It took 30 years for the Georgia Bulldogs to have a Heisman Trophy finalist. Now that Stetson Bennett IV ended the three-decade long drought after Garrison Hearst's magnificent 1992 season in 2022, Gunner Stockton looks to join Georgia football lore in that regard this season. He is coming off his greatest performance for Georgia to date. With four impressive SEC victories, he is thinking Heisman.
Entering Georgia's second bye of the season, the Dawgs are one of six teams with a very realistic shot of making the College Football Playoff right now. One of the reasons for that has been the great play of Georgia's star quarterbacks. His doubters have been silenced over the season, one by one. Give it a bit more time, but the pathway for him to get to New York is very much a possibility this year.
Here are the latest Heisman Trophy odds heading into Week 9. Odds are from FanDuel Sportsbook.
- Alabama Crimson Tide quarterback Ty Simpson (+320)
- Indiana Hoosiers quarterback Fernando Mendoza (+340)
- Ohio State Buckeyes quarterback Julian Sayin (+400)
- Texas A&M Aggies quarterback Marcel Reed (+750)
- Vanderbilt Commodores quarterback Diego Pavia (+800)
- Georgia Bulldogs quarterback Gunner Stockton (+1100)
- Oregon Ducks quarterback Dante Moore (+1400)
- Notre Dame Fighting Irish running back Jeremiyah Love (+2000)
Stockton has the sixth-best Heisman odds entering Week 9 behind a quintet of Power Four quarterbacks. While all five candidates listed above him have arguably better cases to get to New York now over him, how many will have staying power in the end? Ty Simpson and Fernando Mendoza feel like early locks to get to New York. Diego Pavia and Marcel Reed may fade with time this season.
Sayin may not lose a game this season, but could Dante Moore or Jeremiyah Love surpass Stockton?
Gunner Stockton is in a great position to be a Heisman Trophy finalist
Let's put it this way. If there are only three Heisman Trophy finalists, then Stockton may not receive an invitation to New York. Again, Mendoza and Simpson feel like early locks at this point. It would require Pavia, Reed and Sayin all fading, in addition to those like Love and Moore overtaking him. If it is four, then only two need to fade. If it is five finalists, then maybe only one will need to bite the dust in a bit.
Removing Mendoza and Simpson from the equation, who is the most likely to stumble between Pavia, Reed and Sayin? It would have to be Pavia because Vanderbilt is the least likely team to make the playoff, when compared to Ohio State and Texas A&M. Between Ohio State and Texas A&M, the Buckeyes are the stronger lock. That might indicate Sayin is the harder one to buck than Reed here.
As far as either Love or Moore overtaking Stockton, one could argue either way, but Love feels like the more probable candidate. Notre Dame could end the season on a 10-0 after losing to Miami and Texas A&M to start. All three of those teams could be in the playoff. Plus, Love may very well be the best running back in the nation. Moore is a great player, but he might only be a top-10 quarterback.
So is there room for a fourth chair at the table for Stockton, alongside Mendoza, Simpson and Sayin? Potentially. What is very important is for there to be no clear-cut favorite between Mendoza and Simpson for as long as possible. They could conceivably split first-place votes. If they are clearly one and two, then the chances of five Heisman finalists emerging could be greater based on its threshold.
In the end, Stockton is going to need more performances like he had against Tennessee and Ole Miss, as well as late vs. Auburn, and at times vs. Kentucky, to win the Heisman Trophy. Mendoza has taken Curt Cignetti's Indiana offense to new heights since transferring over from Cal. Simpson has played so incredibly efficiently since falling Week 1 at Florida State. He is playing like ... Joe Burrow...
For now, Stockton's good Heisman Trophy chances could become even greater over the next month.