Every team and situation is different. While not all are created equally in the SEC, one thing is for certain. If you dominate on the college football gridiron in that league, you will be rewarded for it. No matter where one starts, a great season will take any player or coach and thrust him upon a pedestal and into the national spotlight. It is why the SEC has had so many Heisman Trophy winners before.
While star players like LSU quarterback Garrett Nussmeier and South Carolina quarterback LaNorris Sellers are among the most serious contenders in the sport ahead of this season, what about the other guys? In this exercise, I looked at each SEC team's biggest Heisman Trophy sleeper. If a team has an obvious candidate, who is the second one? If a team does not have one, well, who is it then?
Obviously, the star quarterback on the best team often gets the heap of the glory. Sometimes a running back or another star offensive player can take the honor. Look no further than last year when Colorado Buffaloes cornerback/wide receiver Travis Hunter took home the award. Hunter was not exactly a sleeper, but he had competition internally with his star quarterback in one Shedeur Sanders.
Here is every SEC team's biggest sleeper Heisman candidate. Odds are from FanDuel Sportsbook.
Alabama Crimson Tide
Quarterback Ty Simpson (+4000)
The Alabama Crimson Tide have a few players listed with +50000 or better odds on FanDuel Sportsbook. While it is not by much, wide receiver Ryan Williams has slightly better odds of winning the Heisman than supposed starting quarterback favorite Ty Simpson. Look at him being this year's version of Mac Jones during the COVID campaign. He has been with the team for a hot minute, too.
Simpson may have surprisingly good odds at +4000, but it is all about opportunity. He still needs to beat out Austin Mack and Keelon Russell for the starting job, although things are certainly trending that way. He seems to have the approval of new offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb, but will he end up having it with head coach Kalen DeBoer when all is said and done? Simpson has an outside shot here.
With where Alabama resides in the SEC, it is not an impossible feat to see Simpson possibly win this.
Arkansas Razorbacks
Quarterback Taylen Green (+15000)
This could be a most challenging and frustrating year for the Arkansas Razorbacks. It could be the end of the line for head coach Sam Pittman, but what does his star quarterback, Taylen Green, have to say about it? Green is Arkansas' best shot at winning the Heisman at +15000 odds. If the former Boise State starter can hit the ground running in year two at Arkansas, he could shock the league.
Green has plenty of starting experience and has usually been a part of winning teams. If he can somehow help guide the Hogs to a 9-3 record, that might be enough to merit inclusion in the Heisman ceremony. Again, he may need other players on contending teams to collapse around him, but Green has a serious opportunity to put an Arkansas team not expected to do much on his back.
This might not be one of the better season in Arkansas football history, but Green is fun to watch.
Auburn Tigers
Wide receiver Cam Coleman (+25000)
I go back and forth when it comes to how much I believe in Auburn. Hugh Freeze has been a great coach before, albeit with an incredibly slimy past. Oklahoma transfer quarterback Jackson Arnold has the team's best Heisman odds, but that feels like throwing money away, as I do not see it. That being said, wide receiver Cam Coleman could be the ultimate sleeper candidate to represent Auburn here.
Coleman has +25000 odds to win the Heisman Trophy. Not until recently was it all that common to see a wide receiver win the honor. But since 2020, we have seen a pair of wideouts claim college football's highest individual honor. I just have a feeling Coleman is going to make big plays in big moments to help Auburn massively overachieve this season. If they go 10-2, then he has a real shot.
I would not say it is likely, but Coleman is the Auburn star I prefer the most over Arnold for this season.
Florida Gators
Wide receiver Eugene Wilson III (NR)
As is the case with Auburn, the Florida Gators' best bet to potentially win the Heisman is their up-and-coming quarterback. DJ Lagway showed flashes of brilliance in his first year with the team last season. His ascension is breathing life into the Billy Napier era of Gators football in a big way. Since I could not include Lagway for this exercise, how about their veteran wide receiver Eugene Wilson III?
Wilson may not be listed on FanDuel Sportsbook when it comes to their Heisman Trophy odds. However, he has name recognition in the conference and plays wide receiver with the type of aggression that will make him and his teammates better. Again, this is an extreme long shot, but we may be looking at an all-conference star lining up outside within the context of Florida's offense.
Wilson's chances of winning the Heisman are almost non-existent, but he can make Florida better.
Georgia Bulldogs
Running back Nate Frazier (+18000)
The Georgia Bulldogs have a few candidates for the Heisman Trophy, but none, I would say, are anything close to serious contenders at this point. Presumptive starting quarterback Gunner Stockton is clearly the favorite, but the guy I actually like the most here is running back Nate Frazier. He is listed at +18000 odds on FanDuel Sportsbook, reminding me of so many greats before him.
Frazier served as Trevor Etienne's backup last season, but was explosive whenever he was out on the field. His blocking has to continue to improve, but Dawg Nation should be thrilled to have him at least for the next two years, barring some unforeseen transfer, of course. I expect Georgia's offense to be more ground-centric than it was the last two years with Carson Beck. This will serve Frazier big time.
Georgia is essentially a lock to make the College Football Playoff because of great players like Frazier.
Kentucky Wildcats
Quarterback Zach Calzada (+30000)
The Kentucky Wildcats have never had a Heisman Trophy winner, and I do not expect that to be changing anytime soon, especially this year. For the sake of this exercise, I will go with the Johnny Cash of college football. Zach Calzada has been everywhere, man. He has played at Texas A&M, Auburn and Incarnate Word before arriving in Lexington. He is listed at a decent +3000 odds to win it.
With this being a critical year for long-time head coach Mark Stoops, UK really needs to win. While the defense usually holds up its end of the bargain under his direction, anytime the Wildcats have a quarterback who can make something happen, they can make some noise in the SEC. Again, their is a finite ceiling to what they can do, but perhaps Calzada's experience around the sport is a boost here?
I would argue Kentucky is the least likely SEC team to have a Heisman winner this season anyway.
LSU Tigers
Wide receiver Barion Brown (NR)
With LSU Tigers quarterback Garrett Nussmeier among the most likely candidates to win the Heisman Trophy across college football, I felt compelled to go off the board for the Bayou Bengals' sleeper pick. I ended up going with Kentucky transfer wide receiver Barion Brown. His ability to factor in the return game only adds to his potential dark horse candidacy. LSU does love its special teams.
Admittedly, it is very hard to see anyone other than Nussmeier be a serious candidate to win the Heisman Trophy this year. It kind of feels like it is a mutually exclusive entity. Either he does it or nobody comes close. That being said, having a guy coming over from a team that struggles to make plays offensively in Kentucky could conceivably open up Pandora's box for Brown to really thrive.
Like many dark horse candidates on here, Brown is not going to win it, but I would love to see him try.
Mississippi State Bulldogs
Quarterback Blake Shapen (+40000)
Even though the Mississippi State Bulldogs struggled mightily under first-year head coach Jeff Lebby last season, I found his players playing so hard for him all year long. I think in a way that could serve Mississippi State going forward. The Bulldogs' best candidate to win the Heisman would be their starting quarterback, Blake Shapen. He had spent the bulk of his college career over at Baylor.
The quickest way for Mississippi State to get out of the cellar of the SEC is to have consistently good quarterback play. It may end up coming from the guy who succeeds Shapen, but that might take a while. For the sake of argument, I find his lengthy college tenure to be something I can get behind with Shapen. If he plays up to his standard, he might be the one to get the Bulldogs back to a bowl.
Shapen does not have the best odds, but the fact he is even listed leads me to believe he can play.
Missouri Tigers
Quarterback Beau Pribula (+10000)
I may not have a good feel for how the Missouri Tigers' season is going to go, but consider me high on their incoming quarterback Beau Pribula. After spending the last few years serving as a backup at Penn State, Pribula comes to Columbia hoping to make a name for himself. Missouri is a team that has a high floor in the deep SEC, but the ceiling under Eliah Drinkwitz might be a fringe playoff contender.
Pribula is listed at +10000 odds to win the Heisman. One of the things that does benefit him is Luther Burden III will not be there this season. It will afford Pribula more opportunities to get what is his and then some, without having another star player in the same offense. If Missouri were to stun everyone and get into a serious playoff conversation, it might be hard not to consider Pribula for the Heisman.
I think the fact he is tied to the Penn State narrative this season could also elevate his stock a bit, too.
Oklahoma Sooners
Wide receiver Deion Burks (+50000)
Consider me among the many getting dangerously high on the Oklahoma Sooners. While Brent Venables does nothing for me, hiring Ben Arbuckle and retaining DeMarco Murray on the offensive coaching staff is massive. Former Washington State quarterback John Mateer is Oklahoma's best shot at winning the Heisman Trophy, but I like a few others to fight for it, including one Deion Burks.
The former Purdue wide receiver is in his second year at Norman. He is listed at +50000 to win the Heisman Trophy, with better odds than Cal transfer running back Jaydn Ott. If all goes according to plan in Norman this season, Oklahoma could be among the handful of teams that could get to the College Football Playoff. Mateer may be the one driving the offense, but Burks will have a say in it.
With Mateer being the overwhelming favorite to potentially represent OU, Burks is a total dark horse.
Ole Miss Rebels
Linebacker Suntarine Perkins (NR)
Finding another serious candidate to potentially represent the Ole Miss Rebels here besides starting quarterback Austin Simmons was easier said than done. Once again, I went off the board and settled on their star linebacker Suntarine Perkins. Ole Miss is very much an offensive-minded team under head coach Lane Kiffin, but the Rebels have always had a few quality defensive players on the roster.
Given that Simmons would be the overwhelming favorite to theoretically represent Ole Miss in the Heisman Trophy ceremony, you have to look for value in other spots on the gridiron. If Ole Miss has a high-end defense, the Rebels may be able to right the wrongs from last season and finally make it into the College Football Playoff. We may have been premature to throw dirt on the Rebels' grave this year.
If Perkins ends up winning SEC Defensive Player of the Year, that might get him to New York City.
South Carolina Gamecocks
Edge rusher Dylan Stewart (+50000)
With South Carolina Gamecocks quarterback LaNorris Sellers being one of the most serious contenders for the Heisman Trophy across all of college football, I had to go with one of their other most notable players in edge rusher extraordinaire Dylan Stewart. He may only have +50000 odds to win the Heisman Trophy, but he is already drawing favorable comparisons to South Carolina legends.
Any time a defensive player at South Carolina is being linked to the likes of Jadeveon Clowney, Melvin Ingram and Kyle Kennard, my ears perk up. Stewart has the potential to be all that and then some playing in the context of Clayton White's defense. Unfortunately, I think it is going to be next to impossible for him to steal Sellers' shine this season. He could be a candidate to win other awards.
It goes without saying, but South Carolina has to be a playoff team to get either guy to New York City.
Tennessee Volunteers
Quarterback Joey Aguilar (+4500)
Nobody is in a stranger situation entering this season than Joey Aguilar. The former Appalachian State quarterback spent spring practice at UCLA before transferring over to Tennessee. He effectively swapped places with Nico Iamaleava. While Aguilar is still not technically the starter, his starting experience in the Sun Belt could be a means for Josh Heupel to put his trust and faith in him.
As a result of the quarterback change in Knoxville in recent months, Tennessee has gone from a borderline playoff lock to a team that may not even be ranked to start the year. With a relatively soft schedule, Tennessee can take advantage of the situation, allowing Aguilar to play with more and more confidence by the week. He has a chance to be the ultimate dark horse to win Tennessee a Heisman.
Of course, Tennessee has never had a Heisman Trophy winner up to this point, so probably not him.
Texas Longhorns
Running back Quintrevion Wisner (+25000)
Arch Manning this, Arch Manning that, give me Quintrevion Wisner, baby! The Texas Longhorns are poised to make some noise this season, but let's not put the cart in front of the horse when it comes to Manning. He may have the best Heisman odds at +700, according to FanDuel Sportsbook, but I would much rather see him start a few games first before wagering. I just know that Wisner can play.
Texas is on a shortlist of teams I would argue as College Football Playoff locks. They may feel like a 10-2 team to start, but an incredibly high floor works in their favor here. Since Manning is still very much a run-first quarterback, that plays into Wisner's chances of potentially being the third running back to win a Heisman Trophy out of Texas. To date, it has only been Earl Campbell and Ricky Williams so far.
Manning may end up being the first quarterback to do so, but 2027 feels like that will be the season.
Texas A&M Aggies
Wide receiver Kevin Concepcion (+30000)
Marcel Reed may be the favorite to win the Heisman Trophy for the Texas A&M Aggies, but keep close tabs on their incoming wide receiver transfer in Kevin Concepcion. He comes to College Station after a two-year run with the North Carolina State Wolfpack. As one of the biggest names to hit the transfer portal last winter, the former 2023 ACC Rookie of the Year could be right at home in the SEC.
While Reed may be more of a run-first quarterback, who also happens to play for an excellent defensive-minded head coach in Mike Elko, the Aggies did not acquire Concepcion in the transfer portal just to look pretty on the sidelines. I would hope that offensive coordinator Collin Klein has a few ideas up his sleeve to get the most out of this future NFL star in the making over at wide receiver.
Although it is never advantageous to trust Texas A&M under any capacity, I like Concepcion there.
Vanderbilt Commodores
Quarterback Diego Pavia (+15000)
All hail The Live Dog, Diego Pavia! The NCAA allowing him to come back to Vanderbilt for one more season is good for the SEC and great for college football. The former New Mexico State star may be undersized, but it is not the size of the dog in the fight, but the size of the fight in the dog. Because of what I know he is capable of, I just cannot quit Vanderbilt, when the rest of the sport seems to do so.
If Vanderbilt were to somehow win nine games this season, just give Pavia the Heisman Trophy and be done with it. I do not know what the future holds for him away from the college football gridiron, but I know a transformative player when I see one. He may play for a rival team of mine in the SEC, but I know greatness when I see it. Pavia changed the temperature of the room at Vanderbilt last season.
If Stetson Bennett IV can get to the Heisman Trophy ceremony, then why rule out Pavia going there?