This college football season saw no shortage of inspiring performances on the field. This Saturday in New York, we’ll find out who is crowned the best player in the sport when the 2025 Heisman Trophy winner is announced.
The Heisman Trophy is the most prestigious award in college football, given to the most outstanding player in the nation. For the seventh year in a row, four athletes have been named finalists. This year’s selection panel totaled 930 voters, including 870 members of the media, 59 Heisman Trophy winners and one vote chosen by fans.
Here’s everything you need to know about this year’s Heisman Trophy.
Who are the 2025 Heisman Trophy Finalists?
This year, the finalists for the Heisman Trophy are Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love, Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza, Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia, and Ohio State quarterback Julian Sayin.
Love is a junior and the only running back to be named a finalist. He ended the regular season with the fourth-most rushing yards nationally at 1,372 and 18 rushing touchdowns. This season, he scored 21 touchdowns, surpassing the school record previously held by Jerome Bettis. Love has racked up a total of 42 touchdowns in his three years there.
Mendoza, a redshirt junior, was named the 2025 Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year and Big Ten Quarterback of the Year. 2025 was his first year as a Hoosier after transferring from California, and he led the team to a 13–0 record, the 2025 Big Ten Championship, and the program’s first-ever No. 1 ranking. Mendoza threw for 2,980 yards this season and racked up the most touchdown passes in the nation with 33.
Pavia is a senior in his second year as a Commodore. In a huge step up over an already incredible first year, Pavia took home the 2025 Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award. He threw for a school-record 3,192 yards and 27 touchdowns, tied for eighth in the nation. He’s also quick on his feet, rushing for 826 yards and nine touchdowns. That includes a season-best 165-yard game in the finale against rival Tennessee. Pavia’s efforts in 2025 earned Vanderbilt its first-ever 10-win season.
Sayin is a sophomore in his first year as the starting quarterback for Ohio State. Following last season’s national championship run, Sayin had some big shoes to fill with last season’s quarterback, Will Howard, leaving for the NFL. Sayin filled them admirably, leading the Buckeyes to a 12–1 record, snapping the team’s four-game losing streak against rival Michigan in a decisive 27–9 victory, and throwing for 3,329 yards and 31 touchdowns. With Sayin under center, Ohio State held the No. 1 ranking for most of the season and claimed the No. 2 seed in the College Football Playoff.
When will the 2025 Heisman Trophy winner be announced?
The winner of the 2025 Heisman Trophy will be announced in New York City on Saturday, December 13.
What time is the 2025 Heisman Trophy ceremony?
The ceremony begins at 7p ET.
How do I watch the 2025 Heisman Trophy Ceremony?
The ceremony will air on ABC.
Heisman Trophy past winners list:
2024 — Travis Hunter, Colorado Buffaloes
2023 — Jayden Daniels, LSU Tigers
2022 — Caleb Williams, USC Trojans
2021 — Bryce Young, Alabama Crimson Tide
2020 — DeVonta Smith, Alabama Crimson Tide
2019 — Joe Burrow, LSU Tigers
2018 — Kyler Murray, Oklahoma Sooners
2017 — Baker Mayfield, Oklahoma Sooners
2016 — Lamar Jackson, Louisville Cardinals
2015 — Derrick Henry, Alabama Crimson Tide
2014 — Marcus Mariota, Oregon Ducks
2013 — Jameis Winston, Florida State Seminoles
2012 — Johnny Manziel, Texas A&M Aggies
2011 — Robert Griffin III, Baylor Bears
2010 — Cam Newton, Auburn Tigers
2009 — Mark Ingram, Alabama Crimson Tide
2008 — Sam Bradford, Oklahoma Sooners
2007 — Tim Tebow, Florida Gators
2006 — Troy Smith, Ohio State Buckeyes
2005 — Reggie Bush, USC Trojans (forfeited for NCAA violations)
2004 — Matt Leinart, USC Trojans
2003 — Jason White, Oklahoma Sooners
2002 — Carson Palmer, USC Trojans
2001 — Eric Crouch, Nebraska Cornhuskers
2000 — Chris Weinke, Florida State Seminoles
1999 — Ron Dayne, Wisconsin Badgers
1998 — Ricky Williams, Texas Longhorns
1997 — Charles Woodson, Michigan Wolverines
1996 — Danny Wuerffel, Florida Gators
1995 — Eddie George, Ohio State Buckeyes
1994 — Rashaan Salaam, Colorado Buffaloes
1993 — Charlie Ward, Florida State Seminoles
1992 — Gino Torretta, Miami Hurricanes
1991 — Desmond Howard, Michigan Wolverines
1990 — Ty Detmer, BYU Cougars
1989 — Andre Ware, Houston Cougars
1988 — Barry Sanders, Oklahoma State Cowboys
1987 — Tim Brown, Notre Dame Fighting Irish
1986 — Vinny Testaverde, Miami Hurricanes
1985 — Bo Jackson, Auburn Tigers
1984 — Doug Flutie, Boston College Eagles
1983 — Mike Rozier, Nebraska Cornhuskers
1982 — Herschel Walker, Georgia Bulldogs
1981 — Marcus Allen, USC Trojans
1980 — George Rogers, South Carolina Gamecocks
1979 — Charles White, USC Trojans
1978 — Billy Sims, Oklahoma Sooners
1977 — Earl Campbell, Texas Longhorns
1976 — Tony Dorsett, Pittsburgh Panthers
1975 — Archie Griffin, Ohio State Buckeyes
1974 — Archie Griffin, Ohio State Buckeyes
1973 — John Cappelletti, Penn State Nittany Lions
1972 — Johnny Rodgers, Nebraska Cornhuskers
1971 — Pat Sullivan, Auburn Tigers
1970 — Jim Plunkett, Stanford Cardinal
1969 — Steve Owens, Oklahoma Sooners
1968 — O.J. Simpson, USC Trojans
1967 — Gary Beban, UCLA Bruins
1966 — Steve Spurrier, Florida Gators
1965 — Mike Garrett, USC Trojans
1964 — John Huarte, Notre Dame
1963 — Roger Staubach, Navy Midshipmen
1962 — Terry Baker, Oregon State Beavers
1961 — Ernie Davis, Syracuse Orange
1960 — Joe Bellino, Navy Midshipmen
1959 — Billy Cannon, LSU Tigers
1958 — Pete Dawkins, Army Black Knights
1957 — John David Crow, Texas A&M
1956 — Paul Hornung, Notre Dame Fighting Irish
1955 — Howard Cassady, Ohio State Buckeyes
1954 — Alan Ameche, Wisconsin Badgers
1953 — Johnny Lattner, Notre Dame Fighting Irish
1952 — Billy Vessels, Oklahoma Sooners
1951 — Dick Kazmaier, Princeton Tigers
1950 — Vic Janowicz, Ohio State Buckeyes
1949 — Leon Hart, Notre Dame Fighting Irish
1948 — Doak Walker, SMU Mustangs
1947 — Johnny Lujack, Notre Dame Fighting Irish
1946 — Glenn Davis, Army Black Knights
1945 — Doc Blanchard, Army Black Knights
1944 — Les Horvath, Ohio State Buckeyes
1943 — Angelo Bertelli, Notre Dame Fighting Irish
1942 — Frank Sinkwich, Georgia Bulldogs
1941 — Bruce Smith, Minnesota Golden Gophers
1940 — Tom Harmon, Michigan Wolverines
1939 — Nile Kinnick, Iowa Hawkeyes
1938 — Davey O’Brien, TCU Horned Frogs
1937 — Clint Frank, Yale Bulldogs
1936 — Larry Kelley, Yale Bulldogs
1935 — Jay Berwanger, Chicago Maroons
