2024 Heisman Trophy Odds: Is Nico Iamaleava a Heisman Dark Horse for the Tennessee Volunteers?
2024 Heisman Trophy Odds: Is Nico Iamaleava a Heisman Dark Horse for the Tennessee Volunteers?
The race for the 2024 Heisman Trophy has officially begun, and it's packed at the top. Several quarterbacks are vying for the top spot, currently held by Oregon's Dillon Gabriel.
As the competition heats up and the opponents get fiercer, the top QB's will separate themselves from the pack.
One young Heisman hopeful looking to do just that is Tennessee's Nico Iamaleava. The redshirt freshman has only played in two games so far, but he's carried the Vols to a combined 104-3 score ratio in those contests. It's safe to say fans are exciting for his budding career in Knoxville, and others around the country are starting to take notice.
Let's check out the latest Heisman trophy odds to see how Nico Iamaleava stacks up in the 2024 race with the best of the best after his strong showing in Week 1.
2024 Heisman Odds
Click here for the latest Heisman odds
| Player | Odds |
|---|---|
| Dillon Gabriel | +700 |
| Carson Beck | +900 |
| Jalen Milroe | +1000 |
| Jaxson Dart | +1000 |
| Cam Ward | +1100 |
| Quinn Ewers | +1100 |
| Nico Iamaleava | +1400 |
Nico Iamaleava Heisman Odds
The Tennessee Volunteers rolled to a 69-3 blowout over Chattanooga on Saturday, and it only took redshirt freshman QB Nico Iamaleava one half of football to set a school record.
Iamaleava threw for 314 yards and three touchdowns in the first half of the beatdown before he was replaced at halftime. That yardage was good for a school record of most in a single half, a mark that has stood for over a decade.
After Joe Milton declared for the NFL Draft last year, he decided to sit out of the team's bowl game against Iowa. Imaleava stepped in as the starter for the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl, and accounted for four total touchdowns in the 35-0 shutout.
Vols fans have built themselves into a fervor in the offseason, hailing Iamaleava as the next big thing for the program. They had great QB's in Milton and previously Hendon Hooker, but they weren't able to get over the hump and reach the playoffs. That may change now with an expanded field and Iamaleava at the helm.
Nico Iamaleava has climbed up slightly in the Heisman odds ranking after Week 1, moving to +1400 after opening a bit higher in the summer. The latest odds give him a 6.7% chance of winning the award, but there is a lot of football left to be played.
On one hand, the inspiring performance was against an FCS school and not much weight can be put into it; but on the other, he did all of this in just one half, and there is much more potential for greatness in this youngster.
Iamaleava will be able to solidify his standing more in Week 2 in his first big test as the starter. The Vols will head to Raleigh for a battle with the ranked NC State Wolfpack, and all eyes will be on the freshman as he builds chemistry in this offense with Bru McCoy.
College Football Odds
Peter is a sports writer focused on coverage and analysis of college football and basketball, as well as the NFL and other major sports. A graduate of the University of Missouri School of Journalism, he has been writing sports articles for over 8 years.
After working for ClutchPoints, Peter joined OddsChecker in 2023. He is a New York sports superfan and is fluent in the sports betting industry.