The SEC had 7 schools ranked in the preseason AP Top 15 and 6 of them played their Week 1 games prior to Sunday. (LSU faces USC on Sunday, after this feature was published.) In those 6 games, the SEC teams outscored their opponents 345-6.

The 6 quarterbacks representing those teams combined to throw for 1,688 yards with 21 total touchdowns and 1 combined interception. Five of the 6 completed 70% of their passes.

You’ll see all 5 of them below.

In 2023, the Heisman Trophy belonged to the SEC. In 2024, the Heisman Trophy conversation might belong to the SEC. Of course, Oregon’s Dillon Gabriel will have a say in the race as the preseason favorite. Miami’s Cam Ward might become a force if Week 1 was any indication. But the current Heisman odds are currently dominated by SEC quarterbacks.

Each week throughout the season, we’ll take a look at the field, at who is doing what, at who is moving up the ladder, and at who is inching closer to the most coveted player-of-the-year honor in sports.

Editor’s note: The “ranking” you’ll see next to each player’s name is not a subjective ranking. Yet. For now, it is a direct representation of the average odds each player has to win the Heisman. When we have a clearer picture of who is doing what, subjective rankings will take over. 

1. Dillon Gabriel, Oregon QB

Week 1 results: 24-14 win over Idaho

Week 1 stats: 41-for-49, 380 passing yards, 2 passing touchdowns, 0 interceptions

One big number: 1-for-2 on passes of at least 20 yards

Current odds: +850 (FanDuel)

Up next: vs. Boise State (Sept. 7; 10 p.m. ET)

Gabriel opened what many expect to be a Heisman-contending campaign with a safe game against Idaho. He had a high completion percentage but didn’t take many shots. Bo Nix looked deep on 11% of his throws in 2023 and 12% of his passes in 2024. Gabriel picked up a knock on his hand mid-game and didn’t take many chances in the second half. We’ll see if those 2 are related.

Gabriel was also pressured more (20.8% of dropbacks) than expected.

2. Carson Beck, Georgia QB

Week 1 results: 34-3 win over No. 14 Clemson

Week 1 stats: 23-for-33, 278 passing yards, 2 passing touchdowns, 0 interceptions

One big number: 21.2% explosive pass play rate

Current odds: +900 (FanDuel)

Up next: vs. Tennessee Tech (Sept. 7; 2 p.m. ET)

Beck’s receivers dropped a few balls and hurt the counting stats, but Beck also didn’t have to do much against Clemson to power Georgia to a huge lead. He was pressured on only 6 dropbacks and seldom looked downfield. His average depth of target was 6.3 yards as 69% of the Bulldogs’ pass yardage came after the catch.

Still, Beck’s command of the offense was on full display.

3. Jaxson Dart, Ole Miss QB

Week 1 results: 76-0 win over Furman

Week 1 stats: 22-for-27, 418 passing yards, 5 passing touchdowns, 0 interceptions, 6 carries, 27 rushing yards, 1 rushing touchdown

One big number: average depth of target of 12.2

Current odds: +850 (FanDuel)

Up next: vs. Middle Tennessee (Sept. 7; 4:15 p.m. ET)

Dart engineered a historic day in the 2024 season-opener. The 76 points tied for the most in an Ole Miss game since 1935. The 772 yards of offense were the second-most in program history. The offense opened with 8 straight scoring drives and had 52 points at halftime — a program record. Dart became the first SEC passer since Joe Burrow with 350 yards in a half.

Despite played a supremely overmatched opponent, Ole Miss had no compunction about opening up the offense. Dart went 10-for-12 for 332 yards and 4 scores on throws of at least 10 yards. Dart posted a 33% explosive play rate on his pass attempts, generating 9 chunk plays.

4. Cameron Ward, Miami QB

Week 1 results: 41-17 win over Florida

Week 1 stats: 26-for-35, 385 passing yards, 3 passing touchdowns, 1 interception, 3 carries, 33 rushing yards

One big number: 10.4 yards per dropback

Current odds: +850 (FanDuel)

Up next: vs. Florida A&M (Sept. 7; 6 p.m. ET)

Ward had one of the highest EPAs of any quarterback in Week 1 (11.1). His 95.7 QBR also ranked fifth in the country. Arugably, no quarterback had a better debut than the former Washington State man. Ward showcased it all and surged up the board at sportsbooks. FanDuel currently has Ward as co-favorites with Gabriel and Dart at +850 to win the Heisman.

His poise and calmness under pressure was impressive to see. Ward claimed Oregon and USC had louder atmospheres than The Swamp, which was probably a little more trash talk after handling the Gators. Still, an adjusted completion percentage of 87.9% (per PFF) is pretty solid considering the circumstances.

5. Jalen Milroe, Alabama QB

Week 1 results: 63-0 win over Western Kentucky

Week 1 stats: 7-for-9, 200 passing yards, 3 passing touchdowns, 0 interceptions, 10 carries, 79 rushing yards, 2 rushing touchdowns

One big number: 14.7 yards per play

Current odds: +1000 (FanDuel)

Up next: vs. USF (Sept. 7; 7 p.m. ET)

Milroe’s 98.7 QBR was the highest of any FBS quarterback in Week 1. The Alabama offense went 3-and-out on its first possession, but then it scored touchdowns on 6 of its next 7 possessions. During that stretch, Alabama took no more than 4 plays or 91 seconds to find the endzone. The explosiveness of the offense was highly unsustainable, but pretty illustrative of the intention with Kalen DeBoer in town.

Milroe averaged 14.7 yards per touch. He created 4 chunk plays with his arm and 2 with his legs.

6. Quinn Ewers, Texas QB

Week 1 results: 52-0 win over Colorado State

Week 1 stats: 20-for-27, 260 passing yards, 3 passing touchdowns, 1 interception

One big number: 4-for-8 with 1 interception on throws between 10 and 19 yards

Current odds: +1100 (FanDuel)

Up next: at No. 9 Michigan (Sept. 7; noon ET)

Ewers, like Beck, didn’t need to do much in a game against a mismatched opponent. His average depth of target was just 6 yards. Texas got 73% of its passing yardage after the catch.

But Ewers had the biggest highlight of the weekend.

7. Nico Iamaleava, Tennessee QB

Week 1 results: 69-3 win over Chattanooga

Week 1 stats: 22-for-28, 314 passing yards, 3 passing touchdowns, 0 interceptions

One big number: kept clean on 90.3% of dropbacks

Current odds: +1400 (FanDuel)

Up next: vs. No. 24 NC State (Sept. 7; 7:30 p.m. ET

“(Iamaleava’s) the real deal,” Chattanooga coach Rusty Wright said after the game. “The more football that young man plays, he fits really well into the scheme they want to do. He was what they’ve been looking for at that spot.”

What a difference a year makes for the Vols’ offense. UT had a 45-0 lead at the half, which meant Iamaleava only played 2 quarters in his 2024 debut. Still, he set a program record for passing yardage in a half. And he was rarely pressured.

8. Will Howard, Ohio State QB

Week 1 results: 52-6 win over Akron

Week 1 stats: 17-for-28, 228 passing yards, 3 touchdowns, 0 interceptions, 4 carries, 18 rushing yards

One big number: 4-for-4 in the red zone

Current odds: +1700 (FanDuel)

Up next: vs. Western Michigan (Sept. 7; 7:30 p.m. ET)

Ohio State ranked 47th in the country last season in touchdown percentage on red zone trips. The Buckeyes weren’t particularly elite at punching it in once they got to the red area, and that was somewhat surprising given the talent on hand. Against Akron in the opener, Ohio State looked at home in the red zone, scoring touchdowns on all 4 trips.

Howard’s dual-threat ability will help in that regard. While the rushing numbers don’t jump off the page, Howard can make defenses pay in space. It took him a bit to settle into his Ohio State debut, but he had a decent day once he found his groove.

9. Garrett Nussmeier, LSU QB

Week 1 results: TBD

Week 1 stats: TBD

One big number: TBD

Current odds: +2000 (FanDuel)

Up next: vs. Nicholls (Sept. 7; 7:30 p.m. ET)

TBD

10. Travis Hunter, Colorado WR/DB

Week 1 results: 31-26 win over North Dakota State

Week 1 stats: 7 receptions, 132 receiving yards, 3 receiving touchdowns, 3 tackles

One big number: 124 out of 126 snaps played

Current odds: +2500 (FanDuel)

Up next: at Nebraska (Sept. 7; 7:30 p.m. ET)

Hunter played both sides of the football for Colorado in its opener and coach Deion Sanders rarely took him off the field. Pro Football Focus tracked only 2 snaps between the offense and defense when he wasn’t on the field.

And he was fresh enough to make a game-sealing touchdown grab late in the fourth quarter.