Georgia’s Jake Fromm Early Favorite for 2018 Heisman Trophy

Posted on: January 10, 2018, 02:00h. 

Last updated on: January 10, 2018, 01:51h.

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Georgia quarterback Jake Fromm might have suffered serious disappointment losing College Football’s National Championship game but he can take solace in the fact that he is the early selection to win the 2018 Heisman Trophy.

Jake Fromm
Georgia quarterback Jake Fromm was impressive in the 2017 season and has been installed as an early favorite to win next season’s Heisman Trophy. (Image: AJ Reynolds)

Initial odds have been set and the sophomore has been installed as the 10-1 pick.

Penn State quarterback Trace McSorley, Wisconsin running back Jonathan Taylor and Georgia running back D’Andre Swift are next at 14-1. Stanford running back Bryce Love, who went from 100-1 to as low as 8-1 last season is at 15-1, though it is expected the he will pass up his junior year for the Cardinal and declare himself eligible for the NFL draft.

Oklahoma’s quarterback Baker Mayfield won the award in 2017 and at the time betting closed he was a 1-20 pick to capture it.

He did open at 7-1 and several big bets were placed on him. Ed Salmons, assistant manager of the Westgate Las Vegas SuperBook, said back in November that the venue would take a loss if Mayfield won.

Quarterback Favorite Position

Though the Heisman is for any player in college football quarterbacks have dominated the list of previous winners. Since 1986 21 Heismans have been handed out to signal callers and since 2000, it’s 15 of 18.

The next position that voters like is running back. Forty five times since its inception in 1935 they have handed it out to a rusher and the last time was 2015 when Alabama’s Derrick Henry got it.

Other positions are much more of a long shot to get the hardware. Only two tight ends have gotten a Heisman and only one defensive player, Charles Woodson, has been a recipient in the 83-year history.

On the list for 2018 is two defensive players, Houston’s defensive tackle Ed Oliver and Ohio State’s defensive end Nick Bosa. They are both at 35-1.

Opening Odds Not Always Representative of Winner

What the opening line looks like and what the odds are closer to the cut off for betting in November are vastly different. Last year USC’s quarterback Sam Darnold was the early favorite at 5-1, followed by Mayfield at 7-1 and Louisville’s QB Lamar Jackson at 8-1.

By midseason Penn State running back Saquon Barkley had caught the nation’s attention with his ability to not only run the ball but catch it out of the backfield. He opened at 20-1 and was bet down all the way to 4-7. He struggled though in two losses to Ohio State and Michigan State and slipped all the way down to 15-1.

Injuries can derail a player’s hopes and ruin a gambler’s ticket. Florida State quarterback Deondre Francois looked like a great pick at 12-1. The redshirt freshman had been getting a significant amount of hype about his skills and was set to show them off against No. 1 Alabama in the first game of the season.

Sadly he suffered a season-ending patella tendon injury in his left knee in the fourth quarter and was lost for the season. He is on the board for 2018 at 30-1.