Heisman Trophy Rankings: Mendoza Holds Firm in Top Spot

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Heisman Trophy Rankings: Mendoza Holds Firm in Top Spot

Kyle Wood · Athlon Sports

Wed, Oct 29, 2025 ·

8 min read

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There was marginal movement this past week among the top contenders for the Heisman Trophy as a tight race enters the home stretch.

Indiana 's Fernando Mendoza solidified his perch atop what's emerged as a pretty definitive five-player tier. The Hoosiers keep on winning, and Mendoza continues to put up numbers in the process. Ty Simpson 's rising stock slowed as Alabama narrowly avoided disaster over the weekend. Texas A&M's Marcel Reed jumped Ohio State 's Julian Sayin with the Buckeyes idle while the Aggies delivered a knockout punch in Baton Rouge. And not to be counted out: Diego Pavia is bringing up the rear after another Vanderbilt victory.

Someone outside of that group could enter the fray — Georgia Tech 's Haynes King and Ole Miss ' Trinidad Chambliss are the most likely options — or one of those five could fade in November. But at the moment, Mendoza maintains his position in first place atop our rankings. He's also the new betting favorite. Here's how Athlon views the race for the Heisman Trophy after nine weeks.

Heisman Trophy Watch: Ranking the Top Contenders after Week 9

Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza celebrates with a teammate after scoring a touchdown against the UCLA Bruins at Memorial Stadium on Oct. 25, 2025, in Bloomington, Indiana.

1. Fernando Mendoza — QB, Indiana (Last Week: 1)

Week 9 Stats (56-6 W vs. UCLA):15-for-22, 168 yards, 3 TD, 1 INT; 5 carries, 45 yards, 1 TD
Season Stats:148-for-203 (72.9%), 1,923 yards (9.5 YPA), 24 TD, 3 INT; 46 carries, 196 yards (4.3 YPC), 3 TD

RELATED: Fernando Mendoza's Path Journey to Heisman Candidacy

Mendoza compiled his fifth game with four or more total touchdowns in the Hoosiers' third 50-point win of the year. Though he threw for a season-low 168 yards, the game was out of reach by halftime thanks to a suffocating defense and relentless run game. Mendoza helped build up a large enough lead for his younger brother, Alberto, to enter the game in the fourth quarter. The Heisman front-runner leads the nation in touchdown passes, and he ran for a season-high 45 yards and a score to shut the door on UCLA's three-game winning streak.

Indiana is on the road for three of its final four games, starting this Saturday at Maryland . Relative to their dominance in Bloomington, the No. 2 Hoosiers have had some closer calls on the road at Iowa and Oregon , but all indications are that they are on pace to finish the regular season undefeated and challenge Ohio State for the Big Ten title. Mendoza, the engine behind the third-highest-scoring offense in the FBS, is a big reason why.

2. Ty Simpson — QB, Alabama (Last Week: 2)

Simpson and the Crimson Tide came back to earth a bit last week against South Carolina , but they still escaped with a win. It took a fourth-quarter comeback for Alabama to leave Columbia with its undefeated SEC record still intact, and Simpson sparked the late rally with a game-tying touchdown (and two-point conversion) with just over two minutes remaining. His passing prowess continues to prop up one of the worst run games in the conference.

Still, Simpson's 55.8% completion percentage was his lowest mark since the opener against Florida State, and his 43 attempts also tied a season-high from that game. He did also lose a fumble, which marked his fourth consecutive game with a turnover, but he still just has one interception to go against 20 passing touchdowns. This was Simpson's worst showing in conference play this season — and even then, it was enough to win on the road. 'Bama is idle this week after a gauntlet to start SEC play. With three of its final four games at home and just one against a top-25 team (No. 18 Oklahoma ), the No. 4 Tide will be favored the rest of the way.

Texas A&M quarterback Marcel Reed runs as LSU safety Tamarcus Cooley (0) and defensive tackle Ahmad Breaux (16) defend at Tiger Stadium on Oct. 25, 2025, in Baton Rouge, Louisiana.

3. Marcel Reed — QB, Texas A&M (Last Week: 4)

Week 9 Stats (49-25 W at LSU ):12-for-21, 202 yards, 2 TD, 2 INT; 13 carries, 108 yards, 2 TD
Season Stats:137-for-223 (61.4%), 1,972 yards (8.8 YPA), 17 TD, 6 INT; 64 carries, 349 yards (5.5 YPC), 6 TD

Reed wasn't perfect in the first half against LSU. After leading back-to-back long touchdown drives to start the game — one he capped off with a 41-yard run, the other a 25-yard pass to KC Concepcion — he threw interceptions on two consecutive drives, which allowed the Tigers to take a lead into halftime. Unfazed, Reed led the Aggies out of the tunnel and into the end zone on their first three possessions of the second half to kickstart an ugly blowout that ultimately got Brian Kelly fired .

Saturday wasn't Reed's best game as a passer, as he completed fewer than 60% of his throws and threw those two costly interceptions, but it didn't matter in part because of the work he did on the ground. Reed's 108 rushing yards set a new career high, and it was reminiscent of his showing last season against the Tigers when he punched in three scores in a lopsided result. No. 3 Texas A&M has been one of the most impressive teams in the country, though its remaining schedule with two road games against top-25 opponents (No. 19 Missouri and No. 20 Texas), could threaten the Aggies' undefeated season.

4. Julian Sayin — QB, Ohio State (Last Week: 3)

Week 9 Stats:Idle
Season Stats:156-for-195 (80%), 1,872 yards (9.6 YPA), 19 TD, 3 INT; 19 carries, 17 yards (0.9 YPC)

Sayin and the Buckeyes machine rested up last week ahead of the home stretch, which is much less daunting than it once was given Penn State 's collapse. Ohio State's defense rightfully deserves heaps of praise — opponents average 5.9 points per game — but Sayin has the offense running about as smoothly as anyone could ask.

BOWL PROJECTIONS: Vanderbilt, Texas A&M Rising in Playoff Field

The top-ranked Buckeyes rank No. 1 nationally in offensive success rate and also lead the way in success rate on passing plays. That's Sayin making the most of the treasure trove of weapons he inherited, namely Jeremiah Smith and Carnell Tate , who caught two touchdowns last time out against Wisconsin . That game against the Badgers was arguably Sayin's best, and he'll have more opportunities over the next month to pile up gaudy numbers in advance of a highly anticipated trip to Ann Arbor.

Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia (2) celebrates his go-ahead touchdown against Missouri at FirstBank Stadium in Nashville, Tennessee, on Oct. 25, 2025.

5. Diego Pavia — QB, Vanderbilt (Last Week: 5)

Week 9 Stats (17-10 W vs. Missouri):10-for-19, 129 yards, 1 INT; 8 carries, 20 yards, 1 TD
Season Stats: 139-for-202 (68.8%), 1,698 yards (8.4 YPA), 15 TD, 5 INT; 85 carries, 458 yards (5.4 YPC) 5 TD

Statistically, Pavia had his worst game of the year against Missouri. It was his first game without a touchdown pass, and his passing and rushing totals were both season lows. He also had his Heisman moment when it mattered most. Tied 10-10, the Commodores capitalized on a Tigers turnover, and Pavia marched his team down the field and capped off the drive with a go-ahead leap into the end zone. Missouri couldn't match, and Vandy's dream season continued.

Asked this week if he believes he should win the Heisman, Pavia said: "Hell yeah, I believe it." Statistically, he doesn't stack up to Mendoza, Simpson, Reed and Sayin, but he's also the quarterback and heart of a top-10 team that he's willed to victory each of the past two weeks. The remaining schedule for the 'Dores is still difficult, with trips to No. 20 Texas and No. 14 Tennessee. No. 9 Vandy is squarely in the playoff picture — win those games, and Pavia's Heisman case might begin to crystallize even more.

Don't Forget About

Haynes King, Georgia Tech
Trinidad Chambliss, QB, Ole Miss
Gunner Stockton, Georgia, QB
Dante Moore , Oregon, QB
Jeremiah Smith, Ohio State, WR

Sleepers to Watch

Jeremiyah Love , RB, Notre Dame
Jayden Maiava , QB, USC
Carson Beck , Miami, QB
Brendan Sorsby , Cincinnati , QB
Joey Aguilar , Tennessee, QB

This story was originally reported by Athlon Sports on Oct 29, 2025, where it first appeared in the College Football section. Add Athlon Sports as a Preferred Source by clicking here.

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