Heisman Announces Full List of Top 10 Finishers Ahead of Saturday Trophy Presentation

The six players that round out the top 10 in this year’s Heisman voting have been announced.

Quarterbacks Fernando Mendoza (Indiana), Diego Pavia (Vanderbilt), Julian Sayin (Ohio State) and running back Jeremiyah Love (Notre Dame) are this year’s Heisman Trophy finalists. / Ron Chenoy-Imagn Images

The 2025 Heisman Trophy will be awarded on Saturday, with four players earning trips to New York as finalists: Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza, Vanderbilt QB Diego Pavia, Ohio State QB Julian Sayin and Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love. They are the top four finalists in a wide-open field this year, with Mendoza entering the weekend as the favorite to take home college football’s most vaunted award after leading the Hoosiers to a 13–0 season and Big Ten championship with last weekend’s win over Ohio State.

Of course, a number of other players earned votes for the award, and on Thursday the Heisman Trust released the finishers in the No. 5 through 10 spots. The down-ballot candidates include two of Sayin’s standout Ohio State teammates, a pair of defenders, three other quarterbacks and five players who, like Mendoza and Sayin, will compete in this year’s College Football Playoff. And considering the full top 10, seven players in the Heisman mix this season transferred during their college careers.

A look at the six players that round out the 2025 Heisman ballot (vote totals have not yet been released):

10. Haynes King — Quarterback, Georgia Tech

Georgia Tech quarterback Haynes King did it all for the Yellow Jackets in 2025. / Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Cmp%	Pass Yards	YPA	TD	Int	Rush Yards	TD
71.7%	2,697	8.4	12	5	922	15

Though their styles differ, what Pavia is to Vanderbilt, King is to Georgia Tech. His low passing touchdown total and the Yellow Jackets’ late-season swoon likely kept him from threatening for finalist honors, but King set career highs in passing yards per game and had his most efficient full season as a passer, while serving as Tech’s top rushing option in carries, yards and touchdowns.

9. Caleb Downs — Safety, Ohio State

Caleb Downs and Ohio State snapped a lengthy losing streak to Michigan to finish the regular season. / Rick Osentoski-Imagn Images

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Combined Tackles	TFL	Sack	Int	PD
60	5	1	2	2

Conventional wisdom in college football is that Ohio State has the nation’s best player on offense in wide receiver Jeremiah Smith, and the nation’s best player on defense in safety Caleb Downs. His stats don’t jump off the page—and for defensive players to have any chance of winning the Heisman, their stats must be absurd (and they probably need to play offense)—but his film during Ohio State’s games certainly does. Ohio State have the nation’s top passing defense, allowing just 129.1 yards per game, and he is its anchor.

8. Trinidad Chambliss — Quarterback, Ole Miss

Trinidad Chambliss’s unlikely run as Ole Miss starting quarterback earned him Heisman votes and a trip to the College Football Playoff. / Ayrton Breckenridge/Clarion Ledger / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Cmp%	Pass Yards	YPA	TD	Int	Rush Yards	TD
65.5%	3,016	9.1	18	3	470	6

Chambliss, a transfer from Division II Ferris State, made his way to Mississippi as a veteran backup to Austin Simmons. After an injury sidelined the sophomore, Chambliss took the reins and never relinquished them, quickly turning into one of the SEC’s most dynamic passers under Lane Kiffin. With the College Football Playoff a week away, his former coach—who delighted in tweeting the Trinidad flag emoji all fall—is in Baton Rouge, but Chambliss remains in Oxford, Miss., ready to lead the Rebels to the CFP.

7. Gunner Stockton — Quarterback, Georgia

Gunner Stockton was a steady leader for the Georgia offense in his first season as starting quarterback. / Brett Davis-Imagn Images

Cmp%	Pass Yards	YPA	TD	Int	Rush Yards	TD
70.7%	2,691	7.6	23	5	442	8

Whether or not they “won the breakup” with Carson Beck, things worked out pretty well for everyone involved. Like Georgia, Beck’s new program Miami earned a CFP berth and could conceivably face the Bulldogs in the semifinal if they can pick up wins over Texas A&M and Ohio State. Kirby Smart’s program, meanwhile, got steady play from Beck’s backup a year ago, Gunner Stockton, who made his mark with huge clutch plays in wins over Tennessee and Florida. Stockton added a quarterback run dynamic to the offense, compared to the pocket-bound Beck.

6. Jeremiah Smith — Wide receiver, Ohio State

Ohio State Buckeyes wide receiver Jeremiah Smith (4) celebrates a catch during the first half of the Big Ten Conference championship game against the Indiana Hoosiers at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis on Dec. 6, 2025. / Adam Cairns/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Rec.	Yards	TD	Rush	Yards	TD
80	1,086	11	2	20	1

Some of Smith’s numbers have actually taken a dip this year from his remarkable true freshman season in 2024 (76/1,315/15) though his impact may become even more pronounced in the playoff. The Ohio State defense has been so dominant in ‘25 that Smith and other members of the Buckeyes offense have been able to cruise through many second halves. Smith is a true sophomore so we could see a true Heisman push for him in ‘26.

5. Jacob Rodriguez — Linebacker, Texas Tech

Texas Tech aggressively promoted linebacker Jacob Rodriguez for the Heisman. / Kevin Jairaj-Imagn Images

Combined Tackles	TFL	Sack	Int	PD	FR	FF	Def TD
117	11	1	4	6	2	7	1

Jacob Rodriguez just missed out on making it to New York, but it wasn’t for a lack of trying. Rodriguez is the face of an elite Texas Tech defense and a legitimate playmaker, with an impressive array of takeaways this year. As his profile continued to rise, with features on shows like College GameDay, the Red Raiders went all out trying to get him to New York—both with aggressive social media campaigning and special packages on offense. The former Virginia quarterback ran for two touchdowns and attempted a pass (throwing an interception to go with the four he racked up on defense).

Saturday’s Heisman Trophy presentation begins at 7 p.m. ET on ABC.

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