College Football Awards 2025: Full List of Winners for the Sport’s Top Annual Honors

From the Outland Trophy to the Heisman, here’s the complete list of college football award winners during the 2025 season.

Vanderbilt’s Diego Pavia is among this year’s college football award winners. | Mark Zaleski / The Tennessean / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The 2025 college football regular season and conference championships came to an end over the weekend. Before bowl games and the College Football Playoff begin over the next two weeks, the top players from the 2025 campaign will be honored as awards are doled across the country this week.

There are a bevy of college football awards handed out each year, with every position having the opportunity to receive an award. Of course, with players from over 130 programs in contention each year, only the best will end up getting honored.

The majority of awards will be given out on Dec. 12, and the most prestigious honor, the Heisman trophy will be announced on Dec. 13 during a special ceremony in New York.

Without further ado, here’s a look the 2025 college football award winners.

College Football Award Winners 2025

A list of finalists for the awards can be viewed here.

Award	Award Description	Winner
Eddie Robinson Award	FCS coach of the year	Kevin Cahill, Lehigh
Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award	Best upperclassman quarterback in college football	Diego Pavia, Vanderbilt
Lott IMPACT Trophy	Defensive player of the year athletically and with personal character	Caleb Downs, Ohio State
Walter Camp Coach of the Year	FBS coach of the year	Curt Cignetti, Indiana
Walter Camp Award	Most outstanding player in college football	Fernando Mendoza, Indiana
AP Player of the Year	Most outstanding player in the country	Fernando Mendoza, Indiana
Lombardi Award	College football’s top lineman or linebacker	Jacob Rodriguez, Texas Tech
Paul Hornung Award	Most versatile player in college football	KC Concepcion, Texas A&M
Butkus Award	Most impactful linebacker in college football	Jacob Rodriguez, Texas Tech
Nagurski Trophy	Best defensive player in college football	Jacob Rodriguez, Texas Tech
William V. Campbell Trophy	Top scholar-athlete in college football	Eli Stowers, Vanderbilt
Burlsworth Trophy	Best player that began as a walk-on	Drew Mestemaker, North Texas
Chuck Bednarik Award	Defensive player of the year	Jacob Rodriguez, Texas Tech
Biletnikoff Award	Best receiver in college football	Makai Lemon, USC
Lou Groza Collegiate Place-Kicker Award	Best kicker in college football	Tate Sandell, Oklahoma
Ray Guy Award	Best punter in college football	Brett Thorson, Georgia
Maxwell Award	Most outstanding player in college football	Fernando Mendoza, Indiana
Davey O’Brien National Quarterback Award	Best quarterback in college football	Fernando Mendoza, Indiana
Outland Trophy	Best interior offensive lineman in college football	Spencer Fano, Utah
Jim Thorpe Award	Best defensive back in college football	Caleb Downs, Ohio State
Doak Walker Award	Best running back in college football	Jeremiyah Love, Notre Dame
Disney Spirit Award	Most inspirational player, team or figure in college football	Jeremiyah Love, Notre Dame
The Buddy Teevens Award	Coach that makes an lasting impact on and off the field	Kalani Sitake, BYU
John Mackey Award	Best tight end in college football	Eli Stowers, Vanderbilt
Rimington Trophy	Most outstanding center in college football	Logan Jones, Iowa
Wuerrfel Trophy	Most impactful leader in community service	Michael Taaffe, Texas
Heisman Trophy	Best player in college football	Fernando Mendoza, Indiana

Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia may not have seen his Commodores advance to the CFP, but he took home the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award after a tremendous 2025 campaign that saw him complete 71.2% of his passes for 3,192 yards, 27 touchdowns and 8 interceptions. He also rushed for 826 yards and nine touchdowns. Pavia is in contention for other awards, including the Heisman.

Cignetti’s unbelievable turnaround at Indiana is getting recognized again with the Hoosiers head coach becoming the first college football coach to win the Walter Camp Coach of the Year Award in back-to-back seasons. Cignetti deservedly takes home the award after leading Indiana to a 13–0 record, the No. 1 seed and its first Big Ten title since 1967.

Cignetti isn’t the only Hoosier taking home awards this holiday season. Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza won the Walter Camp Award, the Maxwell Award, the Davey O’Brien National Quarterback Award, Associated Press Player of the Year and also won the Heisman Trophy.

On the defensive side of the ball, Texas Tech linebacker Jacob Rodriguez has been an award favorite, already winning the Chuck Bednarik Award, Nagurski Trophy, Butkus Award and Lombardi Award. On the back end, Ohio State safety Caleb Downs took home the Lott IMPACT Trophy and the Jim Thorpe Award.

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