Right now, it is not about Gunner Stockton earning college football's highest individual honor, it is about having a seat at the table. Over the last several years, the Heisman Trophy has afforded between three and five finalists the opportunity to be on the sport's biggest individual stage. Usually, it presents itself who is going to end up joining college football's greatest fraternity during the year.
Entering Week 10, Stockton is within striking distance of getting to New York, but he will need some help. Through Georgia's first seven games of the season, Stockton has guided the Dawgs to a 6-1 record and a 4-1 mark in SEC play. He has come through in the clutch in Georgia's two biggest wins of the year over Tennessee on the road in overtime and at home two weeks ago in an Ole Miss shootout.
These are the latest Heisman Trophy odds heading into Week 10. All odds are from over at BetMGM.
- Alabama Crimson Tide quarterback Ty Simpson: +325
- Indiana Hoosiers quarterback Fernando Mendoza: +325
- Ohio State Buckeyes quarterback Julian Sayin: +400
- Texas A&M Aggies quarterback Marcel Reed: +550
- Vanderbilt Commodores quarterback Diego Pavia: +800
- Georgia Bulldogs quarterback Gunner Stockton: +1500
- Notre Dame Fighting Irish running back Jeremiyah Love: +1800
- Ole Miss Rebels quarterback Trinidad Chambliss: +2000
- Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets quarterback Haynes King: +3500
- Ohio State Buckeyes wide receiver Jeremiah Smith: +3000
As you can see, Stockton has the sixth-best odds in the country at +1500. He trails five other Power Four quarterbacks. With Vanderbilt Commodores quarterback Diego Pavia sitting with the fifth-best odds at +800, that feels like the line of demarcation. Ty Simpson, Fernando Mendoza, Julian Sayin and Marcel Reed all have +550 or better odds of winning the award. Somebody has to stumble here.
With five weeks left in the regular season, what does Stockton have to do to be among the top five?
Gunner Stockton will need help from other SEC QBs to win the Heisman
Looking at who is ahead of him, Stockton really needs for either Pavia or Reed to fall to the wayside in the coming weeks. Pavia has been a program-altering player for Vanderbilt, but one would think the 'Dores need to win at least nine games or make the playoff for him to realistically be named a finalist. Stockton might finish with better stats, but the narrative component of the award is in Pavia's favor.
To be quite frank, Reed needs to be the one to fall in all likelihood. Simpson already has the upper hand over Stockton because Alabama beat Georgia head-to-head. Not to be mean, but Indiana and Ohio State are light years better than anyone else in the Big Ten. They have taken care of beating up on a bunch of tomato cans, although Oregon and Texas are quality opponents on their schedules...
In short, barring any of them not playing well down the home stretch, it feels as though Mendoza, Sayin and Simpson are well on their way to being finalists. The fourth and fifth spots for the Heisman Trophy are still up for grabs. Stockton needs to keep playing well and Georgia needs to keep winning. However, another big game or two in crucial spots could have him skyrocketing up the polls in a bit.
For now, Georgia and Stockton can only control what they can control, so they must ball out anyway.