12 weeks into the 2025 college football season, the Heisman Trophy race remains wide open. While it’s shaping up to be a four-man battle, no clear favorite has emerged. As the season barrels toward its final stretch, the spotlight grows brighter each week.
The Indiana Hoosiers’ quarterback delivered a final drive for the ages last Saturday on the road against the Penn State Nittany Lions. He found junior wide receiver Omar Cooper Jr. for a touchdown with 36 seconds left, sealing the comeback win. Mendoza’s play for much of the game was inconsistent, especially against a 3-6 Penn State team. Still, his poise and resilience on that final drive impressed oddsmakers, which vaulted him ahead of the Ohio State Buckeyes’ quarterback Julian Sayin.
Mendoza boasts a total of 2,342 passing yards, along with 26 touchdowns and five interceptions. He has also led Indiana to a remarkable 10-0 record under head coach Curt Cignetti. The former Cal Golden Bears quarterback has not only impressed Heisman Trophy voters, but also NFL scouts. Mendoza is the projected number one pick in the upcoming NFL Draft for most analysts.
Many see the Hoosiers’ quarterback as the frontrunner for the award, though others believe his Big Ten Championship performance will ultimately be the deciding factor. The projected matchup would currently have No. 2 Indiana taking on No. 1 Ohio State in Indianapolis. Obviously, with three weeks to play, that could change, but judging on how both squads have fared in Big Ten play so far, the matchup seems all too likely.
Mendoza may not need to lead Indiana to a win in that game, but he can’t afford to shrink under the spotlight. Heisman voting runs from Dec. 1 to Dec. 8, and with the Big Ten Championship on Dec. 6, voters will undoubtedly weigh that performance heavily.
The Buckeyes’ quarterback has been nothing short of lights out in this 2025 campaign. The 20-year-old has thrown for 2,491 yards, 24 touchdowns, and four interceptions. Sayin also leads the nation in completion percentage at 80.9%.
He’s coming off a sharp performance against the Purdue Boilermakers last Saturday, completing 27 of 33 passes for 303 yards, one touchdown, and one interception in a road win. In his first season as Ohio State’s starter, he’s guided the Buckeyes to a 9-0 record and the nation’s No. 1 ranking.
Like Mendoza’s, Sayin’s Heisman case will hinge on how he performs down the stretch. That starts with The Game against the Michigan Wolverines on Nov. 29 and the possible matchup with Indiana in the Big Ten Championship. The Buckeyes’ relatively weak schedule has led some analysts to question both the team’s and Sayin’s résumés, but the coming weeks provide plenty of opportunities to silence the doubters.
After a 0-1 start, Simpson has steered the Alabama Crimson Tide back to the nation’s No. 4 spot and into the driver’s seat for the SEC Championship Game. The Alabama quarterback has tallied 2,461 yards, 21 touchdowns, and only one interception through nine games. He’s also added two more scores on the ground.
Simpson is coming off a solid performance in a rivalry game against the LSU Tigers at home last Saturday. In this contest, he completed 21 of 35 passes for 277 yards and one touchdown.
The Crimson Tide quarterback has also played himself into a potential first-round draft choice in the upcoming NFL Draft in April. Simpson is widely regarded as the second-ranked quarterback in this class, though some analysts argue he deserves the top spot over Fernando Mendoza.
Simpson has had plenty of chances to impress Heisman voters this season against quality opponents, and he’s taken full advantage. The Crimson Tide have earned then-ranked wins over the No. 5 Georgia Bulldogs and No. 11 Tennessee Volunteers. They have also beaten the No. 14-ranked Missouri Tigers and No. 16 Vanderbilt Commodores. Alabama’s next test comes this Saturday at Bryant-Denny Stadium against the No. 11-ranked Oklahoma Sooners.
As things stand, Alabama is in prime position for a SEC Championship clash with the No. 3-ranked Texas A&M Aggies on Dec. 6 in Atlanta.
Somewhere lost in the debris of this Heisman race stands Texas A&M quarterback Marcel Reed. Reed has had a very quality season for the Aggies, leading them to a dominant 9-0 record and first place in the SEC.
Reed has passed for 2,193 yards, 19 touchdowns, and six interceptions while adding 378 rushing yards and six scores on the ground. He’s fresh off a 20-of-29, 221-yard, two-touchdown performance at No. 22 Missouri last Saturday. The Aggies’ quarterback also helped deliver one of the season’s standout wins, beating the No. 8-ranked Notre Dame Fighting Irish on the road on Sept. 13.
Like the other candidates, Reed will have his opportunities to prove his case. Texas A&M faces rival No. 10-ranked Texas Longhorns on the road on Nov. 28 and could face No. 4-ranked Alabama in Atlanta on Dec. 6.
All in all, the Heisman race is going to come down to the wire and be one of the most exciting finishes in recent history. There is still a ton of meaningful football to be played down the stretch, and a ton of performances that will fluctuate the odds.
If I were a Heisman voter, Ohio State quarterback Julian Sayin would be number one on my ballot as things currently stand. He’s the only candidate without a down game so far, and his best performances have been nothing short of spectacular. On top of that, he’s leading the No. 1-ranked team and defending national champions to an even stronger offensive season than last year.
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