2025 Heisman Finalists feature some names you might be familiar with
After a full season and conference title games, we now have a clear picture of who can win the Heisman Trophy in 2025. The four finalists have been revealed, and there are some interesting names and surprising players up for college football’s most prestigious award. Here’s who got nominated and the case for each player to come away with some hardware.
Four Heisman finalists speak to parity in college football
Arch Manning was the preseason Heisman favorite. Cade Klubnik and Garrett Nussmeier were not far behind him. Not one of the three ended up as an actual Heisman finalist. Manning, who struggled at times and may not even turn pro after all, is perhaps the closest, but this year’s finalists are not exactly a who’s who of the most notable names.
Last year, Travis Hunter and Ashton Jeanty, two generational players doing historic things, were up for the award, and Hunter’s two-way play earned him the title. Before that, Jayden Daniels, Caleb Williams, and Bryce Young took home the award, and that’s become a who’s who of top young NFL quarterbacks. It remains to be seen what the candidates in this class will become, but they don’t carry the prestige of Daniels, Williams, or Young.
The four finalists are:
- Fernando Mendoza, Indiana QB
- Diego Pavia, Vanderbilt QB
- Jeremiyah Love, Notre Dame RB
- Julian Sayin, Ohio State QB
On first glance, this appears to be Mendoza’s award to lose. He’s probably the best quarterback here, even if the difference between the three is not massive. He’s also the leader of the unbeaten number one Indiana Hoosiers, who just beat a previously unbeaten Ohio State, the defending champs, led by fellow finalist Sayin.
The odds suggest it is in this order from least to most likely: Sayin, Love, Pavia, and Mendoza. Sayin had a good year, but his stats don’t jump off the page despite playing for arguably the best team in the nation. He also got to throw to Jeremiah Smith, the best WR in college, and Carnell Tate, a future first-round draft pick, so he had help that doesn’t bolster his case.
Love was incredible, but he isn’t leading the nation in any rushing stats. He’s fourth in yards, 11th in yards per attempt (but fourth among those with 130+ carries), and third in touchdowns. He was brilliant, but if Jeanty didn’t win it last year with historic stats, then Love’s not going to win it with good but not exceptional numbers.
Pavia has an interesting case. He’s only 15th in passing yards, but he does have more than Mendoza. Sayin topped him there. He completed 71.2% of his passes, too. Sayin was the best in the nation (78.4%) there, too, but Pavia was eighth. He had 27 touchdowns and eight interceptions. Much of his candidacy comes from narrative, as he led a terrible college football program to unprecedented heights. Vanderbilt was ranked 14th in the final CFP poll, which is impressive and is due to Pavia’s arrival and play.
But Mendoza has the best case. He’s the best player on the best team. He leads the finalists in yards, and he has the most touchdowns in the nation with only six interceptions. He’s been excellent, and he’s the betting favorite to win this award and be one of the top selections in next spring’s draft for a good reason.
This was a very interesting year for Heisman candidates, and while that would ordinarily open the door for a non-QB winner, the non-QBs just weren’t that good. Mendoza, to his credit, was very good, and his win will not be an undeserved one.
