Heisman Trophy watch: Updated odds favor Hendon Hooker to win 2022 award

The Heisman Trophy has a new front-runner heading into the final month of the regular season. 

Tennessee’s Hendon Hooker is now the betting favorite ahead of Ohio State’s C.J. Stroud. Hooker has led the Volunteers to a No. 1 ranking in the first set of College Football Playoff rankings, and he has a chance for another Heisman moment at No. 3 Georgia on Saturday.

That doesn’t mean Stroud isn’t still in the mix. No. 2 Ohio State faces No. 5 Michigan on Nov. 26, and Stroud continues to lead the Buckeyes’ high-powered offense. Tennessee and Ohio State are the top two scoring offenses in the FBS, and Stroud and Hooker rank No. 1 and No. 2 in passing efficiency.

MORE: Could Tennessee, Georgia and Alabama all land in CFP out of the SEC?

This debate promises to heat up, but there are other contenders still in the race. Here is a look at the current Heisman odds, the top six potential finalists and need-to-know-items for the Heisman race:

Current Heisman Trophy Odds

A look at the current Heisman Trophy odds ahead of Week 10, courtesy of BetMGM. 

Heisman candidates

Hendon Hooker, QB, Tennessee (+100) 

2022 stats: 2,338 yards, 71.2% 21 TDs, 1 INT

Hooker averages an incredible 15.0 yards per completion in Tennessee’s offense, which leads the FBS with 49.4 points per game. Hooker also got receiver Cedric Tillman back from an injury, and that should form a dynamic tag-team with Jalin Hyatt – who also is gaining steam in the Heisman race. This week is the second part of a three-signature process. Hooker already had 385 passing yards and five TDs with one interception against Alabama. What will he do against Georgia? Will that lead to the SEC championship game appearance? For comparison, LSU’s Joe Burrow had 742 yards, seven TDs and no interceptions against Alabama and Georgia in his Heisman Trophy run in 2019. 

C.J. Stroud, QB, Ohio State (+175)

2022 stats: 2,377 passing yards, 71.3%, 29 TDs, 4 INTs 

Stroud leads the FBS in passing efficiency (200.2) – the only quarterback with a ranking of more than 200. He had 354 yards and a TD pass at No. 15 Penn State in Week 9, and the Buckeyes are averaging 48.9 points per game. The schedule softens for the next three weeks (at Northwestern, vs. Indiana, at Maryland) before the grand finale against Michigan. Stroud finished fourth last season. He’ll finish higher than that in 2022. 

Caleb Williams, QB, USC (+1400) 

2022 stats: 2,382 yards, 64.7%, 24 TDs, 1 INT 

Williams has been a magician for the Trojans throughout the season, and he passed for 411 yards and five TDs in Week 9 against Arizona. That’s back-to-back games with five TDs passes, and that included a 381-yard effort in the loss to No. 14 Utah. If USC can win the Pac-12 and slip into the College Football Playoff, then Williams will have a legitimate chance to win the award. 

MORE: What a 12-team CFP bracket would look like

Blake Corum, RB, Michigan (+1400) 

2022 stats: 179 attempts, 1,078 rushing yards, 6.0 ypc., 14 TDs 

Corum rushed for 177 yards and a TD in Week 9 against Michigan State. He’s second in the FBS in rushing yards and fourth in rushing TDs. He averages 168.6 rushing yards per game on 5.8 yards per carry in Big Ten play, and there are high-profile games against No. 16 Illinois and Ohio State on the schedule. 

BENDER: How Kevin Warren should handle Michigan-Michigan St. incident

Drake Maye, QB, North Carolina (+2500) 

2022 stats: 2,671 passing yards, 71.32%, 29 TDs, 3 INTs 

Statistics factor in heavily with the Heisman, and Maye leads the FBS with 388.8 yards of total offense per game. Maye’s passing numbers are on par with Stroud and Hooker, and he continues to impress as a first-year starter for the Tar Heels. He has 766 passing yards and eight TDs in North Carolina’s last two games, and that comes with 131 rushing yards. If this keeps up and the Tar Heels win the ACC championship, then Maye could have a chance to snag this award from the top contenders. 

Bo Nix, QB, Oregon (+2500) 

2022 stats: 2,221 passing yards, 72.3%, 20 TDs, 5 INTs 

Nix put up 412 passing yards in last week’s victory against Cal, and he averages 7.4 yards per carry with 11 rushing TDs. It’s been a remarkable season for the Auburn transfer since the season-opening loss to Georgia. How much will that game hold back Nix’s chances to become the first Pac-12 player to win the Heisman since Marcus Mariota in 2014? Nix will have a chance to enhance his campaign against Colorado in Week 10.

Max Duggan, QB, TCU (+3000)

2022 stats: 2,212, yards, 67.4%, 22 TDs, 2 INTs

Duggan ranks fourth in the FBS in passing efficiency (182.5). He led the Horned Frogs to victories against four consecutive ranked opponents before last week’s victory against West Virginia, and another potential high-scoring affair with Texas Tech is on the schedule in Week 10. Duggan has three 300-yard games, and he has fewer rushing attempts the last two weeks. Still, a Big 12 championship run likely would make him a finalist. 

Bryce Young, QB, Alabama (+3300) 

2022 stats: 1,906 passing yards, 66.3%, 18 TDs, 3 INTs 

Young remains a value pick to be the first two-time winner since Ohio State’s Archie Griffin in 1974-75. That path starts with a road trip to No. 10 LSU. Young had 302 yards and two TDs in last year’s victory against LSU, and he has been solid since returning from a shoulder injury. The Crimson Tide still have No. 11 Ole Miss and a potential SEC championship game on the schedule, which are huge opportunities for Young to get back in the Heisman mix. 

Chase Brown, RB, Illinois (+4000) 

2022 stats: 224 carries, 1,208 yards, 5.4 ypc., 5 TDs 

Brown is a long-shot, but he does lead the FBS in rushing yards and has a chance to pad that total against Michigan State this week. Brown also will face Michigan at least once and potentially could see Ohio State in the Big Ten championship game. The Wolverines and Buckeyes rank third and 10th, respectively, in the FBS in rush defense. 

When is the Heisman Trophy Ceremony?

The Heisman Trophy will be awarded on Dec. 10, one week after the conference championship games. The ceremony will be televised at 8 p.m. on ESPN.