Dan Orlovsky names Heisman Trophy front-runner after Week 9

Following the final college football Saturday of October 2025, ESPN analyst Dan Orlovsky updated his poll for the top five Heisman Trophy favorites as warm weather and opportunities to impress the voters begin to wind down.

In 2024, Colorado swiss army knife Travis Hunter and Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty grabbed fairly early strangleholds on the Heisman race and never relented. The duo made for a fascinating head-to-head with Hunter's uniqueness as a two-way player ultimately winning out. But in 2025, we've had a carousel of favorites, from Arch Manning (lol) to any number of guys, mostly whichever QB shined in a big game the day before.

A cluster of names is starting to separate but the race, even after Week 9, still feels totally wide open. As for Orlovsky's list, well, he's got this writer's personal pick up there at No. 1 in his new top five:

Dan Orlovsky's Heisman Top-Five

Diego Pavia (QB) | Vanderbilt
Haynes King (QB) | Georgia Tech
Fernando Mendoza (QB) | Indiana
Julian Sayin (QB) | Ohio State
Ty Simpson (QB) | Alabama

Heisman

1) Pavia
2) King
3) Mendoza
4 Sayin
5) Simpson
— Dan Orlovsky (@danorlovsky7) October 26, 2025

That's right, Vanderbilt's own Diego Pavia is the leader of Mr. Orlovsky's current Heisman poll. And to think back to his first viral moment — from urinating on New Mexico's field to leading the Heisman Trophy discussion. That's almost as improbable as Vanderbilt's rise and ranking in the top 10 for a second straight week once the latest AP Poll comes out.

For real, though, Pavia has been a warrior for the best Commodore squad in decades. He's impossible to get on the ground, even when pressured, and has develped a knack, as has the whole prorgram, for gutting out wins where he and the roster might not have quite as much talent. What a player and what a team down in Nasvhille.

Elsewhere, Julian Sayin remains a potent option because he and Ohio State are just ripping through their schedule, and if they go undefeated, his case as the elite operator of the best unit in football could become undeniable.

Haynes King is a bit high compared to others but that's what happens when you lead Georgia Tech to the No. 7 spot in the AP Poll, which only stands to grow after another win this weekend. He's certainly Orlovsky's biggest wildcard here with Ty Simpson falling a bit lower than average down to fifth for the Big O.