US LBM Coaches Poll: Georgia are top dogs, Michigan drops after title run
The college football season is right around the corner and Paul Myerberg is here to break down the preseason US LBM Coaches Poll which sees Georgia at the top.
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We’re less than two weeks from the start of the 2024 college football season. The first rankings of the season are out with familiar teams at the top: Georgia, Ohio State, Oregon, Texas, and Alabama round out the top five teams. Two of those five teams made the College Football Playoff last season and the other three were one win away from making it.
But the Heisman Trophy landscape looks much different this fall than in 2023. Winner Jayden Daniels was drafted No. 2 overall by the Washington Commanders. The rest of the top five in voting were all selected in the 2024 NFL Draft as well: Michael Penix Jr. (Atlanta Falcons), Bo Nix (Denver Broncos), Marvin Harrison Jr. (Arizona Cardinals), and Jordan Travis (New York Jets).
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That leaves an open field for new names to step up into contention. Here’s how the top five look in odds from BetMGM ahead of Week 0 games:
Heisman Trophy odds: Preseason favorites
QB Dillon Gabriel, Oregon (+700)
Oregon had a Heisman finalist in quarterback Bo Nix last season. He’s on to the NFL, as is field-stretching wide receiver Troy Franklin, and that gives transfer quarterback Gabriel the opportunity now. The former Oklahoma Sooner dual-threat quarterback is one of the most experienced quarterbacks in the country this season and ranks top-10 all-time in total touchdowns (152, fourth), total yards (15,925, seventh), passing yards (14,865, eighth), and passing touchdowns (125, eighth).
Franklin may be gone but transfer Evan Stewart can bring the same field-stretching ability to the position group. Leading receiver Tez Johnson is back in Eugene this fall and Gabriel has standout tackles Josh Conerly Jr. and Ajani Cornelius protecting him as well.
QB Carson Beck, Georgia (+750)
Beck returns to a talented Georgia squad this fall that should contend again for a national championship. Georgia lost three of its top pass-catchers from last season, leaving wideouts Dominic Lovett and Dillon Bell to take larger roles. The Bulldogs should have a strong offensive line again, especially on the interior, to give Beck enough time to work from the pocket.
The talent is there but it’s a question of Beck producing statistically on the same level as Gabriel and others to stay in the Heisman conversation through the season.
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QB Quinn Ewers, Texas (+1000)
Ewers returns to Austin this fall without top pass-catchers Xavier Worthy, Adonai Mitchell, and Ja’Tavion Sanders, who all left for the NFL. Texas hit the transfer portal hard, though, as Isaiah Bond (Alabama), Matthew Golden (Houston), and Silas Bolden (Oregon State) should make up for the loss of talent.
Ewers improved as a passer in all metrics and became more of a scoring threat in the running game last season. He’s right with Beck as the top-ranked prospects at quarterback this fall. The two will face off Oct. 19 in the Longhorns’ biggest game of the season. Strong performances against the Bulldogs and Michigan on Sept. 7 will go a very long way towards helping his Heisman campaign.
QB Jalen Milroe, Alabama (+1000)
Milroe led all underclassmen in Heisman voting last fall and returns to Tuscaloosa this fall with a new head coach, Kalen DeBoer, who has a resume of great offenses. He’s a top athlete at the position this fall and will operate behind arguably the best interior offensive line in the country.
The wide receiver group is inexperienced but Washington transfer Germie Bernard is already familiar with DeBoer’s system. Kobe Prentice and Kendrick Law had a combined 33 catches last season. Alabama opens SEC play with a game against Georgia Sept. 29. If Milroe and the wideouts can get up to speed by then and play well, his Heisman campaign should take off early.
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QB Jaxson Dart, Ole Miss (+1200)
Ole Miss should be in for a strong season thanks to a mix of homegrown talent like Dart and one of the best transfer groups in the country this offseason. Wideouts Tre Harris and Jordan Watkins return this fall after combining for 107 catches, 1,726 yards, and 11 touchdowns last season.
The Rebels picked up offensive linemen Julius Buelow and Nate Kalepo from Washington, which won the Joe Moore Award last fall as the best offensive line in the country, in the transfer portal. The pieces are there for Dart and Ole Miss to have another double-digit win season. They don’t face a preseason top-10 team until a Nov. 9 game against Georgia, allowing plenty of time for Dart to build up his Heisman case.
Next five: QB Will Howard, Ohio State (+1400); QB Nico Iamaleava, Tennessee (+1500); QB Garrett Nussmeier, LSU, QB Cam Ward, Miami, QB Riley Leonard, Notre Dame (+2000)
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