Are Travis Etienne and Rondale Moore worth a Heisman future bet?

Everybody knows Trevor Lawrence of Clemson and Tua Tagovailoa of Alabama the Heisman Trophy favorites this year, as the top two players leading the top two teams. But the Heisman is a volatile award,  and both Lawrence and Tagovailoa were dominant in 2018 but didn’t take home the trophy. With that in mind, who are some longer shots offering value?

Travis Etienne (+3000)

Lawrence is getting all of the recognition and betting money, but Etienne has been fundamental to Clemson’s success and will be used significantly this year, as well. The junior running back is an explosive player capable of huge runs and massive statistical output behind Clemson’s solid offensive line. If Lawrence’s abilities cause teams to drop more players back in coverage, that will only aid the running game and give Etienne a greater opportunity to shine. He rushed for 1,658 yards last year and had 26 touchdowns. In Mark Ingram’s Heisman-winning season, he only rushed for 1,542 yards and had 18 touchdowns.

If Etienne goes for 2,000 yards, 30 TDs and makes some big plays on national television, this is tremendous value.

Rondale Moore (+4000)

The Heisman winner has to come from a team that wins a lot of games, and this is very much an uncertainty for Purdue this year, but there is no denying Moore’s talent.

While Lawrence was the best freshman in the country last year, Moore was the most exciting. He makes plays that don’t seem possible, and if Purdue can have a successful campaign to keep it in the national spotlight, Moore may do enough to be recognized as the most outstanding player in the country.

Najee Harris (+4000)

In an earlier article this year, I argued that the Heisman winner has to either be a quarterback or a running back at Alabama. A lot of the same reasoning for liking Etienne goes into my thinking for this pick. This former five-star recruit is ready for a breakout season and will be rumbling through many SEC secondaries this year.

Jacob Eason (+6600)

The Pac-12 faces the reality of playing games when much of the country is in bed, but Eason is going to get the opportunity to lead Washington into the national spotlight and primetime television games.

The Georgia transfer is 6-foot-6 with a strong arm and has experienced receivers to target. He went to high school in Washington and has an excellent coach in Chris Peterson, who will likely further develop Eason's playmaking ability. Eason could be the starting quarterback of a major conference champion, and that’s enough to warrant a wager at +6600.

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