Making the Case for Every 2025 Heisman Trophy Finalist
The votes are cast, and the 2025 Heisman Trophy race is down to four players.
In no particular order, this season's finalists are Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza, Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love, Ohio State QB Julian Sayin and Vanderbilt QB Diego Pavia.
Mendoza is the betting favorite, but Love and Pavia certainly have plenty of public support. Sayin, clearly, was outstanding this year, too.
Now, the question you care about: Who will take home the hardware?
Each of the following sections offers both subjective and objective reasons a player has a chance to bring home the prestigious award. Stats and historical trends also factor into the conversation.
Fernando Mendoza, QB, Indiana
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The front-runner for the Heisman throughout the last month-plus of the regular season, Fernando Mendoza has a compelling résumé.
First, he's a quarterback. Voters traditionally favor QBs—seven of the last 10 winners played the position, 15 of the last 20, and so on. You might not love the lean toward QBs, but a trend is a trend.
Second, he's the QB of the nation's only 13-0 team and a Big Ten champion. Team success has always been a notable part of voting results.
Third, he finished with 2,960 passing yards at 9.4 per attempt (second in the FBS) with 33 touchdowns (first) to only six interceptions. He also chipped in 240 yards and six scores on the ground.
Blend all that together, and Mendoza has a clear Heisman-worthy case.
Jeremiyah Love, RB, Notre Dame
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What he lacked in signature moments, Jeremiyah Love atoned for with relentless consistency and a penchant for explosive plays.
The Notre Dame star scampered for 1,372 yards and 18 touchdowns, both of which closed the regular season as top-four totals nationally. He also reeled in 27 passes for 280 yards and three more scores.
Not only did Love collect 110-plus scrimmage yards in nine contests, but he also scored at least once in every game except the opening loss to Miami.
The 20-year-old also co-led the country with seven rushes of 40-plus yards.
Notre Dame won 10 straight games and positioned itself to make the College Football Playoff in large part because of Love's impact.
Fun fact: Since the inception of the Heisman in 1935, a running back has hoisted the trophy in every year ending in a "5."
Julian Sayin, QB, Ohio State
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I'll say the quiet part out loud: Julian Sayin is unlikely to win.
Nevertheless, the Ohio State signal-caller has commanded respect on ballots after a hyper-efficient year. He paced the FBS with a 78.4 completion rate and ranked fifth at 9.3 yards per attempt.
Looking at total numbers, Sayin tied for second nationally with 31 touchdown passes and ranked 11th for his 3,329 passing yards.
Ohio State also rattled off a 12-1 campaign, only falling to Indiana in the Big Ten Championship Game.
Sayin checks the individual and team boxes, without a doubt.
The reality, of course, is that he's facing a head-to-head comparison with the player and team—Mendoza and IU—that beat him just hours before ballots were due. The first-year starter still had a tremendous season, though.
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
Diego Pavia, QB, Vanderbilt
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Should we call him the people's winner? It would not be surprising if the national popular vote landed on Diego Pavia.
The stats are fantastic, and we'll get to those.
The additional boost in Pavia's favor, though, is the story. Vanderbilt has been an SEC bottom-feeder for, well, essentially forever. He guided the Commodores to the program's first-ever 10-win season (and six-win SEC record).
It's no overstatement to say the 23-year-old is already a Vandy legend.
He notched top-15 national ranks in completion rate (71.2; eighth), passing yards (3,192; 15th) and touchdowns (27; ninth), also running for 826 yards and nine touchdowns. He finished third in the FBS with 4,018 total offensive yards.
What hurts Pavia's case is not having a "Heisman moment" against a truly elite team. His appeal is more rooted in the context of Vandy.
Yet that is a very compelling case.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
