College Football Player Props Week 1: Odds, Best Bets & Expert Picks This Week

With a slate full of top-tier matchups, my college football player prop bets for Week 1 are centered around some of the most talented quarterbacks in the sport with marquee matchups.

From Arch Manning against Ohio State to LaNorris Sellers taking on Virginia Tech, my college football picks are looking at five brand-name QBs guiding premier programs who are worth betting on, or against, as part of your college football predictions for Week 1.

🏈 Best college football player props: Week 1

College football player prop bets made Friday; odds subject to change.

• Arch Manning Under 239.5 passing yards (-115 via bet365) ⭐⭐⭐
• Tommy Castellanos Under 166.5 passing yards (-114 via FanDuel) ⭐⭐⭐⭐
• Cade Klubnik Over 34.5 pass attempts (-115 via bet365) ⭐⭐⭐⭐
• Devon Dampier anytime TD scorer (-114 via Caesars) ⭐⭐⭐⭐
• LaNorris Sellers Over 1.5 passing touchdowns (-102 via FanDuel) ⭐⭐⭐

💰 Best Week 1 player prop bets

Our college football player prop odds tool shows the best odds for every market across legal sportsbooks in your area.

⬇️ Tommy Castellanos Under 166.5 passing yards (-114) ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Mike Norvell went back to the transfer portal for his starting QB again after adding DJ Uiagalelei last season and proceeding to go 2-10. Is Tommy Castellanos really an upgrade over Uiagalelei? He certainly adds a wrinkle to the run game with his mobility, but Bill O'Brien benched him last season after an up-and-down career at Boston College.

Against an Alabama defense that's No. 6 in SP+, and returns players like LT Overton, Deontae Lawson, Domani Jackson, and Keon Sabb, Castellanos is going to have a difficult time getting in rhythm as a passer. The BC transfer isn't the only new part of this offense, either, with all three of his top receivers, several offensive linemen, and offensive coordinator Gus Malzahn, new to the program.

There's very little continuity here, and Castellanos accounted for 29 turnover-worthy plays to just 23 big-time throws in two seasons with Boston College - he threw for Under 166.5 yards in nine of his last 14 games with the Eagles. If he fails to go Over this number again, and there's a 53.27% probability he will, a $10 bet pays an $8.77 profit.

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⬆️ Cade Klubnik Over 34.5 pass attempts (-115) ⭐⭐⭐⭐

Few quarterbacks have as much hype as Cade Klubnik does entering the season, but his counterpart in this matchup is one of the few. Garrett Nussmeier is the favorite to be the No. 1 pick in April, according to the 2026 NFL Draft odds, and these two Heisman-contending QBs could give us a shootout on Saturday night.

Both Clemson and LSU rank top six in SP+ on offense, but outside the top 15 on defense, and both quarterbacks could have to go to the air frequently. With Nussmeier's pass attempts line set slightly higher at 36.5 (-125 via bet365), I'm more confident backing Klubnik to hit his Over on 34.5 pass attempts, especially with all three of his top receivers back after he finished fifth in the country in big-time throws last year (28).

The Tigers don't have a clear top running back with wide receiver convert Adam Randall expected to start, which could mean Garrett Riley relying even more on his star QB's arm. Klubnik threw 35-plus passes in seven of his last nine games last season, and if he hits that number again (53.49% probability), a $10 bet pays an $8.70 profit.

🔥 Devon Dampier anytime TD scorer (-114) ⭐⭐⭐⭐

The Cam Rising era at Utah is finally over after injuries to Kyle Whittingham's starting QB derailed the team the last two seasons. Not only did that lead to Whittingham replacing Andy Ludwig as offensive coordinator with Jason Beck, but Beck helped bring Rising's replacement with him from New Mexico.

Utes new starting QB Devon Dampier is one of the most electric runners in the country. As a sophomore last season, Dampier helped make the Lobos a competitive program for the first time in years while setting the single-season record for total yards (3,657). He also had the third-most rushing touchdowns in the country by a quarterback (19) and forced more missed tackles than any QB (54).

With Beck still calling plays for him, and Dampier playing behind two potential first-round offensive tackles (Spencer Fano, Caleb Lomu), Dampier shouldn't have much trouble finding the end zone against a UCLA team that's No. 113 in returning defensive production. A $10 bet on Dampier scoring pays an $8.77 profit, with him having a 53.27% probability of putting up six.

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⬆️ LaNorris Sellers Over 1.5 passing touchdowns (-102) ⭐⭐⭐

There might not be a more physically gifted quarterback in the country than Sellers, who's beginning to pop up as a top-five pick in most NFL mock drafts ahead of his redshirt sophomore season at South Carolina. While he had a slow start for the Gamecocks last year, he turned up the dial down the stretch and nearly led Shane Beamer's team to the CFP.

Although the 20-year-old finished with just 18 touchdown passes last season, 16 of them came over his final eight games - that included him throwing two-plus in four of his last six games. Sellers got better each week last year and finished top 30 in the country in big-time throw rate (4.9%).

He should keep that trajectory pointing upward against Virginia Tech. The Hokies rank outside the top 35 in SP+ on defense and have to replace their entire starting secondary. If Sellers takes advantage of Virginia Tech's inexperienced defensive backs and throws Over 1.5 touchdowns, a $10 bet pays a $9.80 profit with a 50.5% probability of it happening.

⬇️ Arch Manning Under 239.5 passing yards (-115) ⭐⭐⭐

The hype around Manning is off the charts. He enters the season as the Heisman Trophy odds favorite, despite having just 95 career pass attempts to his name and Texas having to replace its top three pass catchers and four starting offensive linemen from last season.

More than 75% of his collegiate pass attempts came last season against three defenses that finished ranked No. 98 or worse in SP+. Ohio State enters the season sitting No. 3 in SP+ on defense. While the Buckeyes lose a lot from their championship defense, including Jim Knowles, they do return potential All-Americans in Caleb Downs and Sonny Styles.

The Buckeyes held three QBs who made the College Football Playoff - Drew Allar, Kurtis Rourke, and Nico Iamaleava - under 200 passing yards last season, so keeping Manning below 240 seems feasible. Texas could also be without starting wide receiver Emmett Mosley V, and has a two-headed run game that head coach Steve Sarkisian may prefer to lean on as a road team against a top college football championship odds contender.

This prop is best played at bet365, with Manning's passing line set three yards lower (236.5) elsewhere. If Ohio State keeps him Under 239.5 passing yards, which has a 53.49% probability of happening, according to the odds, a $10 bet pays an $8.70 profit.

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🔮 College football Week 1 expert picks

• College football AI predictions
• College football predictions & picks
• College football anytime touchdown scorer predictions
• College football player props
• College football best bets
• College football moneyline parlay
• College football picks against the spread
• College football upset picks
• College football trends that matter

❓College football betting FAQs

What are the best college football player props for Week 1?

My best college football player props for Week 1, based on the top college football odds, are Arch Manning Under 239.5 passing yards (-115), Cade Klubnik Over 34.5 pass attempts (-115), Tommy Castellanos Under 166.5 passing yards (-114), Devon Dampier anytime TD scorer (-115), and LaNorris Sellers Over 1.5 passing touchdowns (-102).

How do college football player props work?

Player props are wagers on individual performances rather than the outcome of the game. Common props include passing yards, rushing yards, receiving yards, and touchdown scorers. For example, if a QB’s passing yards line is set at 250.5, you can bet the Over (251-plus yards) or Under (250 or fewer yards). You can also bet on if a specific player will score a touchdown in the entire game, the first or last touchdown, and more.

You can determine the payouts and implied probabilities for any wager - or convert odds to different formats - with our odds converter.

Where are college player props legal?

Check out our guide to college player prop betting by state to see where college football player props are legal.

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