The 2025 college football regular season has come to a close and the conference championships are right around the corner. While a few players have had stellar seasons, no single player has separated themselves as the clear frontrunner to win the Heisman.
The lack of an obvious winner has made for one of the closest Heisman races in recent memory. Let’s take a look at the top four candidates to take home the trophy, in no particular order.
TOP NEWS
Julian Sayin, QB Ohio State
Joseph Maiorana — IMAGN IMAGES
As the leader of arguably the best team in college football, Julian Sayin is still the most obvious answer for the voters. Not only has he led the Buckeyes to a perfect record thus far, he’s completed 79% of his throws this season.
He’s recorded over 3,000 passing yards this season with 30 touchdowns and just five interceptions.
His head-to-head matchup against fellow contender Fernando Mendoza and Indiana in the Big Ten Championship will be a major factor in the race.
Fernando Mendoza, QB Indiana
Tommy Gilligan — IMAGN IMAGES
Speaking of the Hoosiers, Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza is the other Big Ten candidate to win the Heisman. He led Indiana to a perfect regular season while being the second most efficient QB in the country.
Much like Sayin, his season hasn’t been a once-in-a-lifetime campaign, but it’s been consistently elite.
With 2,758 yards, 32 touchdowns and five interceptions, he’s got the stats to back up his case. An insane final drive against Penn State boosted Mendoza’s odds, but the Heisman winner may ultimately be determined by the outcome of the Big Ten title game.
Diego Pavia, QB Vanderbilt
Angelica Alcantar — IMAGN IMAGES
Out of all the candidates for the Heisman, Diego Pavia’s season may have been the most dynamic. He recorded an impressive total of 3,192 yards while throwing for 27 touchdowns and eight interceptions.
He was the catalyst for the greatest regular season in Vanderbilt history, finishing with a 10-2 record and further polishing his case for the award.
Pavia has jumped into the heat of the race near the end of the season and public supports online is as high for Pavia as it is for anyone.
If none of the candidates playing during championship weekend play well, Pavia has a solid chance of winning the Heisman.
Jeremiyah Love, RB Notre Dame
Michael Caterina — IMAGN IMAGES
As the best runningback in the nation, Jeremiyah Love put on a spectacular regular season. He put up strong stats of 1,652 scrimmage yards and 21 total touchdowns while leading Notre Dame to a 10-2 record to finish at No. 10 in the AP Poll.
Unfortunately, an injury in last week’s victory over Stanford may have weakened his chances of winning.
His unbelievable stat-lines caught attention later in the season, but without a championship game to make his case in, it’s unlikely he’ll beat the candidates that are playing in title games.
Regardless, Love had arguably the best season of any non-quarterback in the country and should receive a few first-place votes at the very least.
This is one of the toughest Heisman races in years as no single candidate has been generational, making it nearly impossible to predict who will take home the hardware.
James Parker is a sports writer for Ball Exclusives, follow him on X @TheJames_Parker
