Manziel tops way-too-early 2013 Heisman odds

By John TaylorFeb 3, 2013, 9:44 PM EST

Even as the vast majority of Americans are in the midst of indulging in the holiday known as the Super Bowl, one prominent wagering website is taking a sneak peek at the 2013 college football season.

In Bovada‘s first set of odds for the 2013 Heisman Trophy, and as expected, Texas A&M quarterback Johnny Manziel is the odds-on favorite at 4-1 for a stiff-armed repeat. Manziel, of course, became the first freshman, redshirt or otherwise, to claim the Heisman in December of last year.

Those odds are assuming Manziel can stay out of jail or remain eligible, of course.

Three players on Bovada‘s initial Heisman radar are also the only players other than Manziel listed by the website to receive votes in last year’s Heisman race — Ohio State quarterback Braxton Miller (7/1), USC wide receiver Marquis Lee (9/1) and South Carolina defensive end Jadeveon Clowney (12/1). Lee, Miller and Clowney finished fourth, fifth and sixth, respectively, in last year’s voting.

Clowney is the only defensive player of the 23 for which Bovada set odds. There are 14 quarterbacks listed by Bovada, which should come as no surprise as 11 of the past 13 winners have played that position. There were six running backs named as well as two wide receivers.

Alabama (quarterback AJ McCarron, 12/1; running back T.J. Yeldon, 18/1), Miami (running back Duke Johnson, 12/1; quarterback Stephen Morris, 25/1), Nebraska (quarterback Taylor Martinez, 15/1; running back Ameer Abdullah, 18/1) and Oregon (running back De'Anthony Thomas, 10/1; quarterback Marcus Mariota, 18/1) are the only schools with more than one player listed.

Texas A&M QB Johnny Manziel, 4/1
Ohio State QB Braxton Miller, 7/1
USC wide receiver Marquis Lee, 9/1
Georgia quarterback Aaron Murray, 10/1
Oregon running back De’Anthony Thomas, 10/1
Alabama quarterback A.J. McCarron, 12/1
Miami running back Duke Johnson,12/1
South Carolina defensive end Jadeveon Clowney, 12/1
Louisville quarterback Teddy Bridgewater, 12/1
Clemson quarterback Tajh Boyd, 15/1
Nebraska quarterback Taylor Martinez, 15/1
Nebraska running back Ameer Abdullah, 18/1
Oregon quarterback Marcus Mariota, 18/1
Alabama running back T.J. Yeldon, 18/1
UCLA quarterback Brett Hundley, 20/1
Baylor running back Lache Seastrunk, 20/1
Notre Dame quarterback Everett Golson, 22/1
Miami quarterback Stephen Morris, 25/1
Oklahoma quarterback Blake Bell, 30/1
Florida quarterback Jeff Driskel, 30/1
Arizona running back Ka’Deem Carey, 33/1
Michigan quarterback Devin Gardner, 40/1
Maryland wide receiver Stefon Diggs, 40/1

(Tip O’ the Cap: KegsnEggs)

Utah State player upgraded to fair condition after collapse

Associated PressMar 25, 2023, 1:50 AM EDT

Stephen Lew/Getty Images

Utah State redshirt freshman wide receiver Josh Davis is in fair condition on Friday, one day after collapsing at spring football practice following sudden cardiac arrest, the university announced.

Davis, initially was listed in critical condition, was breathing on his own. He is in the intensive-care unit at McKay-Dee Hospital in Ogden, Utah.

Davis’ parents arrived in Utah on Thursday evening.

The 6-foot-1, 185-pound Davis, who is from Carlsbad, California, collapsed at Merlin Olsen Field and was immediately treated by the training staff, the university said. He was taken to Logan Regional Hospital.

The university said Davis was stabilized in the Logan hospital before being moved to Ogden.

Alabama suspends freshman defensive back after drug arrest

Associated PressMar 20, 2023, 10:32 PM EDT

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TUSCALOOSA, Ala. – Alabama freshman defensive back Tony Mitchell has been suspended from the team following his arrest on a drug charge.

Crimson Tide coach Nick Saban said Monday after the first practice of spring that Mitchell was suspended from the team “and all team activities until we gather more information about the situation and what his legal circumstance is.”

The Holmes County Sheriff’s Office arrested Mitchell and another man, Christophere Lewis, last week on a charge of possession of marijuana with the intent to sell or deliver, according to a post on the department’s Facebook page. Lewis also was charged with carrying a concealed gun without a permit.

“Everybody’s got an opportunity to make choices and decisions,” Saban said. “There’s no such thing as being in the wrong place at the wrong time. You’ve gotta be responsible for who you’re with, who you’re around and what you do, who you associate yourself with and the situations that you put yourself in. It is what it is, but there is cause and effect when you make choices and decisions that put you in bad situations.”

Mitchell, who is from Alabaster, Alabama, was a five-star prospect rated the 34th-best player and No. 3 safety in the 247Composite rankings.

Mitchell was driving the vehicle during a traffic stop. After deputies smelled marijuana, Mitchell picked up a baggie of marijuana from the passenger floorboard, according to the department’s Facebook post.

Sheriff’s deputies found “an additional significant amount of marijuana, a set of scales, a loaded handgun between the passenger seat and center console, and a large amount of cash,” according to the department’s Facebook post.