With the 2025 opening College Football game less than a week away, let’s examine the best bets in the futures market, including the elusive Heisman Trophy, the best teams to buy and sell in the Power 4, plus a runaway for the Doak Walker award.
All odds are courtesy of DraftKings and vary from state to state. Let’s start with the five players worth betting to win the Heisman
Heisman Best Bets0.5 unit: Garrett Nussmeier, LSU (+900)0.5 unit: Cade Klubnik, Clemson (+900)
Since 2000, 20 of the 25 Heisman winners have been quarterbacks, and there have not been back-to-back winners outside of quarterbacks since 1997-1999 (CB Charles Woodson, RB Ricky Williams, RB Ron Dayne).
With WR/CB Travis Hunter winning last season, we are back to the quarterbacks. With that, two of the top three on the board are must-bets for me, sorry, Arch Manning (+600).
In Week 1, it’s LSU versus Clemson, which sets the tone for who will be the clubhouse leader for the Heisman. It’s Cade Klubnik (+900) versus Garrett Nussmeier (+900), and both have arguably the strongest cases.
Klubnik had 43 total touchdowns to 6 interceptions last year, and with their toughest games being the first and last games of the season, Clemson has one of the best chances to finish the regular season undefeated.
Nussmeier was one of six quarterbacks to surpass 4,000 passing yards last season and posted eight games of 300-plus yards and one of three to toss 500-plus passes. He is a pro-ready QB and his dad is the OC for the Saints, so I expect his name to be in the discussion all year.
0.5 unit: LaNorris Sellers, South Carolina (+1600)0.5 unit: DJ Lagway, Florida (+1800)
One quarterback who has a similar profile to previous winners Jayden Daniels (2023), Kyle Murray (2018), and Lamar Jackson (2016) is South Carolina’s LaNorris Sellers (+1600).
Sellers recorded 674 rushing yards, seven touchdowns, and 166 carries (33 sacks) in his true freshman season. The standout totaled at least 10 rushing attempts in all but one game, plus he threw for 2,534 yards and 18 touchdowns. Sellers showed out in ranked wins over Clemson, Missouri, and Texas A&M — and almost took down Alabama and LSU.
Florida has seven preseason-ranked opponents on the schedule entering the season, so DJ Lagway (+1800) will have every opportunity to prove he is a Heisman candidate.
Lagway is 6-foot-3 and 247 lbs with a rocket arm. He tossed 456 yards versus Samford in his first start, and once he took over as a full-time starter halfway through the year, Florida finished the season 5-1, and he capped it off with 305 passing yards in a bowl win over Tulane — the program’s first bowl victory since 2019.
Doak Walker Award Best Bets1 unit: Jeremiyah Love, Notre Dame (+400)
The running back of the year is Jeremiyah Love‘s for the taking! In a split backfield, Love totaled 1,125 rushing yards and 17 touchdowns alongside QB Riley Leonard, who was a better rusher than passer for Notre Dame.
Fun fact: Love’s single-game high for rushing attempts in his entire college career is 16…he should demolish that number this season and could versus Miami or Texas A&M in the first two games.
Love will be the face of Notre Dame this season, and while they still have a plethora of talented backs behind him, Love is the best bet for a non-outside QB to contend for the Heisman. That’s how important he will be to their success.
If you’re looking for a longshot, I do like Kamari Moulton (+4000) out of Iowa for a few bucks. He will be alongside FCS transfer Mark Gronkowski, who has a lot of hype, plus Moulton will rush behind a dominant offensive line in a ground-and-pound scheme. Iowa running backs are tanks, and Moulton avoids playing two of the three best rush defenses in the conference — Michigan and Ohio State.
Fred Biletnikoff Award Best Bets0.5 unit: Aaron Anderson, LSU (+3000)0.5 unit: Denzel Boston, Washington (+3000)
At +3000, Aaron Anderson and Denzel Boston are terrific bets to win the wide receiver of the year.
While Jeremiah Smith (+300) and Ryan Williams (+450) will receive most of the handle and bets for this award — both star wideouts will have new quarterbacks throwing them the ball — and not as seasoned ones at that.
Anderson has Garrett Nussmeir at QB, who is a top-three contender for the Heisman this year and coming off a 4,000-yard passing season with 29 touchdowns. Anderson was the 1A receiver last year and will be the dominant option this season in a season where his QB could be the No. 1 pick in the 2026 NFL Draft.
Boston is a 6-foot-4 stud that had 9 touchdowns last season, but didn’t score a single time over the last six games and topped 50 yards once (finished with 834 yards). The quarterback position was untrustworthy as injuries derailed the position, but the connection between Boston and Demond Williams Jr. looks promising.
Best Longshot To Make the College Football Playoff1 unit: Utah Utes (+450)
The Utes have two projected first-round picks at the offensive tackle spots, their four top running backs from a year ago return, plus seven returners from a star-studded defense. However, what has people talking the most is New Mexico transfer Devon Dampier at the quarterback position, along with his offensive coordinator, who will take the same role with Utah (Jason Beck).
Utah knew in 2023 they would be without Cam Rising (8-5 record), but in 2024, they expected him for a full season, and after being injured through two games, Utah fell apart (started 4-0, finished 5-7). This year, there is no more Rising drama, and a package duo at QB and OC could be all Utah needs to succeed.
The Utes host Texas Tech, Arizona State, and Kansas State. All three of those teams are top-four favorites to win the conference, so Utah has a significant upper hand in the Big 12 as long as Dampier stays healthy.
Rather than take Utah to win the Big 12 at +550 or +600, I like this market better because it gives you wiggle room if Utah loses the Big 12 Championship or is the second team in the playoff from the conference.
Best Win TotalRisk 2 units: Washington State Under 5.5 Wins (-160)
One of the weirdest schedules in all of College Football, but the thing that sticks out the most will be the travel for this team.
Washington State will travel the fourth-most miles in College Football next year at 8,194 miles — which is roughly twice as long as the Nile River and 1/3 of the Earth’s equatorial circumference, if you wanted to learn something today.
Only Hawaii, Stanford, and your Oregon Ducks will travel more than Wazzu this season. The Cougars lost their QB, RB, four of the top five WRs, two starting offensive linemen, and have only four starters back on offense and defense for a total of eight back.
It appears almost everyone transferred out or graduated, which leaves this program in a bind with a first-year head coach who takes over from South Dakota State — there could be growing pains.
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