Giving Away Money: Best (and worst) Doak Walker odds

We are just 51 days from the start of the 2025 season (54 till Alabama kicks off), and preseason odds and futures are starting to drop from Vegas.

The first hard odds to hit came this morning, with the Doak Walker award, given to the nation’s best running back.

Let’s take a look at those, and then point you in the direction of where to put your money, as well as where not to:

2025 Doak Walker Odds

Jeremiyah Love 3/1

Nicholas Singleton 6/1

Desmond Reid 9/1

Darius Taylor 10/1

Kaytron Allen 14/1

Makhi Hughes 18/1

Isaac Brown 20/1

Ahmad Hardy 28/1

CJ Baxter 28/1

Jam Miller 28/1

Jaydn Ott 28/1

Le’Veon Moss 28/1

Malik Sherrod 28/1

Jamal Haynes 33/1

Anthony Hankerson 40/1

Dylan Edwards 40/1

Kamari Moulton 40/1

Kyson Brown 40/1

Mark Fletcher Jr. 40/1

Quintrevion Wisner 40/1

Roman Hemby 40/1

Rueben Owens 40/1

Caden Durham 50/1

Jadan Baugh 50/1

Nate Frazier 50/1

Worst Bets:

I love how Penn State uses Kaytron Allen (14/1) and Nicholas Singleton (6/1), both favorites for the DWA. The problem is that Penn State does actually have to use both of them for a complete attack. Allen is the battering ram that gives you power and average, while Singleton is the speedy elusive threat who can hit you for a home run in the return game, on the ground, or as an outstanding slot receiver. The two split carries, with each getting about a dozen per game. And despite the productivity in their own way, neither is likely to have the eye popping statistics or be the centerpiece of the PSU offense — especially in a year where you can be certain Franklin will try to get Allar drafted high (to say nothing of each cannibalizing votes from the other.) like the 2012 to 2015 Alabama backfield, there are simply too much depth here with too many disparate skills for one player to stand out.

Quintrevion Wisner 40/1 would seem a good bet, but the simple fact is that he just was not very good around the goal line last year, nor does Sarkisian emphasize powering the ball in the redzone. Texas, like Penn State, will be looking to get their golden boy a number one overall draft pick. There’s going to be a lot of vulturing of touchdowns via the passing game. I wouldn’t buy into him on my fantasy team for that reason either.

I think Jam Miller (28/1) is finally poised for a breakout this season. But in addition to depth in the Alabama backfield, the play mix will likely not favor Miller having the numbers to get voters drooling. Bama should finally break its four-year run of not having a 1000-yard ‘back, but that will be as part of an overall more dynamic offense led by its menacing depth at the receiver spot.

Isaac Brown (20/1) is outstanding for the Cards (7+ YPC, 30 catches, 13 total TDs , almost 1200 RY). But his issue is right there on his jersey: Louisville. The Cardinals should be good this year, but Brohm runs an offense that led under center, and of course it’s Louisville. The second offensive option on a second tier ACC team simply has no shot. He will have to wait two years until he hears his name called in the NFL draft for greater rewards.

You can put Jamal Haynes (33/1) in that same category. Anyone that watched Georgia Tech games last year knows what a weapon he is out of the backfield. But if a back from Luhvl doesn’t have a prayer, nothing short of a Jeanty-like year will garner postseason accolades on a perennial .500 team in a B-level conference.

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Best Dark Horse

There is one name to love here: Oklahoma’s Jaydn Ott. Ott was the first, second, and third option in 2023 for the Cal Golden Bears, and he was absolutely electric last year on a very competitive, but ultimately unsuccessful team – when he was healthy. This year, though, he is protected by more skill in the backfield, absolutely a better offensive line, and an elite defense that will protect leads. If the Sooners enjoy a renaissance, and get to 10 wins or so, Ott will be a large reason why. And at such a storied program that attracts a lot of eyeballs and national attention, that could see him claim the Doak. The one issue he could face is that the Sooners also return Mateer — but Ott has already been named the starter and he is a preseason All-American for a reason.

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Best Bet

Sometimes favorites are little more than hype or conventional wisdom. At least in relation to the 2025 Doak Walker award, neither is the case with this year‘s preseason favorite. Notre Dame’s Jeremiyah Love is the best running back in the country (though I would listen to an argument for Singleton, as well). He runs hard, he hits hard, he plays hard, he has excellent feet and vision and balance, he can catch, he can block. And he has some other things going for him as well: he’s the starting running back for Notre Dame. Even if it were hype, that position alone will get you on preseason radars. And, it is expected to be a nationally competitive Fighting Irish team, on an offense breaking in a new quarterback, where the strength of the team is the offensive line — he’s going to have the stats, in other words. His odds are “just” 3/1, but if I told you that your business could make $300 with comparative little risk, on just a $100 outlay, you would make that investment, wouldn’t you? Barring injury, if Notre Dame is a 10-win team, and Love’s productivity continues as it has throughout his career, I think he’s running away with it. Sometimes you don’t have to overthink these things.

Want some more of these? I crank the data for (almost) every single game, every single week over at my companion site: (Almost) Giving Away Money. Check it out, and prosper.

Presently, we are going over the best and worst out of conference games for each team in the country. And next, we are moving to in-conference trends.

Still just five bucks a month.