It happened. The 2025 season basically turned the entire college football hierarchy upside down, and honestly, the list of college football award finalists is the weirdest, most chaotic thing we’ve seen in years. Usually, you’ve got the usual suspects from Alabama or Georgia hogging every trophy. Not this time. This year, the spotlight drifted to Bloomington and Nashville.
Indiana and Vanderbilt. Imagine saying that two years ago.
The biggest shocker isn't just that these teams are winning; it's how they're doing it. We’ve moved past the era where you need a blue-blood jersey to get a seat at the Heisman table. If you haven't been paying attention to what Fernando Mendoza did at Indiana or the absolute sorcery Diego Pavia pulled off at Vanderbilt, you’re missing the actual story of the season.
The Heisman Shakeup: Why Indiana and Vandy Own the Room
Most people think the Heisman is just a stats game. It’s not. It’s about the "moment," and Fernando Mendoza had about twelve of them this year. Coming over from Cal, nobody expected him to turn the Hoosiers into a juggernaut. But there he was, standing in Times Square on December 13, 2025, hoisting the trophy after leading Indiana to a 13-0 record and a Big Ten title.
He didn't just win; he dominated the voting with 2,362 points.
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Then you have Diego Pavia. The Vanderbilt quarterback finished second, which is frankly insane given where that program was. People love to argue about whether the Heisman should go to the "best" player or the "most valuable." This year, the finalists—Mendoza, Pavia, Jeremiyah Love (Notre Dame), and Julian Sayin (Ohio State)—basically settled that debate. It’s about the guys who changed the entire trajectory of their schools.
Breaking Down the Top 4 Finalists
- Fernando Mendoza (Indiana): 3,349 passing yards and 41 total touchdowns. He’s the first Hoosier to ever win it.
- Diego Pavia (Vanderbilt): The ultimate "how did he do that?" player. 3,539 passing yards and 29 touchdowns.
- Jeremiyah Love (Notre Dame): A bruising runner who averaged nearly 7 yards a carry. He finished third.
- Julian Sayin (Ohio State): The freshman phenom who kept the Buckeyes in the hunt, finishing fourth in the final tally.
The Defensive Wall: Jacob Rodriguez and the Tech Takeover
If you want to talk about being snubbed from the top of the Heisman list, look at Jacob Rodriguez. The Texas Tech linebacker was a human wrecking ball. He actually finished fifth in the Heisman voting, which is the highest a strictly defensive player has landed since Aidan Hutchinson back in 2021.
But Rodriguez didn't go home empty-handed. Not even close.
He cleaned up the "Big Three" defensive awards. He took home the Chuck Bednarik Award, the Bronko Nagurski Trophy, and the Butkus Award. You sort of have to respect a guy who forces seven fumbles in a single season. That's not just skill; that's just wanting the ball more than the other guy.
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The Trenches and the Perimeter: Who Actually Won?
The Outland Trophy usually goes to some 340-pound monster from the SEC, but Spencer Fano from Utah broke that mold. He’s a technician at right tackle. He went through 356 pass-blocking snaps without giving up a single sack. Zero. If you’re an NFL scout, that’s the only stat that matters.
Over on the outside, the Biletnikoff Award went to USC's Makai Lemon. This was a tight race between him, UConn’s Skyler Bell, and Ohio State’s Jeremiah Smith. Smith is probably the most talented of the bunch—the dude is a human highlight reel—but Lemon’s consistency in the Big Ten was just too much to ignore. He finished with over 1,100 yards and 11 touchdowns, basically carrying the Trojans' air attack.
Other Notable Winners You Might Have Missed
- Doak Walker Award: Jeremiyah Love (Notre Dame). He was the catalyst for the Irish all year.
- Jim Thorpe Award: Caleb Downs (Ohio State). People call him a "lab-grown safety" for a reason. He doesn't miss tackles.
- Lou Groza Award: Tate Sandell (Oklahoma). He missed one field goal all year. Just one.
- Ray Guy Award: Brett Thorson (Georgia). In a season of chaos, Georgia’s punting was the only thing that felt normal.
What This Means for the Future of the Sport
The 2025 college football award finalists list proves that the transfer portal has leveled the playing field—or at least tilted it in a weird new direction. Mendoza was a transfer. Pavia was a transfer. The old "wait your turn" mentality is dead.
We’re also seeing a shift in how voters look at "value." It’s no longer just about who has the best offensive line to hide behind. It’s about who is doing the most with the least. Vanderbilt having a Heisman finalist and the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm winner (Pavia again) is a signal that the talent is spreading out.
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Honestly, the "blue-blood tax" is starting to fade. If you’re elite, the voters will find you, whether you’re playing in Columbus or Lubbock.
Your Post-Season Checklist
If you’re looking to get ahead of the 2026 season based on these results, keep an eye on these specific movements:
- Watch the Sophomore Jump: Julian Sayin and Jeremiah Smith are going to be the frontrunners for everything next year. They’re only getting better.
- Monitor the Portal: Four of the last seven Heisman winners were transfers. If a big-name QB moves this spring, put them on your shortlist immediately.
- Respect the Defense: Jacob Rodriguez proved that linebackers can still be "stars" in a pass-heavy era. Look for defensive coordinators to start mimicking that Texas Tech "roving" linebacker style to create more turnovers.
The era of predictable awards is over. This year's finalists didn't just play the game; they changed the map.