The Clemson Tigers may have lost the national championship to LSU, but the oddsmakers believe there is reason to smile heading into the offseason.
Clemson is favored to win the 2020-21 College Football Playoff national championship, according to the latest college football futures odds, and Trevor Lawrence is the favorite to win the Heisman Trophy next season.
No Clemson player has ever won the Heisman Trophy in the long history of the award, making this one of the few schools with multiple national championships in the modern era and no Heisman winners. Lawrence will have a tough time going wire to wire to win the Heisman Trophy given the recent history of the award.
MORE: Get the latest NCAA odds & betting advice at Sports Insider
Heisman Trophy odds 2020
Trevor Lawrence (Clemson) +350Justin Fields (Ohio State) +400Kedon Slovis (USC) +900Chuba Hubbard (Oklahoma State) +1000Mac Jones (Alabama) +1000Sam Ehlinger (Texas) +1000Spencer Rattler (Oklahoma) +1000Tanner Morgan (Minnesota) +1000Derek Stingley Jr. (LSU) +1600Kenneth Gainwell (Memphis) +1600Kyle Trask (Florida) +1600Myles Brennan (LSU) +1600Sam Howell (North Carolina) +1600Ja’Marr Chase (LSU) +2000Bo Nix (Auburn) +3300Brock Purdy (Iowa State) +3300Chatarius Atwell (Louisville) +3300Ian Book (Notre Dame) +3300Javian Hawkins (Louisville) +3300Jaylen Waddle (Alabama) +3300Rondale Moore (Purdue) +3300Trey Sanders (Alabama) +3300Zamir White (Georgia) +3300D’Eriq King +5000Dillon Gabriel (UCF) +5000Jaret Patterson (Buffalo) +5000Journey Brown (Penn State) +5000Michael Penix Jr. (Indiana) +5000Sean Clifford (Penn State) +5000Spencer Sanders (Oklahoma State) +5000Tylan Wallace (Oklahoma State) +5000Tyler Huntley (Utah) +5000
How long will Trevor Lawrence stick as favorite?
Being the preseason favorite to win the Heisman Trophy typically doesn’t work out well. Pundits have the entire summer to highlight potential concerns, and they are expected to constantly perform with the eyes of the nation upon them. Tua Tagovailoa was the preseason favorite in each of the last two seasons and lost the award to preseason longshots in Kyler Murray and Joe Burrow, and we have generally seen players with odds of 10-1 or more in the summer win the Heisman over the past two decades.
Lawrence could disrupt that recent trend. He is the early favorite to be the No. 1 pick in the 2021 NFL Draft, and he should put up dazzling numbers next season even if he doesn’t have Tee Higgins. The Tigers are far more talented than any other team in the ACC, so Lawrence could surpass 4,000 yards and 40 touchdowns for the first time in his career if Dabo Swinney plays him enough. Lawrence also has a statement game on the schedule as the Tigers travel to South Bend to take on Notre Dame on Nov. 7.
MORE: Early odds to win the 2020 national championship
Justin Fields set up for success at Ohio State
Justin Fields is just behind Lawrence in terms of the futures odds. Fields led one of the best offenses in the country last year, but he didn’t post the numbers needed to win the Heisman Trophy. Ohio State had the best power run game in the nation, and Ryan Day was content to lean on J.K. Dobbins. Fields didn’t throw for more than 235 yards in a game until mid-November, but he only threw one interception in the regular season.
Fields will need to put up gaudier numbers to become a real Heisman Trophy contender in 2020. He did run for 10 touchdowns, but he only ran when needed to, and it appears that Day won’t ask him to do too much. There will be a lot of preseason hype surrounding Fields, but it’s unlikely the production will be there.
Will Kedon Slovis start at USC in 2020?
Kedon Slovis is the only other player with odds of less than 10-1 to win the Heisman Trophy. Slovis was surprisingly effective as a true freshman at the helm of USC’s offense, and he has one of the sharpest offensive minds in the game calling plays in Graham Harrell. Harrell was the quarterback at Texas Tech during Mike Leach’s halcyon years with the Red Raiders, and he has modified those Air Raid schemes to great success.
However, Slovis isn’t even guaranteed to be USC’s starter in 2020. Slovis replaced J.T. Daniels after Daniels was lost for the season in Week 1 against Fresno State, and the two will be competing in the most high-profile quarterback battle of the summer. Additionally, this offense will be without key pieces as star left tackle Austin Jackson declared early for the NFL Draft and top receiver Michael Pittman Jr. just finished his senior season.
MORE: SN’s way-too-early top 25 for 2020 season
The best Heisman value bets
The best value on the board lies in D’Eriq King. King will be joining some school as a graduate transfer in the coming weeks after announcing his intention to leave Houston, and he has no shortage of suitors. He could join fellow transfers like Baker Mayfield, Kyler Murray, and Jalen Hurts in heading to Norman to shine under Lincoln Riley, and LSU is reportedly interested in King, too. If he ends up starting at Oklahoma or LSU, his Heisman Trophy betting odds are likely to be 12-1 or less in August.
Click Here: liz claiborne perfume