Heisman Trophy finalists head to New York for college football’s top individual award

The 2025 Heisman Trophy race is down to the final four. Quarterbacks Julian Sayin of Ohio State, Fernando Mendoza of Indiana, Diego Pavia of Vanderbilt, and Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love have all been invited to New York for this year’s ceremony.

But why is the award so coveted, and who is the favourite to take home the most famous trophy in college football?

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The pinnacle of individual achievement

First awarded in 1935 to "the most valuable college football player east of the Mississippi", the Heisman Memorial Trophy has been the ultimate accolade for college football stars in America.

Created by the Downtown Athletic Club in New York, it was first won by Chicago running back Jay Berwanger and last claimed by two-way Colorado star Travis Hunter.

Within a year of the award’s inception, the club’s athletic director, John Heisman, died. Subsequently, the award was named after him and expanded to include all players nationwide.

The iconic trophy is made out of cast bronze, weighs 45 pounds, and is modelled after Ed Smith, a leading running back from 1934. His stiff-arm pose has become symbolic of the award, with would-be candidates striking it on the gridiron after having a ‘Heisman moment’. 

Unless you play a skill position, you can safely book a holiday for the second weekend in December. The award is usually the domain of quarterbacks and running backs, as this year’s finalists suggest. 

Only four wide receivers and two tight ends have ever won the award, and just two players who played predominantly on defense (Charles Woodson, in 1997, and Hunter, as mentioned above, in 2024).

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The award has not been without controversy, including a perceived anti-West Coast bias; this, despite USC having the most Heisman Trophy winners (8). Then there’s the 2005 Heisman that was awarded to Reggie Bush, later revoked due to receiving impermissible benefits during his time with the Trojans, before being reinstated last year.

Despite these misgivings, the award winners remain revered in the football world.

928 votes are cast to determine the winner of the Heisman, made up of sports journalists, previous winners, and one vote calculated by fan votes.

Who will lift the trophy on Saturday?

Fernando Mendoza (-2000)

Emerging as one of the favourites in November, Mendoza slipped a little in the odds rankings last week after a strong performance from one of his rivals for the award. But delivering a landmark Big Ten title for the Hoosiers has seen the Indiana QB jump right back to the top of the pile.

Mendoza has had a fairytale season in Bloomington after transferring from Cal in the offseason. 33 touchdowns, a 71.5% completion percentage, and a 13-0 season pockmarked with ‘Heisman moments’ including his strike to Elijah Surratt this weekend; at this stage, it would be a shock if Mendoza didn’t lift the trophy on Saturday.

Diego Pavia (+1000)

If you’re a fan of an underdog, then you’ll be a fan of the swashbuckling Pavia, who has grabbed Vanderbilt by the scruff of the neck and dragged them to national relevance.

Just a 2-star recruit from Albuquerque, Pavia had to go to JuCo before signing with New Mexico State. Two years putting the Aggies on the map drew the attention of Clark Lea & the Commodores, and the rest is history.

Pavia is a six-year player, which doesn’t help his cause. But delivering a ten-win regular season for the first time in school history and being a whisker away from the playoffs is not to be disregarded. Pavia also has the stats to validate his inclusion on Saturday - he’ll win the popular vote, if not the award itself.

Jeremiyah Love (+15000)

The jump in odds suggests this year’s Heisman race is a two-horse affair. But that shouldn’t take away the season that running back Love has delivered in South Bend; 1,372 rushing yards and 18 touchdowns on less than 200 carries demonstrate the devastating consistency of Notre Dame’s lead ball carrier in 2025.

It’s harder for running backs to win this award than it is for quarterbacks, history tells us that. But unlike many other highly touted names in college football before this year began, Love backed up the hype.

With that said, this weekend is nothing more than a nice break in New York for him before heading to the NFL.

Julian Sayin (+50000)

Saturday’s Big Ten title game was touted as a battle of the two Heisman favourites. Ohio State quarterback Julian Sayin didn’t disgrace himself against a brutal Indiana defense, but he didn’t win the game. And as a result, his stock for this award has plummeted.

Unchallenged all year and racking up gaudy stats, Sayin was the favourite last Friday, even if it was one of the tightest races in recent memory. Recency bias and a head-to-head matchup where Mendoza overshadowed him seem to have scuppered his chances of winning this trophy, but the Buckeyes QB will be fully focused on the one to be won via the playoffs.