Even as Trevor Lawrence attempts to get the taste of his first-ever college loss out of his month, there’s no time like the present for a little Heisman talk.
On the biggest stage Monday night, Lawrence came up short as Clemson took it on the chin in a 17-point loss to LSU in the College Football Playoff championship game. While the quarterback didn’t throw an interception, he did complete a career-worst 48.6 percent of his pass attempts. The true sophomore was also held without a touchdown pass for the first time since a four-point win over Syracuse in September of 2018.
Despite the struggles, Trevor Lawrence hasn’t lost all of the Heisman shine as one offshore sportsbook has him listed as a 7/2 favorite to claim the 2020 stiff-armed trophy. That’s actually down a bit from the 3/1 Lawrence was at following Joe Burrow winning the 2019 Heisman Trophy in record-smashing fashion.
The quarterback of the team Lawrence and Clemson took down in the semifinals, Ohio State’s Justin Fields, is right behind his under-center counterpart at 4/1. Another quarterback, true freshman Kedon Slovis of USC, is at 9/1.
Five other returning players will start the offseason at 10/1, including Oklahoma State running back Chuba Hubbard, who surprised many (most?) observers by announcing Monday he’s coming back for his senior season. The others at that 10/1 number are all quarterbacks -- Texas’ Sam Ehlinger, Alabama’s Mac Jones, Minnesota’s Tanner Morgan, Oklahoma’s Spencer Rattler.
The only non-offensive player on the early Heisman wagering agenda? Standout LSU true freshman cornerback Derek Stingley Jr., who is listed at 16/1.
Some perspective, though, on these way-too-early odds: Last year at this time, Lawrence (3/1) and Alabama’s Tua Tagovailoa (4/1) were the heavy favorites to win the 2019 Heisman Trophy. Lawrence finished seventh in the voting this past December, Tagovailoa 10th.