Alabama quarterback Bryce Young may be the defending Heisman Trophy winner, but when it comes to the 2022 award, he is nowhere near as popular a bet as his chief rivals.
Southern California quarterback Caleb Williams, fresh off his transfer from Oklahoma, is receiving the highest share of the handle at DraftKings, the sportsbook said Tuesday.
Williams, the third favorite on the board at +700, is responsible for 12.8 percent of the handle along with 6.1 percent of the total bets, the third-largest share.
Ohio State quarterback CJ Stroud, the favorite at DraftKings at +250, has raked in 10.7 percent of the bets at DraftKings — the highest share — and 9.7 percent of the handle, the third-biggest share.
Even Young’s Alabama teammate, linebacker Will Anderson Jr. (+2000), is in on the action, owning the second-largest shares of both the handle (12.3 percent) and the bets (7.1).
Where was Young? Not among the top 10, at least in terms of share of the handle.
Young is +350 to win the Heisman at DraftKings, behind Stroud and ahead of Williams. He would join Archie Griffin as the only player to win the award twice, which might leave some bettors wary.
Young also became the first Alabama quarterback to lift the Heisman. The Crimson Tide are not typically known for high-octane passing attacks, as Young set multiple single-season program records with his arm en route to garnering Heisman consideration.
Anderson finished fifth in Heisman voting last year after racking up 17.5 sacks and won the Bronko Nagurski Trophy for the best defensive player in college football. Charles Woodson is the only primarily defensive player to have won a Heisman.
Another Alabama player raking in Heisman wagers is running back Jahmyr Gibbs, who transferred from Georgia Tech this offseason. At +4500, he has brought in 5.1 percent of the handle, fifth-most of any player at DraftKings.
–Field Level Media