College football's Week 1 officially kicks off with a handful of underwhelming games Thursday, and frankly no realistic contenders for the 2026 Heisman Trophy. But let's break down the latest odds and trends for college football's biggest individual award from BetMGM, with those numbers set to change by the end of the weekend and weekly going forward. Use the latest BetMGM bonus code CBSSPORTS to get up to $1,500 in bonus bets when you bet on college football: If you're interested in college football betting and want to try it on the best sports betting apps, you can check out the SportsLine Projection Model for picks on games from both the simulations and our experts.
We have a strong play here for those who want to get into parlay betting as the 2026 college football season kicks off. Are you aware that no preseason Heisman favorite has won the award since Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota in 2014? In fact, that's the only time the preseason favorite has won it on record, dating to 2009 as numbers get rather sketchy prior to that.
Who would have guessed the past two Heisman winners would come from not exactly usual football powerhouse schools in Indiana (Fernando Mendoza) and Colorado (Travis Hunter)? Mendoza opened last season at +5500 to win it and Hunter +5000 in 2024. Usually, guys among the favorites win it – just not the preseason betting favorite.
But there are two interesting guys in that Mendoza/Hunter odds ballpark entering 2026 in Michigan quarterback Bryce Underwood (+4000) and South Carolina QB LaNorris Sellers (+4000), two potential first-round picks in the 2027 NFL Draft. The betting favorite entering the season (sorry, not counting Week 0) is Notre Dame quarterback C.J. Carr at +750, and he has stayed steady there all offseason at BetMGM.
The book is very exposed on the redshirt sophomore, as he is No. 1 in handle on this prop at 14.7% and No. 2 in tickets at 10.7%. Those odds are the longest for a Heisman Trophy favorite entering any of the last 20 seasons, per ESPN. Bet on college football futures using the latest FanDuel promo code for up to $350 in bonus bets: In his first season as the Irish starter, Carr threw for 2,741 yards, 24 touchdowns and just six picks.
The TD passes were tied for the most in a player's first 12 career starts at Notre Dame. It seems almost impossible that the Golden Domers haven't had a Heisman winner since receiver Tim Brown in 1987. The Heisman is largely a popularity contest, no program is more popular than Notre Dame in this country, and the Irish are ranked in the top four of the preseason AP Poll for the first time since 2006.
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