2.
Michael Penix Jr., Washington (+850)
2023 stats: 450 passing yards, 72.5%, 5 TDs, 0 INTs
Penix led Washington to a 56-19 blowout against Boise State, and he distributed the ball with ease to a loaded group of receivers. Penix was 11 of 19 for 291 yards and four TDs on throws of 10 yards or more. Remember the legendary showdowns between Deshuan Watson and Lamar Jackson? The Williams-Penix matchup on Nov. 4 is going to be just like that.
Jordan Travis, Florida State (+1000)
2022 stats: 342 passing yards, 74.2%, 4 TDs, 1 INT
Aside from one bad interception, Travis was brilliant in the 45-24 victory against LSU. He finished with 380 total yards and five TDs, and that was the signature performance of Week 1 given the opponent. Jameis Winston (2013) and Charlie Ward (1993) are celebrating Heisman anniversaries this season. Will Travis provide the ultimate tribute?
J.J. McCarthy, Michigan (+1700)
2022 stats: 280 passing yards, 86.7%, 3 TDs, 0 INTs
McCarthy led Michigan to a 30-3 victory against East Carolina, and he's clearly taken the next step in his second season as a starter. He had the third highest passer rating in Week 1, according to PFF. From 10 yards or more, McCarthy hit 12 of 15 passes for 183 yards and three TDs. That's how TCU's Max Duggan got to New York last season. We're already hyped for the Nov. 11 matchup with Penn State and quarterback Drew Allar (+2500).
Will Caleb Williams repeat as the Heisman Trophy winner?
Ohio State's Archie Griffin is the only two-time Heisman Trophy winner. Griffin won the Heisman in 1974 and 1975. Since then, a total of 10 Heisman Trophy winners have returned for another run since Griffin won the award twice for the Buckeyes. Florida's Tim Tebow had two chances in 2008 and 2009 after winning the award as a sophomore in 2007. Of those winners, Billy Sims had the highest finish the following year when he took second in 1979 behind USC's Charles White.
MORE: How Heisman winners have fared when trying to repeat
How many USC players have won the Heisman Trophy?
USC has seven players who are credited with winning the Heisman Trophy. That list includes Mike Garrett (1965), O.J. Simpson (1968), Charles White (1979), Marcus Allen (1981), Carson Palmer (2002), Matt Leinart (2004) and Caleb Williams (2022). Reggie Bush was the Heisman Trophy winner in 2005, but he was forced to vacate the award because of NCAA violations. Ohio State and Notre Dame are tied with the all-time lead in Heisman winners with seven apiece.
When is the Heisman Trophy Ceremony?
The Heisman Trophy will be awarded on Dec. 9, one week after the conference championship games. The ceremony will be televised with an hour-long program on ESPN.
