The 2023 Heisman Trophy winner will be announced on Saturday, Dec. 9, but it appears that LSU quarterback Jayden Daniels has all but secured the award.
The four Heisman finalists have been announced, which include Daniels, Washington quarterback Michael Penix, Oregon quarterback Bo Nix and Ohio State wide receiver Marvin Harrison, but the betting odds for who will win the award are no longer available.
That’s because Daniels became a heavy favorite after the Pac 12 Championship Game, as his odds in the market went from +140 to -1400 after the previous favorite Nix fell short against Washington.
Penix’s Heisman became more favorable as well, as he moved into second on the board at +1000, with Nix tumbling to +1200 after being a -185 favorite prior to the Pac 12 title loss.
Nix’s numbers weren’t terrible against Washington, but he threw for a season-low 239 yards, and Penix only threw one touchdown pass despite having a solid 319 passing yards.
Penix’s numbers fell off significantly after a strong first half to where leading Washington to a 13-0 record doesn’t appear to be enough for him to have a strong case over Daniels.
While Daniels’ passing numbers are very similar to Nix and Penix, his rushing numbers appear to put him over the top, as he ran for over 1,000 yards in 12 games while throwing 40 touchdowns.
Nix also threw for 40 touchdowns but only ran for 228 yards, and Penix threw for 33 touchdowns while finishing with a negative rushing yardage total on the season.
Harrison’s season was special, but he never appeared to be a serious Heisman contender considering the strength of the quarterbacks on top of the fact that LSU wide receiver Malik Nabers had similar numbers.
The 2023 Heisman Trophy ceremony is scheduled for Saturday, Dec. 9 at 7 p.m. and will be broadcast on ESPN.