Just one full-time defensive player has won the Heisman Trophy -- University of Michigan cornerback Charles Woodson in 1997, when he beat out Peyton Manning. Could history repeat itself this college football season? For the first time in the history of Caesars Sportsbook, a defensive player is taking the most bets to win the award: Alabama linebacker Will Anderson Jr., who is a +2200 fifth favorite.
Anderson might have been the nation's best overall player last season when he finished fifth in the Heisman voting. He won the Bronko Nagurski Trophy, presented annually to the nation's top defensive player. Anderson was also the SEC Defensive Player of the Year and a unanimous first-team All-American.
The Georgia native led the nation in tackles for loss with 34.5, which was second in the Alabama single-season ranks. His 17.5 sacks led Division I and ranked third in school history. Anderson totaled 102 tackles, good for second on the team, while adding a team-high nine quarterback hurries to go with three pass breakups.
"Last year, [former LSU cornerback Derek] Stingley [Jr.] got a good amount of action for Heisman before the season," said Adam Pullen, Assistant Director of Trading at Caesars Sportsbook. "[Former Michigan defensive lineman Aidan] Hutchinson made the final cut last year, so defensive players will get respect from voters if they put up incredible seasons. Anderson is as good of a defensive player as there is in college football. But it takes a lot for a defensive player to win over an offensive player, especially against quarterbacks that put up monster numbers."
Anderson was once as high as +6000 to win the 2022 Heisman. He is first at Caesars in tickets sold on this prop at 8.7% and is second in handle at 11.4%. Anderson has collected three wagers of at least $1,000, second-most of any player.
Ohio State quarterback CJ Stroud is the +200 favorite, followed by Alabama quarterback Bryce Young (+430), the 2021 winner, and Southern Cal quarterback Caleb Williams (+700).
Stroud has brought in the most money for Heisman futures with 20.5% of the handle as well as being second in tickets at 8.6%. One better put $10,000 on him at +400. Stroud's last odds shift came on July 2, when he dropped down from +300 to +200. He has taken five bets worth at least $1,000, the most in the nation.
Only Ohio State running back Archie Griffin has won the Heisman twice, and bettors aren't overly confident thus far that Young will follow suit. He's 10th in tickets at 3.7% and 13th in handle at 2.6%. Nine different players have received at least one bet of $1,000 to win the Heisman, and Young isn't one of them.
"Like for MVP betting, people look in other directions compared to the defending winner," said Pullen. "It's a voted-on award, so obviously human nature factors in. Do they want to give it to Young when he just won it last year if multiple players are worthy, or is it time for somebody else? It's tough to handicap what's going through voters' minds, but you'd think it's something that's highly likely to factor into peoples' decisions."
The biggest recent mover has been Buckeyes running back TreVeyon Henderson, who saw his odds change from +4000 to +2000 on Monday. One Nevada bettor put down $2,000 on him at +4000 for a potential win of $80,000.
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