Fifteen weeks of the FBS season have yielded four final candidates for the 91st Heisman Trophy. After Saturday night, one player will stand alone — holding the historic bronze casting, striking the eternal pose.
This year, three quarterbacks and one running back are vying for college football’s highest individual honor. Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza opens the week as the favorite, but Julian Sayin (Ohio State), Diego Pavia (Vanderbilt) and Jeremiyah Love (Notre Dame) are all worthy of recognition. The results are unveiled in dramatic fashion on Saturday night.
How to watch the 2025 Heisman Trophy Ceremony
ABC is free over the air, and it also streams on ESPN Unlimited.
Saturday’s presentation is on ABC. That network aired the first live Heisman reveal, which was Marcus Allen’s 1981 win. One year later on ABC came the current format, with the finalists gathering together in New York for a televised ceremony. This 2025 installment takes place in the Appel Room, a cornerstone of Manhattan’s Lincoln Center that overlooks Central Park.
Chris Fowler returns as the night’s host for the 32nd year. He’ll be joined by “College GameDay” mainstay Rece Davis, two ESPN college football reporters (Holly Rowe, Marty Smith) and three former Heisman winners (Andre Ware, Desmond Howard and Tim Tebow). Ware was the first Black quarterback to claim the award after his dominant 1989 season with the Houston Cougars. Howard earned the honor in 1991, when the Michigan Wolverine immortalized his standing with “The Pose” punt return touchdown. Tebow popularized a pose of his own in 2007 while quarterbacking the Florida Gators. He was the first sophomore to win the award, though two more sophomores immediately followed him (Oklahoma’s Sam Bradford in 2008, Alabama’s Mark Ingram in 2009).
Mendoza helped deliver Indiana its first outright Big Ten championship since 1945. He led his Hoosiers, college football’s longtime floor for futility, to an unthinkable 13-0 record and the No. 1 seed in the College Football Playoff. The redshirt junior transferred from Cal in the offseason; Dane Brugler has him at No. 1 in The Athletic’s latest NFL mock draft.
In the Big Ten, Mendoza was matched almost step for step by Ohio State redshirt freshman Julian Sayin. Mendoza led the nation in touchdown passes (33), while Sayin paced the pack in completion percentage (78.4) and passer efficiency (182.05).
Pavia joined Vanderbilt in 2024 after a pair of seasons at New Mexico State. The senior anchored his 10-win Commodores through their best campaign ever, and his dual-threat dynamics propelled him to No. 2 in FBS yards per game (334.8).
Love, the lone skill position finalist, put up more than 1,600 scrimmage yards on remarkable efficiency. Notre Dame’s junior bellwether has been consistent across his college career — 17 rushing touchdowns and 6.9 yards per carry last year, 18 rushing touchdowns and 6.9 yards per carry this year. Love tries to become the first Heisman-winning running back since Derrick Henry a decade ago.
Last 15 Heisman Trophy winners
2024: Travis Hunter, Colorado, WR/CB
2023: Jayden Daniels, LSU, QB
2022: Caleb Williams, USC, QB
2021: Bryce Young, Alabama, QB
2020: DeVonta Smith, Alabama, WR
2019: Joe Burrow, LSU, QB
2018: Kyler Murray, Oklahoma, QB
2017: Baker Mayfield, Oklahoma, QB
2016: Lamar Jackson, Louisville, QB
2015: Derrick Henry, Alabama, RB
2014: Marcus Mariota, Oregon, QB
2013: Jameis Winston, Florida State, QB
2012: Johnny Manziel, Texas A&M, QB
2011: Robert Griffin III, Baylor, QB
2010: Cam Newton, Auburn, QB
Heisman histories for each program
Ohio State has produced six winners and seven total Heisman campaigns, as running back Archie Griffin went back-to-back in 1974-75. Quarterback Troy Smith was the last Buckeye to lift the trophy with his 2006 breakthrough. Fellow QBs Dwayne Haskins (2018), Justin Fields (2019) and C.J. Stroud (2022) each placed third in the past decade. Stroud finished fourth in 2021, while edge rusher Chase Young (2019) and receiver Marvin Harrison Jr. (2023) were other recent finalists.
Notre Dame also has seven Heisman recipients across its program tenure. Wide receiver Tim Brown (1987) was the most recent Fighting Irish winner. Linebacker Manti Te’o was the 2012 runner-up.
Indiana is going for its first Heisman behind Mendoza’s candidacy. Running back Anthony Thompson previously came closest to the top, with the second-most votes back in 1989.
Vanderbilt is also aiming for its maiden Heisman. Pavia is the first Commodore ever with a top-five finish.
Streaming links in this article are provided by partners of The Athletic. Restrictions may apply. The Athletic maintains full editorial independence. Partners have no control over or input into the reporting or editing process, and do not review stories before publication.