Robert Griffin III names surprising quarterback as Heisman front-runner

Robert Griffin weighed in with his weekly Heisman Trophy front-runner list, but a surprising name was stop the list. While Griffin went with the standard trifecta of favorites of Julian Sayin, Ty Simpson, and Fernando Mendoza as his second, third, and fourth options, his top pick was a surprise-- Georgia Tech QB Haynes King.

King has quietly led the 8-0 Yellowjackets into the AP top 10 and found a surprising backer in Griffin. Griffin, of course, won the Heisman Trophy himself in 2011 while playing at Baylor, hardly a traditional power.

Top 5 Heisman Front Runners after Week 9

1. Haynes King QB Georgia Tech
2. Julian Sayin QB Ohio State
3. Ty Simpson QB Alabama
4. Fernando Mendoza QB Indiana
5. Air Bear Bachmeier QB BYU pic.twitter.com/IOGBVGZ13K
— Robert Griffin III (@RGIII) October 29, 2025

King's resume

King, in his sixth season of college football, isn't really a typical candidate. After three seasons at Texas A&M, he headed to Georgia Tech, where his dual-threat skills tend to create more victories than epic statistical achievements. In 2025, he has passed for 1,480 yards and seven touchdowns while rushing for 651 yards and 12 more scores on the ground. King did miss a Week 2 game against FCS Gardner-Webb due to injury.

King is sixth of 17 ACC qualifying quarterbacks in QB rating, while currently being 12th in passing yards and 16th in touchdown passes. But he is also third in the league in rushing (only a yard behind second-place Isaac Brown of Louisville) and his 12 touchdowns on the ground leads the conference and ties for second nationally.

Tech is 8-0 including three one-score wins. The only currently ranked opponent on Tech's entire regular season schedule is No. 5 Georgia, who Tech will face in a non-conference battle in the final week of the regular season. But Tech's 5-0 league mark leaves them atop the ACC and in line for the ACC title game.

Of Pitt's three remaining ACC games, a home battle with 6-2 Pittsburgh looks to be the toughest. A CFP berth would certainly aid King's unconventional candidacy. While the major candidates more commonly cited have superior stats, leading Tech to a CFP spot would certainly boost Haynes King's Heisman hopes.

Another surprise QB pick

King isn't the only surprise on Griffin's list. His fifth-place leader is freshman QB Bear Bachmeier of BYU. The freshman QB is leading 8-0 BYU with 1,693 yards passing and 11 touchdowns through the air. Bachmeier has added 408 rushing yards and nine more scores on the ground. 8-0 BYU does have upcoming games at No. 13 Texas Tech and No. 17 Cincinnati.