The firm grip by quarterbacks on the Heisman Trophy is about to return after a one-year absence.
When the 2025 Heisman winner is announced on Dec. 13, the trophy almost certainly will end up in the hands of a quarterback. That’s not really anything new, considering only three non-quarterbacks have won college football’s most prestigious award since 2010. But Colorado defensive back Travis Hunter was a rare exception when he picked up the award last year. Barring something outrageous happening in the final weeks of the regular season, this year’s winner will be a signal caller.
The list of fan-favorite candidates for this year’s award is made up almost entirely of quarterbacks. Here’s a look at guys that could be on pace to come away with the Heisman:
TY SIMPSON, ALABAMA, QUARTERBACK
Since a season-opening loss to Florida State, the junior has been the model of efficiency and the Crimson Tide has been surging. — especially in the last four weeks. In consecutive weeks, Simpson has guided Alabama to wins over four Top 25 teams — Georgia, Vanderbilt, Missouri and Tennessee. In seven games this season, Simpson has completed 70.2 percent of his passes, thrown for 18 touchdowns and has been intercepted only once Those numbers alone make him a legitimate Heisman candidate. But the fact that Simpson plays at perhaps the highest-profile program in the country greatly increases his chances of winning. Three of the last 10 Heisman winners (running back Derrick Henry in 2015, receiver Devona Smith in 2020 and quarterback Brice Young in 2021) have played for Alabama.
FERNANDO MENDOZA, INDIANA, QUARTERBACK
No potential Heisman winner has had a more rapid rise than this junior and he’s helped the surprising Hoosiers become of this season’s biggest success stories. After two rather ordinary seasons as the University of California-Berkley, Mendoza transferred to Indiana. In Bloomington, Mendoza has blossomed in under coach Curt Cignetti and has made a lot of people realize Indiana might be more than just a storied basketball school. The Hoosiers are 7-0 with wins against two Top 10 opponents. Mendoza has completed a whopping 73.5 percent of his passes while throwing for 21 touchdowns with only two interceptions. Mendoza has a realistic chance to lead the Hoosiers to an undefeated regular season and a playoff berth as Indiana closes out its schedule with games against UCLA, Maryland, Penn State, Wisconsin and Purdue.
JUSTIN SAYIN, OHIO STATE QUARTERBACK
Although he initially enrolled at Alabama, Sayin has burst onto the scene in his first season as the starter in Columbus. Sure, it helps that he’s playing for the nation’s top-ranked team. But Sayin’s numbers alone would put him in any conversation about the Heisman Trophy. While completing an almost-unheard of 80 percent of his passes, Sayin has thrown for 19 touchdowns with only three interceptions. And the best news of all is that Sayin seems to be getting better as the season goes on. He’s coming off the best game of his career, a 34-0 victory against Wisconsin last Saturday in which he threw for 393 yards and four touchdowns. Sayin hasn’t thrown an interception since Week 3 of the regular season. And Ohio State’s remaining regular-season schedule isn’t particularly daunting, although how Sayin performs in the Nov. 29 game against arch-rival Michigan will have a large impact on how Heisman voters view him.
MARCEL REED, TEXAS A&M, QUARTERBACK
Reed worked his way onto this list with what coach Mike Elko called the best game of the sophomore’s career in a 45-42 victory against Arkansas last Saturday. Reed completed 23 of 32 passes for 280 yards. His deep passing game has improved dramatically in recent weeks and he’s helped bring more excitement than College Station has seen in years. The Aggies are 7-0 for the first time since 1994. But how Reed performs in Saturday’s game at LSU will go a long way in determining where he ends up in the Heisman voting. The last time Texas A&M defeated the Tigers in Baton Rouge also was in 1994.
CARSON BECK, MIAMI, QUARTERBACK
Once upon a time — like only a week ago — Beck would have been near the top of this list. But that all changed with Saturday’s four-interception, no-touchdown game in an ugly 24-21 loss to Louisville that dropped the Hurricanes from the unbeaten ranks. On the season, Beck has thrown for 11 touchdowns and seven interceptions. To get back into strong Heisman contention, Beck needs to bounce back with a strong finish to the regular season. That’s not totally out of the realm of possibility since none of Miami’s six remaining opponents are currently ranked.
GUNNER STOCKTON, GEORGIA, QB
The junior first-year starter seemed to fall out of Heisman contention with a mid-season stretch in which his numbers were far from prolific. But he jumped back into the conversation Saturday with a four-touchdown, 289-yard performance (while also running for a touchdown) in a huge Bulldogs’ win over Mississippi. To climb up the list, Stockton needs a big game Saturday against a Florida team that will be playing for interim coach Billy Gonzales and next week against Mississippi State. After that, the schedule gets tough with the 6-1 Bulldogs playing ranked teams (Texas and Georgia Tech) in two of their final three regular-season games.
DIEGO PAVIA, VANDERBILT, QB
Pavia is a bit of a long shot to win the Heisman but he has perhaps the best backstory among the contenders. At 24, Pavia is on his third school after spending time at New Mexico Military and New Mexico State. In Vanderbilt’s surprising 6-1 start, Pavia has emerged as a dual-threat quarterback. He’s completed 70.5 percent of his passes with 15 touchdowns and just four interceptions. Pavia also has rushed for 438 yards and four touchdowns. But, to become a strong candidate, Pavia needs a big finish to the regular season, including games against Missouri, Texas and Tennessee.
JERIMIAH SMITH, OHIO STATE, WR
Smith is the only non-quarterback on this list and faces a tough road to win the Heisman. If Smith were at any other school, he might be among the favorites. But he plays for Ohio State and Sayin is getting an overwhelming amount of attention out of Columbus. Still, the 19-year-old sophomore at least deserves mention. He had an outstanding freshman season with 76 catches for 1,315 yards and 15 touchdowns and has 49 receptions for 602 yards and seven touchdowns so far this year. It might not happen in 2025, but Smith has an excellent chance of winning the Heisman before his time at Ohio State ends.
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