The Oklahoma Sooners have become the program where quarterbacks want to go to win the Heisman Trophy, as in the last two seasons, Baker Mayfield and Kyler Murray won the award. Not only did Mayfield and Murray win the award, they ended up going No. 1 in the NFL Draft. Will Jalen Hurts be the next Oklahoma quarterback to win the Heisman? He comes over from Alabama after losing the starting job to Tua Tagovailoa. Let’s look at the latest odds on Hurts winning the Heisman and the odds on him making the Top 3.
Will Jalen Hurts be a Top 3 Heisman Finalist?
Yes +330
No -450
The odds on Hurts being a finalist are interesting, because he doesn’t need to win the award for the Yes to cash. He just needs to finish in the top 3. There are two favorites to win the Heisman Trophy in 2019, as Clemson’s Trevor Lawrence and Alabama’s Tua Tagovailoa are basically co-favorites at odds just under 3-1. Hurts is listed as the third choice at odds of +925. There is no other player listed at odds of less than +1500, so there may be some value on Hurts, especially on finishing in the Top 3.
Hurts will be taking over an Oklahoma offense that has been very explosive under head coach Lincoln Riley. There is a very good chance that Hurts will put up better numbers than either Lawrence or Tagovailoa, simply because the Big 12 doesn’t feature much defense. Hurts also has experience playing in big games, so he will not be afraid of the spotlight. He has played in three national title games and he led a big rally last season against Georgia that saved Alabama’s season. Hurts was 26-2 as a starter at Alabama.
“The man can ball,” Oklahoma receiver CeeDee Lamb said to the media, “He’s a great leader. He likes things done in his way, He’s been where we’re trying to go and he’s won an actual national championship, so we’re going to listen to what he has to say and we’re going to take it on there.”
Hurts has high expectations for himself and for the team heading into the 2019 season. “I’ve had the same approach since I got here – to be the best quarterback I can be,” he said to the media, “All that other stuff is what y’all want to talk about.”
Hurts said he already has a good connection with his head coach. “Our relationship has really grown,” Hurts said to the media, “You kind of have to force it because of the short time I’m here and how much I really need to take in before we actually get into game play. It’s a relationship I definitely appreciate. Definitely a different relationship from coaches I’ve had in the past. I think the relationship can take us a long way. I think it can take this team a long way.”
Riley said to ESPN that Hurts has already shown a lot. "The experience, intangibles, maturity and poise are really, really good," Riley said, "You know what you're getting from Jalen with those things. The goal with us has been how quickly can we get him comfortable with this system, and he's getting closer every day."
Hurts threw for more than 5,600 yards with 48 touchdowns and only 12 interceptions while at Alabama and he rushed for almost 2,000 yards and 23 touchdowns. The first chance for Hurts to make his mark will be on Sunday, September 1, as the Sooners host the Houston Cougars in a game that can be seen on ABC.
College Football Pick
There looks to be some value on the Yes on the Hurts Heisman prop. He is already the clear third choice in the Heisman Trophy betting odds behind Lawrence and Tagovailoa. There is no reason to think he won’t have a big season, as the Sooners play in a conference where quarterbacks put up big numbers on a regular basis. Hurts also has name value, so he will have the advantage of starting the season with all of the Heisman voters already knowing his name. The value on this prop is definitely on the Yes at +330.
Check out the latest college football odds at BookMaker.
