
Weeks of speculation and debate culminated in the Heisman Trophy presentation at Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Appel Room in New York City. Finalists, coaches, former recipients, the top ten contenders, and their families joined the Heisman Trust to await the announcement on the trophy’s 90th year.
An estimated 3 million people tuned in to watch the ceremony. This continues a post-pandemic trend of increased viewership and interest in the Heisman Trophy.
In 2025, 10 young men were the top Heisman Trophy contenders.
Fernando Mendoza (QB, Indiana): 2,392 points (643 first-place votes)
Diego Pavia (QB, Vanderbilt): 1,435 points (189 first-place votes)
Jeremiyah Love (RB, Notre Dame): 719 points (46 first-place votes)
Julian Sayin (QB, Ohio State): 432 points (8 first-place votes)
Fifth-place Texas Tech senior linebacker Jacob Rodriguez
Sixth-place Ohio State sophomore wide receiver Jeremiah Smith
Seventh-place Georgia junior quarterback Gunner Stockton
Eighth-place Mississippi senior quarterback Trinidad Chambliss
Ninth-place Ohio State junior safety Caleb Downs
10th-place Georgia Tech senior quarterback Haynes King.
Ultimately, Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza hoisted the trophy. Delivering an emotional speech, he dedicated the award to his mother and expressed deep gratitude to his teammates and coaches.
When the first-place votes were tallied, Mendoza received 400 more votes than the other three finalists combined. Many predicted his success, and securing the Big 10 Championship cemented him as the Heisman favorite.
Mendoza’s ability to turn the Hoosier football program around and his compelling underdog story also contributed to his win. In addition to the Heisman Trophy, Mendoza collected other awards this season, including,
At its inception nine decades ago, the Heisman Trophy’s purpose was to recognize and honor the most outstanding college football player. More specifically, a player who plays with great ability, diligence, perseverance, and hard work. All these qualities are difficult to pin down, leaving a great deal of room for interpretation.
The Heisman’s subjective voting criteria and other factors draw criticism from numerous sources.
While it is not a perfect system for determining the best of the best in college football, its entertainment value and financial production will keep the Heisman Trophy around, relevance be damned.

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