LOS ANGELES -- USC quarterback Jayden Maiava enters Week1 of the college football season as one of the leading candidates to win the Heisman Trophy.
Maiava has 12/1 odds at BetOnline Sports & Casino, giving him the fifth-shortest odds on the board after Notre Dame quarterback CJ Carr (7/1), Texas quarterback Arch Manning (10/1), Miami quarterback Darian Mensah (10/1) and Oregon quarterback Dante Moore (11/1).
Ohio State quarterback Julian Sayin and Ole Miss quarterback Trinidad Chambliss are also listed at 12/1, putting Maiava in a group of seven players with the best preseason odds to win college football’s most prestigious individual award.
Maiava’s odds have improved since BetOnline opened its Heisman market on Jan. 20. The USC quarterback initially opened at 14/1 before moving to 12/1 ahead of the season, signaling increased confidence in his chances of emerging as one of the country’s top players.
The preseason recognition also creates considerable expectations for Maiava and USC. He plays the sport’s highest-profile position at a program that has produced more Heisman-winning quarterbacks than any other school.
Carson Palmer, Matt Leinart and Caleb Williams have all won the award while playing quarterback for the Trojans since 2002. Reggie Bush also won the Heisman in 2005, giving USC four winners in a 21-year span before Bush had his trophy reinstated in 2024.
The Heisman board has undergone substantial changes since January as transfers, NFL draft decisions, quarterback competitions and other developments reshaped rosters around the country.
Alabama quarterback Keelon Russell has experienced one of the biggest surges, moving from 50/1 to 22/1. Texas receiver Cam Coleman has improved from 100/1 to 66/1, while California quarterback Jaron-Keawe Sagapolutele has gone from 70/1 to 50/1 and has attracted the most betting action of any player listed at 50/1 or longer.
Other candidates have moved in the opposite direction. Indiana quarterback Josh Hoover dropped from 10/1 to 25/1, Georgia quarterback Gunner Stockton went from 11/1 to 25/1 and Oregon quarterback Dylan Raiola fell from 28/1 to 200/1.
Mensah and Chambliss were added to the board after not receiving odds in January. Mensah has quickly become one of the favorites at 10/1, while Chambliss enters the season alongside Maiava and Sayin at 12/1. Faizon Brandon was also added at 33/1, while Texas Tech quarterback Brendan Sorsby was removed after initially opening at 18/1.
Carr has remained the favorite at 7/1 since the market opened. He has also received the most wagers, followed by Moore, Mensah, Manning and Chambliss. Despite his position among the favorites, Maiava is not among the five most-bet players entering the season.
Jeremiah Smith, Ohio State’s star receiver, is the highest-rated non-quarterback at 16/1 after opening at 9/1. Oklahoma quarterback John Mateer is next at 20/1, followed by Russell and LSU quarterback Sam Leavitt at 22/1.
Maiava, however, has strengthened his position while many other prominent candidates have seen their odds lengthen. With four players ahead of him and three others sharing 12/1 odds, the USC quarterback will open the season firmly positioned in the top tier of the Heisman race.