It is that time of the fall again.
Time to take a look at what college football players have set themselves apart, and put themselves in contention for the Heisman Trophy.
As the schedule reaches Week 9, here are SB Nation’s top ten candidates for the 2025 Heisman Trophy, ranked.
1. Fernando Mendoza, QB, Indiana
Indiana’s dream season rolled on with a 38-13 win over Michigan State, and in victory, quarterback Fernando Mendoza connected on 24-of-28 passes for 332 yards and four touchdowns.
On the season, Mendoza has completed 73.5% of his passes for 1,755 yards and 21 touchdowns, against just two interceptions. He is tied for the national lead in touchdown passes, and his Passing Efficiency mark of 191.01 tops all collegiate passers.
Mendoza also has a signature win — Indiana’s road victory over Oregon, where he completed 20-of-31 passes for 215 yards, a touchdown, and an interception — and could add an exclamation point to his Heisman resume with a strong performance in the Big Ten Championship Game.
Should the Hoosiers make it there, of course.
2. Ty Simpson, QB, Alabama
Here comes the Crimson Tide.
After stumbling out of the gate with a loss to Florida State, Alabama has roared back into title contention with six straight wins, four of those coming over ranked opponents. Last week, it was Tennessee, and as cigar smoke slowly wafted above Saban Field at Bryant-Denny Stadium, quarterback Ty Simpson’s night had come to a close with a win.
And more lines had been added to his Heisman resume.
Simpson connected on 19-of-29 passes for 253 yards and a pair of touchdowns in the win over Tennessee, and during Alabama’s four-game stretch of wins over ranked opponents, the Crimson Tide passer has been nearly perfect, completing 69% of his throws for 1,069 yards and nine touchdowns, with just one interception.
He will also get the benefit of more marquee games remaining on Alabama’s schedule, as the Crimson Tide hosts both LSU and Oklahoma in early November, and a potential berth in the SEC Championship Game.
3. Diego Pavia, QB, Vanderbilt
Diego Pavia’s upstart Heisman campaign took a big hit in Week 6, when the Commodores lost to Alabama.
But that campaign got a jolt this past weekend, when Vanderbilt knocked off LSU by a final score of 31-24. In the win, Pavia threw for a touchdown and ran for two more, bringing his season total to 19 total touchdowns.
Pavia also has a few more chances at a statement performance, starting this weekend when the Commodores host No. 15 Missouri. Vanderbilt also has games with Texas and Tennessee remaining, giving Pavia a few more cracks at impressing the Heisman voters.
Plus, his is an incredible story, and voters love a good story.
4. Marcel Reed, QB, Texas A&M
The Aggies have, somewhat quietly, risen to No. 3 in the nation. Right now their biggest win is their 41-40 victory over Notre Dame, but the schedule gets tougher from here on out, starting with a date at LSU this weekend. Texas A&M then takes on Missouri in Columbia next weekend, and they finish the season with their annual date with the Longhorns on the Friday night after Thanksgiving.
Those three games give quarterback Marcel Reed a chance to write his own Heisman story. On the season, Reed has completed 61.9% of his throws for 15 touchdowns and four interceptions, while adding another four rushing touchdowns. In the early-season win over the Fighting Irish, Reed threw for a pair of touchdowns, and if the Aggies continue to rise in the rankings, his Heisman candidacy will only grow in stature.
5. Julian Sayin, QB, Ohio State
At the moment, the Buckeyes are the No. 1 team in the nation.
And when you are the quarterback of the No. 1 team in the nation, your Heisman candidacy is guaranteed.
But that is not to diminish what Sayin has done this season. The Ohio State quarterback is coming off arguably his best performance of the season, a four-touchdown effort against Wisconsin in a 34-0 win. On the year Sayin has thrown for 19 touchdowns against just three interceptions, and has completed a staggering 80% of his passes.
And in Ohio State’s two wins over ranked opponents this year (the season-opening victory against Texas and a win over Illinois earlier this month), Sayin completed 32-of-47 passes for 292 yards and three touchdowns, without an interception.
What could work against him is Ohio State’s schedule, as the Buckeyes will not see another ranked opponent until the Saturday after Thanksgiving, and their annual date with Michigan. But strong performances against the Wolverines and in a potential Big Ten Championship Game could still be enough to sway voters in his direction.
6. Gunner Stockton, QB, Georgia
Perhaps the biggest game on the Week 8 slate was the clash between Georgia and Mississippi.
And with the Bulldogs emerging victorious, Gunner Stockton’s Heisman hopes were given a huge boost.
Stockton threw four touchdown passes in Georgia’s 43-35 victory, giving the Bulldogs QB ten touchdown passes on the season to go with his seven rushing touchdowns. He has also been almost flawless in SEC play, as he has completed 71.1% of his passes for 1,136 yards and eight touchdowns, with just one interception, against conference foes.
Stockton has also been impressive against ranked opponents, completing 75.6% of his throws for 723 yards and seven touchdowns against teams ranked in the AP Top 25.
Georgia takes on Texas in mid-November, which will give Stockton a big stage to add to his resume. But the season finale against Haynes King and Georgia Tech could be the biggest stage he has left.
7. Haynes King, QB, Georgia Tech
Yes, the Yellow Jackets are ranked inside the Top 10, as Georgia Tech now sits at No. 7 in the AP Top 25. Last week’s win over Duke moved Georgia Tech to 7-0 for the first time since Bobby Dodd was on the sideline, when the Yellow Jackets started with seven wins to open the 1966 campaign.
Their current ranking is also the highest Georgia Tech has risen in that poll since 2009.
All of this makes Haynes King a true Heisman contender, as the Georgia Tech QB continues to find ways to lead the Yellow Jackets to wins. Last week against the Blue Devils, King ran for 120 yards and a touchdown on 14 carries, and over the course of the season, King has scored ten touchdowns on the ground, along with four through the air.
And if Georgia Tech finishes the year with a win over Georgia? Watch his Heisman candidacy rocket into the stratosphere.
8. Jeremiyah Love, RB, Notre Dame
Yes, we have moved to the “non-quarterback” portion of the list.
Topping that tier is Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love. After tumbling in the rankings due to losses against Miami and Texas A&M to open the season, the Fighting Irish are back up to No. 12 after last week’s win over USC.
A game that saw Love run for a career-best 228 yards (on 24 carries) and a touchdown.
Over the season, Love has gained 758 yards on 124 carries (an average of 6.1 yards per attempt) and scored nine touchdowns, helping keep Notre Dame in the mix for a playoff spot. They’ll need to win out to have any hope of a playoff berth, and at the moment, Notre Dame does not have a ranked opponent left on the schedule.
But if Navy keeps winning, one might appear ahead of their annual tilt in early November.
9. Ahmad Hardy, RB, Missouri
Jeremiyah Love is not the only running back to watch in the Heisman race. Missouri’s Ahmad Hardy is third in the nation in rushing yards, third in the nation in rushing yards per game, and second in rushing touchdowns.
And the Tigers are currently ranked tenth in the nation.
He will get a big stage this weekend, as Missouri visits Diego Pavia and Vanderbilt on Saturday afternoon. But that is not the only chance for Hardy to bolster his Heisman resume. The Tigers have both Texas A&M and Oklahoma remaining on their schedule, giving the running back a few more opportunities to impress the voters.
10. Rueben Bain Jr., DE, Miami
For a few years now, we here at SB Nation have been trying to jumpstart a defensive player’s chances at the Heisman trophy.
This year, Miami pass rusher Rueben Bain Jr. is that player.
While the counting stats are nowhere near his numbers from 2023, when he recorded 7.5 sacks. Bain is a force along Miami’s defensive front, and according to charting data from Pro Football Focus, he has recorded 31 pressures and 25 quarterback hurries, often while working through both a chip and a block, if not a true double-team.
Miami’s ranking took a tumble after last week’s loss to Louisville, but the Hurricanes are still in the College Football Playoff mix.
And Bain is a huge reason why.
