Steve Starr
- Trevor Lawrence (+350) opened as the favorite for the 2020 Heisman Trophy on BetOnline
- The Clemson quarterback finished 2019 with 45 combined touchdowns in 15 games
- Ohio State’s Justin Fields (+400) put up 51 total TDs in his first season in coach Ryan Day’s offense
Fresh off a national championship game loss to LSU (the first defeat of his college-football career), Trevor Lawrence has been installed as the slight favorite (+350) to win the 2020 Heisman Trophy.
Along with Tua Tagovailoa, the Clemson quarterback also entered this most-recent season as the chalk pick to win the award before Joe Burrow put together one of the best campaigns in NCAA history.
Before Burrow came out of nowhere to win the Heisman and national title, the future Cincinnati Bengal (sigh) was at +4000 to win the bronze statue in 2019, so don’t dare count out anyone on the list below … unless, they play a position other than QB. (Quarterbacks have now claimed nine of the past ten Heisman trophies.)
Let’s review the opening odds at BetOnline and decide whether Lawrence or Ohio State pivot Justin Fields is the better bet of the two favorites.
2020 NCAA Heisman Trophy Odds
| Player (Position, Team) | Odds |
| Trevor Lawrence (QB Clemson) | +350 |
| Justin Fields (QB Ohio State) | +400 |
| Chuba Hubbard (RB Oklahoma State) | +1000 |
| Kedon Slovis (QB USC) | +1000 |
| Mac Jones (QB Alabama) | +1000 |
| Sam Ehlinger (QB Texas) | +1000 |
| Spencer Rattler (QB Oklahoma) | +1000 |
| Tanner Morgan (QB Minnesota) | +1000 |
| Kyle Trask (QB Florida) | +1600 |
| Myles Brennan (QB LSU) | +1600 |
| Sam Howell (QB UNC) | +1600 |
| Ja’Marr Chase (WR LSU) | +2000 |
| Kenneth Gainwell (RB Memphis) | +2000 |
| Derek Stingley Jr (CB LSU) | +2200 |
| Bo Nix (QB Auburn) | +2800 |
| Brock Purdy (QB Iowa State) | +3300 |
| Ian Book (QB Notre Dame) | +3300 |
TREVOR LAWRENCE
You know the story by now: Lawrence and Fields grew up in Georgia a mere 30-minute drive from each other, blossoming into the top two high-school prospects in the nation.
After facing off in the Fiesta Bowl (a 29-23 Clemson victory), Lawrence and Fields will now battle it out for the Heisman.
Dabo Swinney consoles Trevor Lawrence on the sideline as Clemson feels this one slip away in the 4th.#NationalChampionship pic.twitter.com/xJ8WhvKRsE
— ESPN (@espn) January 14, 2020
The likely No. 1 pick in the 2021 NFL Draft won’t have Tee Higgins to throw to next season and the Tigers will have to replace four starting offensive linemen, but talent should not be lacking. Dabo Swinney has the No.1-ranked 2020 recruiting class.
The real question is whether the 20-year-old will be able to compile the eye-popping stats necessary to become the first Clemson player in history to win the Heisman. To do so, he’ll need to surpass 4,000 passing yards and 40 TDs for the first time in his career.
JUSTIN FIELDS
Following a fantastic first season at Ohio State (51 total touchdowns in 14 games), Fields will be the only one of the four 2019 Heisman finalists to return to college football next year.
Considering the dual-purpose threat will be playing behind a loaded offensive line in Ryan Day’s high-powered attack, Fields is a great value (+400) at BetOnline; he’s currently at +210 at Bovada.
Ohio State head coach Ryan Day discusses Justin Fields’ progression, knee health:
“The way he played says a lot about who he is as a competitor. He played tough.” -Day on Fieldshttps://t.co/zF1BCEZNsg pic.twitter.com/hzyqQcDrOA
— Buckeye Sports Bulletin (@Buckeye_Sports) January 17, 2020
Because the Buckeyes blew teams out throughout the 2019 campaign, Fields was often left on the bench for the entire fourth quarter of games.
However, with monster defensive end Chase Young and lockdown corner Jeff Okudah leaving for the NFL (and expected to be top-five picks), there’s a chance that the 20-year-old will need to put up more points in 2020.
If placing a bet on one of the favorites, Fields is the wiser wager.
