After 200 days off…. football is finally back. Fire up the grill, cue up the band, pour your favorite adult beverage and let’s get ready to cash some tickets.
We will start with the greatest trophy in college football and perhaps sports…the Heisman trophy. Bryce Young (+400) of Alabama was the winner last year and is back again this season. He will try to become only the 2nd player ever to win the Heisman trophy twice since Ohio State’s Archie Griffin. Speaking of Ohio State, their QB CJ Stroud (+220) is the odds on favorite. Rounding out the top 3 is the Oklahoma transfer Caleb Williams of USC. All three players are certainly worthy of the trophy and the odds that are currently given to them, however I am going to pass on all 3. With Stroud at +220 and Young +400, I just do not see enough meat on the bone to make it worthwhile. College football is unpredictable and I want a player with the skill, opportunity, team, and juicy long odds to be the last one standing on stage at the Downtown Athletic Club. I want a dark horse.
Enter Georgia Tech transfer and new teammate of Bryce Young, Jahmyr Gibbs (+2800).
Gibbs has the pedigree as a 4-star prospect out of high school with offers from the top 3 Heisman favorites (Ohio State, Alabama, and USC). Last year at Georgia Tech, Gibbs ran for 746 yards (5.2 avg), went for 470 yards through the air, and 7 total TD’s. This was all behind a Georgia Tech offensive line that was considered one of the worst in all of Power 5. Gibbs will have major upgrades this season with a Heisman winning QB, a professional level offensive line, and coaching from Nick Saban. Sounds like a recipe for success. Give me the +2800 preseason odds on Gibbs. Those odds will certainly improve as the season progresses and will seem like a bargain in a few months.
Other season long player props that I am targeting:
Hendon Hooker (QB) Tennessee OVER 2,849.5 Regular Season Passing Yards at -115
Season number 2 in Knoxville is slated to be a good one for Hooker. In his first season at UT, Hooker threw for 2,567 yards in the regular season in only 9 of 12 starts. After a month of bowl prep and practices, Hooker blew up with 378 yards through the air against Perdue. With another offseason learning Josh Heupel’s up-tempo offense, I like the Redshirt Senior’s chances to improve last season’s total by more than 283 yards. Especially so with opportunities to feast against Ball State, Akron, Tenn-Martin, Missouri, South Carolina, and Vandy.
TreVeyon Henderson (RB) Ohio State OVER 1,299.5 Regular Season Rushing Yards at -115
Henderson’s freshman year in Columbus was nothing short of spectacular as he rumbled for 1,172 yards on 7 yards a carry during the regular season. With Ohio State losing two 1st round WR’s to the draft, I look for them to lean on the run. Henderson will need to only improve his season total by 128 yards for this to cash. The only thing preventing this prop is Ohio State blowout victories.
Jahmyr Gibbs (RB) Alabama OVER 999.5 Regular Season Rushing Yards at -115
I have already laid out my case for Gibbs as a dark horse Heisman contender. Of course I believe in him to hit his season rushing prop as well. Do not look the gift horse in the mouth and take Gibbs to reach 1K