Above Image Credit: The Oberlin Review
After months of elite performances and national debate, the 2025 Heisman Trophy ceremony takes center stage Saturday night as college football will honor the most outstanding player of the season.
Three amazing quarterbacks and one exceptional running back will be recognized for their breakthrough performances and achievements throughout the season, but only one will join the annals of college football’s best players in history.
Let’s now take a look at the 2025 Heisman Trophy finalists…
QB Fernando Mendoza, Indiana Hoosiers
The 2025 Davey O’Brien and Maxwell Award winner went on a tear, leading Indiana to an undefeated regular season, its first Big Ten championship title in 58 years, and the #1 spot in the CFP. Mendoza and the Hoosiers will take part in the CFP on New Year’s Day when they face the winner of Alabama vs. Oklahoma in the Rose Bowl.
The Junior from Miami, FL transferred to Indiana from the University of California during the offseason. In his first season there, he completed 71.5 percent (4th in Big Ten) of his passes for 2,980 yards (4th in Big Ten), 33 touchdowns (1st in the nation and Big Ten), and six interceptions.
He is the college’s first Heisman nominee since 1989. This Saturday, Mendoza will attempt to make history again by becoming the first player from the Indiana campus to win the prestigious trophy.
QB Diego Pavia, Vanderbilt Commodores
Pavia has had one incredible season after another even when he was still the quarterback at New Mexico State. However, his run at Vanderbilt has not only gotten the nation’s attention, but it’s brought new light to the campus.
The senior QB led the Commodores to their first 10-win season in school history despite missing the CFP playoff this season. In his second season there, he completed 71.2 percent of his passes (1st in SEC) for 3,192 yards (3rd in SEC), 27 touchdowns (1st in SEC), and eight interceptions.
On New Year’s Eve, he will have one last hurrah when he leads the Commodores against the Iowa Hawkeyes in the ReliaQuest Bowl in Tampa.
Vanderbilt has had an ever-changing two seasons with this man. Can Pavia make more campus history by becoming their first-ever Heisman winner?
RB Jeremiyah Love, Notre Dame Fighting Irish
Nominating Notre Dame’s Love might be the only positive thing coming out of the whirlwind of top stories revolving around the school since being snubbed from the CFP.
In the regular season, the Doak Walker Award winner ran for 1,372 yards (4th in the nation) and made 18 touchdowns (3rd in the nation) in 199 rushing attempts. He’s had touchdowns in 11 straight games. Also, his 21 all-purpose TDs surpassed the school record for most TDs in a season.
Notre Dame’s decisions and words created a chain reaction of events and replies since it chose to stay out of this year’s bowl games. Perhaps Love winning a Heisman will calm the Fighting Irish fans a little? One can only hope.
QB Julian Sayin, Ohio State Buckeyes
From the get-go, Ohio State tore through everyone it came across. It even ended its four-game losing streak to their greatest rivals, the Michigan Wolverines.
Unfortunately, the season ended with a heartbreaking 13-10 loss to Indiana in the Big Ten championship. That first loss dropped them to #2 in the CFP. Now, they will face the winner of Miami vs. Texas A&M at the Cotton Bowl on New Year’s Eve.
Sayin has been the driving force behind the Buckeyes’ meteoric climb to the CFP, and it’s only his first season. The sophomore has the best completion rate (78.4 percent) in college football this season and in FBS history. He also recorded 3,323 yards (2nd in Big Ten), 31 touchdowns (tied for 2nd in the nation), and six interceptions.
Will Sayin become Ohio State’s first player since 2006 to win a Heisman?
Who Will Win the 2025 Heisman Trophy Ceremony?
It’s always a hard decision for me to pick who wins events like this. All four men had amazing seasons. They set school records, won awards, and helped their team reach to levels unimaginable.
Love and Pavia enter the ceremony as underdogs, in my opinion. However, I felt that Love’s achievements in Notre Dame were clouded by the week-long actions and reactions that occurred when the school and its AD went on a tirade.
Pavia, on the other hand, has been phenomenal, but chances of winning the award are a long-shot.
Mendoza and Sayin have been competing to be the best long before meeting in the Big Ten championship. That game was the one that tested who was better, and Mendoza proved to be the one. He’s surprised everyone all season long.
Sayin will have another two seasons to showcase himself even if he loses the trophy. He’s well on his way to becoming another Ohio State great and future NFL star.
So, the player that I believe will win this year’s Heisman is…Fernando Mendoza.
