USC's Caleb Williams is odds-on favorite to win second Heisman

USC’s Caleb Williams is favored to win a second Heisman. Here’s who could stop him

USC's Caleb Williams, right, and coach Lincoln Riley hold two fingers up after Williams won the Heisman Trophy.

Published Aug. 25, 2023 Updated Aug. 28, 2023 6:28 AM PT

Caleb Williams is a big favorite to win the 2023 Heisman Trophy.

That’s really no surprise since the USC quarterback is less than a year removed from winning the 2022 Heisman Trophy.

But it’s also a fact that only one person has received the honor twice, and that was Ohio State running back Archie Griffin in 1974 and 1975.

So if you really think about it, the odds are actually stacked against Williams becoming the first repeat Heisman winner in nearly five decades.

Still, when it comes to the actual betting odds, no one comes close to Williams. FanDuel has him listed as the favorite at +500. His closest competition is LSU quarterback and former San Bernardino Cajon High standout Jayden Daniels at +1000.

Daniels, the all-time Southern Section passing leader, is entering his fifth year as a starting quarterback, including his first three seasons at Arizona State. He has compiled 8,938 passing yards, 2,173 rushing yards and 73 touchdowns (49 passing and 24 rushing). Last year he set LSU records for most rushing yards (885) and rushing touchdowns (11) by a quarterback.

Florida State quarterback Jordan Travis has been given +1200 odds at winning the Heisman. The senior quarterback is the only player who ranks in the school’s top 10 for most touchdowns as a passer (45, 10th place) and rusher (24, tied for ninth place). If he matches his numbers from last year (24 passing TDs, seven rushing TDs), Travis will move up to No. 2 on the passing list (just ahead of 2013 Heisman winner Jameis Winston and only behind 2000 Heisman winner Chris Weinke) and No. 4 on the rushing list.

Second-year Texas quarterback Quinn Ewers has also been given +1200 odds, and could find some extra motivation now that hotshot freshman Arch Manning is also on the roster. Clemson quarterback Cade Klubnik is listed at +1400 and Washington quarterback Michael Penix Jr. at +1600.

For the record:

6:54 a.m. Aug. 28, 2023An earlier version of this story incorrectly stated that USC lost to Oregon in the 2022 Pac-12 championship game.

Williams won the coveted trophy in his first year with the Trojans after following coach Lincoln Riley out of Oklahoma, completing 333 of 500 passes (66.7%) for 4,537 yards with 42 touchdowns and only five interceptions. USC was on the verge of a College Football Playoff bid, but those hopes were dashed when Williams pulled his hamstring in the first quarter in an eventual 47-24 loss to Utah in the Pac-12 championship game.

While a second Heisman would certainly be nice, Williams sounds like he’d rather have a national title to add to his resume. He and the Trojans start that journey Saturday against San Jose State.

“Immortality comes from championships,” Williams told The Times. “I haven’t reached one here in college yet.”