C.J. Stroud is the preseason Heisman favorite.
The college football season doesn't open for over four months, but Stroud is already the favorite to win college football's most prestigious postseason award, opening as the preseason betting favorite to claim the 2022 Heisman Trophy on the FanDuel sportsbook.
Stroud is favored just ahead of Alabama quarterback Bryce Young, the reigning Heisman Trophy winner. The Buckeye quarterback opens with +200 (2/1) odds compared to Young's +400 (4/1) odds.
FanDuel lists odds for four other players, all of whom have substantially longer odds than Stroud and Young. USC quarterback Caleb Williams has the third-best odds with +1200 (12/1) while Clemson quarterback DJ Uiagalelei, Miami quarterback Tyler Van Dyke and Ole Miss quarterback Jaxson Dart are each tied with +3000 (30/1) odds. No other player is on the betting board.
Stroud was in the thick of the Heisman Trophy race for most of the 2021 season. In fact, he was the Heisman Trophy favorite according to many sportsbooks entering the final week of the regular season.
However, following Ohio State's loss to Michigan, Stroud finished in fourth place in last year's voting behind Young, Michigan's Aidan Hutchinson and Pittsburgh's Kenny Pickett. He received 12 first-place votes.
Stroud finished the 2021 season with 4,435 yards and 44 touchdowns through the air while completing nearly 72 percent of his passes. He was named the Big Ten Quarterback of the Year, Freshman of the Year, and Offensive Player of the Year.
