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Heisman Watch: Which of these longshots can factor into the Heisman conversation come November?

Five weeks before the start of the season, the oddsmakers have made it clear who the four players with the best chance of winning the Heisman Trophy are.

Oregon QB Dillon Gabriel is the Heisman favorite at BetMGM. Gabriel's +240 odds are just ahead of Colorado WR/DB Travis Hunter at +250. On Monday, Hunter became the first player to be named Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week and Defensive Player of the Week in the same week following his performance in the Buffaloes' win over Cincinnati.

Miami QB Cam Ward is at +300, while Boise State RB Ashton Jeanty is fourth at +450. Jeanty had emerged as a midseason Heisman favorite based on his absurd stats, but his chances have lagged players in power conferences.

There is a big gap to everyone else. Behind Jeanty, the next smallest odds are +2500. There's a very good chance that this year's Heisman winner will be one of these four players. But with so many top teams bowing out before the final stretch in Week 10, we thought this would be a good time to take a look at five quarterbacks who have a chance to sneak into the Heisman race. Here are five players to keep an eye on Saturday as many teams will enjoy their second weekend of the season.

We're pretty optimistic about Klubnik's chances of earning an invite to New York City if he continues to lead Clemson's offense like this. The Tigers are the fourth-best team in college football at 42 points per game and average 48.5 points per game against all teams not named Georgia. Klubnik is completing two-thirds of his passes so far this season with 20 touchdowns and just three interceptions. He also scored four points. Klubnik is averaging over two yards more per pass attempt in 2024 than he did in 2023, and his chances could drop significantly over the next three weeks with strong performances against Louisville, Virginia Tech and Pitt.

Beck's chances are probably so slim because of his name recognition at this point. His stats are down almost across the board compared to 2023, and he's already thrown two more interceptions than he did all of last season. However, one should not ignore his chances of getting involved again. A big game against Florida would come on an otherwise weak college football schedule, and Georgia's next two games are against No. 19 Ole Miss and No. 7 Tennessee. If Beck is the best player on the field in those two contests, sink his chances.

Here are the longshots who could play their way into the Heisman race. (Josephy Raines/Yahoo Sports)

Here are the longshots who could play their way into the Heisman race. (Josephy Raines/Yahoo Sports)

If Allar can't play against No. 4 Ohio State on Saturday, his chances of winning the Heisman are nil. He could be a game-winning decision after suffering a knee injury in the first half of Penn State's win over Wisconsin in Week 9. Beau Pribula will start in Allar's place if he cannot play; Pribula was 11 of 13 passing for 98 yards and a TD against the Badgers.

Allar was much better in 2024 than he was a season ago and a great game against Ohio State would be a statement. A season ago, Allar was 18 of 42 passing for 191 yards and was sacked four times in PSU's 20-12 loss to the Buckeyes.

Rourke could return to the field Saturday against Michigan State after missing Indiana's win over Washington. Rourke lost the thumbnail of his right throwing hand in the team's stunning win over Nebraska. That sounds like a particularly painful injury.

Rourke completed over 74% of his passes in 2024 and threw for nearly 11 yards per attempt. He's a big reason Indiana is off to an 8-0 start this season, and his Heisman stock could rise significantly if the Hoosiers can beat Michigan and beat Ohio State in November.

Thanks to the Tennessee offense's struggles against SEC opponents, Iamaleava has gone from a favorite early in the season to a player with an outside shot at the Cup. Iamaleava hasn't thrown for more than 200 yards in a game since UT's Week 2 win over NC State, and he hasn't completed more than 63% of his passes in a single game since then.

But much like Beck, he has a chance to win some Heisman votes if Tennessee can get its offense back on track and the Vols make it to the SEC title game. Tennessee's remaining SEC opponents outside of the Bulldogs are Kentucky, Mississippi State and Vanderbilt. These are three very winnable games.

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