College Football Awards 2025 Odds, Start Time, Date, TV Schedule and More

The majority of college football's top individual honors will be announced on Friday night.

The Maxwell Award for best individual player, the Bednarik Award for best defensive player and Biletnikoff Award for top wide receiver are among the honors that will be handed out the day before the Heisman Trophy ceremony.

The Maxwell Award typically earns the most attention from the College Football Awards Ceremony because that is usually aligned with which player takes home the Heisman.

College Football Awards Show Info

Date: Friday, December 12

Start Time: 7 p.m. ET

TV: ESPN

Live Stream: ESPN.com and ESPN app

All available award odds can be found on DraftKings Sportsbook.

Full list of finalists can be found here.

Preview

The Maxwell Award is the biggest honor to be handed out on Friday night.

Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza, Ohio State quarterback Julian Sayin and Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love, who are all expected to be Heisman finalists, are up for the award.

The Maxwell is typically a good indicator of which player will win the Heisman, but that has differed in the last two years. Ashton Jeanty and Michael Penix Jr. took home the Maxwell, while Travis Hunter and Jayden Daniels won the Heisman.

Mendoza is the clear-cut Heisman favorite after the Big Ten Championship Game. The throws he made throughout the win over Ohio State should have made the decision easy for voters of both the Maxwell and Heisman.

Love is also up for the Doak Walker Award for most outstanding running back. Love finished in the top five in rushing yards and rushing touchdowns in the FBS.

Missouri's Ahmad Hardy had more yards and Ole Miss' Kewan Lacy had more touchdowns than Love, but neither beat out the Notre Dame running back in most categories.

Ohio State's Jeremiah Smith, who is viewed by some as the top individual talent in college football, is a Biletnikoff Award finalist.

Don't be surprised if the award goes to either UConn's Skyler Bell or USC's Makai Lemon. Bell was second in the FBS in receptions, receiving yards and touchdowns, while Lemon had top six totals in receiving yards and touchdowns.

The Bednarik Award for top defensive player should go to Texas Tech linebacker Jacob Rodriguez.

Rodriguez and the Red Raiders defense turned in a fantastic performance in the Big 12 Championship Game to seal a first-round bye in the College Football Playoff.

Rodriguez forced seven fumbles, recorded four interceptions and six passes defended to go along with his 114 total tackles.

Predictions

Maxwell Award: Fernando Mendoza

Doak Walker Award: Jeremiyah Love

Biletnikoff Award: Skyler Bell

Bednarik Award: Jacob Rodriguez