FanDuel’s early 2024 Heisman Trophy odds have placed Oklahoma quarterback Jackson Arnold in the 13th position, with odds of +2200, down from his previous position at +1800. Despite not being favored by oddsmakers, Arnold is not being overlooked, as he is among the top contenders for the prestigious award.
The odds place Arnold behind a dozen other quarterbacks, including notable names like Arizona’s Noah Fifita, Ole Miss’ Jackson Dart, Tennessee’s Nico Iamaleava, Alabama’s Jalen Milroe, Ohio State’s Will Howard, Oregon’s Dillon Gabriel, Texas’ Quinn Ewers, and Georgia’s Carson Beck.
Interestingly, there are seven SEC quarterbacks with better odds than Arnold, indicating the competitiveness of the conference in producing Heisman contenders.
Arnold’s first career start in the Alamo Bowl against Arizona was mixed, with early turnovers but also displaying potential with two touchdowns and 361 passing yards. As a true freshman last year, he showed promise with a completion rate of 63.8% and demonstrated clutch performances in crucial situations.
Heading into the 2024 season, Arnold faces the challenge of leading Oklahoma’s offense with a rebuilt offensive line and under the guidance of a new position coach and offensive coordinator, Seth Littrell. Despite these changes, Arnold is expected to have numerous opportunities to showcase his skills in the spotlight, especially in the competitive SEC.
FanDuel already has a dozen other quarterbacks ahead of Arnold, who has a new position coach and a new offensive line.
Oddsmakers don’t exactly favor Oklahoma quarterback Jackson Arnold for this year’s Heisman Trophy, but they’re certainly not ignoring him.
Arnold has the 13th-best odds to win the 2024 award, according to FanDuel.
“Jackson Arnold was good in spots during Oklahoma’s bowl loss to Arizona, but his first-career start as a freshman was turnover-filled early. Insiders suggest Arnold has all the intangibles to execute the Sooners’ attack with precision and he seems to have the utmost confidence from coach Brent Venables, who added new coordinators on both sides of the football. In the new SEC, Arnold will get countless spotlight opportunities against quality competition.” — FanDuel
Arnold’s odds of +2200 — that’s down from where he opened the offseason at +1800 — are behind a dozen other quarterbacks, including a few notables:
- Arizona’s Noah Fifita, who beat Arnold in the Alamo Bowl and comes in a +2000,
- Ole Miss’ Jackson Dart (+1800), who chose the Rebels over OU two years ago and then beat out OSU transfer Spencer Sanders,
- Tennessee’s Nico Iamaleava (+1500), who’s at the center of the Vols’ latest recruiting scandal,
- Alabama’s Jalen Milroe (+1200), who led the Crimson Tide to the playoff in Nick Saban’s final season,
- Ohio State’s Will Howard (+1000), who transferred to Columbus after four years at Kansas State and a brief flirtation with USC,
- Oregon’s Dillon Gabriel (+1000), who started for the Sooners last year and tutored Arnold as a true freshman but now must beat out UCLA transfer Dante Moore,
- Texas’ Quinn Ewers, who threw for 3,479 yards and 22 touchdowns last year as he powered the Longhorns to their first College Football Playoff appearance,
- Georgia’s Carson Beck, who passed for 3,941 yards and 24 TDs in his first year as the Bulldogs’ starter and nearly went undefeated again before losing to ‘Bama in the SEC title game.
In all, there are seven SEC quarterbacks with odds better than Arnold, including Texas A&M’s Connor Weigman and LSU’s Garrett Nussmeier.
Arnold doesn’t appear among the top 10 as offered by either DraftKings, Caesar’s or Bet365.
Arnold’s first career start replacing Gabriel against the Wildcats was a rocky one: he threw two early interceptions, then threw another one and lost a fumble late, but he also threw two touchdowns and passed for 361 yards in the loss in San Antonio — the fourth-highest OU total in a bowl game.
As a true freshman last year, Arnold completed 63.8 percent of his passes (44-of-69) for 563 yards with four TDs and three INTs. He also ran for 116 yards and a touchdown on 31 carries.
His season also included two third-down throws to convert first downs late in a close win at BYU.
Coaches intended for him to take a redshirt in 2023 and not exceed four games as a true freshman, but Arnold played in four of the first five games, mostly as a short-yardage runner, then had to come off the bench in relief to save the game at BYU after Gabriel was injured.
Arnold goes into 2024 with a completely rebuilt offensive line, as well as a new position coach and offensive coordinator, as Seth Littrell replaces Jeff Lebby.
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