4 Heisman Trophy longshot candidates who deserve more attention

Two weeks of college football have already led to some massive shifts in the Heisman Trophy forecast. Preseason frontrunner Arch Manning has taken a tumble and John Mateer has seen his stock leap impressively. But who isn't getting attention but should be? Here are four Heisman longshots who have a genuine path to the award.

Thomas Castellanos, Florida State (25/1)

Castellanos is currently getting virtually the same odds as DJ Lagway, which gives a snapshot of how undervalued he is. Through two weeks, he has thrown for 389 yards and three scores with 15.6 yards per pass attempt with another 85 yards and a touchdown on the ground. But much as with the next candidate discussed below, the ultimate story here is probably the team one.

FSU was awful a year ago and Norvell was supposed to be on the hot seat. Win the ACC or come close enough to reach the CFP and Castellanos will be a key player in a massive program resurgence. A good story is probably even better than good stats in the 2025 Heisman race.

Jayden Maiava, USC (30/1)

Maiava has been the most statistically impressive QB in the nation through two weeks. Maiava has thrown for 707 yards and six touchdowns with a surreal 16.8 yards per pass attempt. Now, the bad news here is that USC will obviously get much tougher competition. And while the Trojans probably won't outlast Ohio State or Penn State, Maiava won't play either in the regular season. Oregon or Notre Dame could be a proving grond victory that could jump USC into the CFP.

As for Maiava, he's on pace for a 4,000+ yard season with a bunch of touchdowns. A resurrected USC team and a high-wattage passer seems like the kind of story that could give him a Heisman shot.

Beau Pribula, Missouri (80/1)

The Penn State transfer only claimed the starting job at the last second, but has lit up opponents in two games. Pribula has 617 yards passing and five touchdowns with 71 yards and two more scores on the ground. The other story here is that Missouri has a low-key chance to make some noise in the SEC race. The Tiger schedule doesn't include Texas, Georgia or LSU. South Carolina at home is currently the toughest league game on the Missouri schedule.

Pribula figures to put up impressive numbers in Eli Drinkwitz's attack. If Missouri can sneak out a 10-win season and earn a CFP bid, it could be that Pribula can claim enough momentum to mount an impressive surprising Heisman candidacy.

Byrum Brown, USF (120/1)

In two weeks, Brown and South Florida have become a Group of Five favorite after taking down ranked Boist State and Florida teams. Miami awaits in Week 3 and would be the stiffest test yet, but Brown doesn't have to have a third upset to be viable. In two weeks, Brown has passed for 473 yards and a score while rushing for another 109 yards and two scores on the ground.

If USF can run through a 10-2 or 11-1 season and make the CFP, Brown is the dual-threat senior leader at the forefront. In a season where all of college football's big dogs might thump each other around, a G5 star has a unique chance.

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