College Football: Heisman favorites ahead of Week 4

John Mateer remains the favorite: The Oklahoma quarterback is still the Heisman front-runner ahead of Week 4. He has another big-time matchup this weekend against No. 22 Auburn.

Jeremiah Smith joins the top five: The Ohio State wide receiver is the only non-quarterback in the top 25 of Heisman odds.

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We may only be a couple of weeks into the 2025 college football season, but it’s never too early to start looking at how the Heisman Trophy race is shaking out.

Here’s a breakdown of the current five favorites to win the bronze stiff-arm, according to DraftKings Sportsbook.

QB John Mateer, Oklahoma (+800)

Mateer remains the Heisman favorite going into Week 4. The Washington State transfer led Oklahoma to a 42-3 win over Temple this past weekend. His 86.2 PFF grade on the season ranks 19th among all college football quarterbacks, while his four rushing touchdowns are tied for the most among Power Four signal-callers. Mateer has an opportunity to pad his Heisman resume this weekend against a top-25 opponent in Auburn.

QB Carson Beck, Miami (FL) (+900)

Beck moved up from third in the odds last week (+1100) to second this week after No. 5 Miami’s dominant 49-12 victory over No. 18 USF. He has arguably been the most efficient signal-caller in the nation so far, leading the FBS with a 79.3% completion rate.

Beck already has a couple of ranked wins under his belt, taking down No. 6 Notre Dame and No. 18 USF, and has another big matchup this weekend against Florida as the Hurricanes host ESPN’s College GameDay.

QB Dante Moore, Oregon (+1200)

Moore moves up to third in Heisman odds after placing fourth last week following No. 4 Oregon’s 34-14 win over Northwestern. He has earned an 83.5 PFF overall grade on the season and ranks ninth among Power Four quarterbacks in adjusted completion rate (81%). Moore’s 139.4 passer rating is also the fourth-best mark among the group. He and the Ducks will face archrival Oregon State this week in the “Civil War.”

QB Garrett Nussmeier, LSU (+1300)

Despite leading No. 3 LSU to a 20-10 win over Florida this past weekend, Nussmeier dropped from second in Heisman odds last week (+900) to fourth this week. His 77.3 PFF passing grade ranks just 44th among FBS quarterbacks, and he has continued to be a bit of a gunslinger. Nussmeier’s seven big-time throws tie him for the ninth most in the country, but his four turnover-worthy plays make him one of the bottom 30 quarterbacks in that regard. He’ll have an opportunity to boost his Heisman resume this week against the FCS' Southeastern Louisiana.

WR Jeremiah Smith, Ohio State (+1400)

Smith joins the top five of this list and is the only non-quarterback in the top 25 of Heisman odds. After a quiet game against Texas, in which he recorded six catches for 43 yards and two drops, the true sophomore has started to show why he was PFF’s No. 1 player in college football entering the season.

Smith’s 272 receiving yards and three receiving touchdowns over the past two weeks both rank third in the country. His 4.44 yards per route run on the season is a top-15 mark in the FBS, as well. Smith and top-ranked Ohio State are off this weekend before beginning Big Ten play next week at Washington.