Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza won the Heisman Trophy for the 2025 college football season on Saturday night as the ceremony took place at Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Appel Room in New York City.
The four finalists for this year’s Heisman Trophy were quarterbacks Diego Pavia of Vanderbilt, Mendoza of Indiana, Julian Sayin of Ohio State, and running back Jeremiyah Love of Notre Dame.
Heisman Trophy Finalists Made Up Best of CFB
All four finalists were present on Saturday night and posed with the Heisman Trophy before the announcement was made.
Who will take home the Heisman Trophy? pic.twitter.com/Dv7eMjVFeV
— The Sporting News (@sportingnews) December 13, 2025
Mendoza finished with 2,362 total points, according to The Associated Press. Pavia finished second with 1,435 points, followed by Love with 719 points and Sayin with 432 points.
In his acceptance speech on Saturday night, Mendoza had a message for any kid who feels overlooked and underestimated.
“I was you,” Mendoza said. “I was that kid, too. I was in your shoes. The truth is, you don’t need the most stars, hype, or rankings. You just need discipline, heart, and people who believe in you. … I hope this moment shows you that chasing your dreams is worth it, no matter how big or impossible they might seem.”
He also shouted out to his Indiana teammates, saying, “This may have my name on it, but it’s our trophy.”
Behind Mendoza, who transferred to Indiana and played for Indiana head coach Curt Cignetti this season, the Hoosiers landed the No. 1 spot in the College Football Playoff bracket. So far this season, Mendoza has recorded 33 touchdown passes, leading all of college football.
Congratulations to the 2025 Heisman Trophy winner, @IndianaFootball quarterback Fernando Mendoza!#Heisman | #MoreThanATrophy pic.twitter.com/DMqXA16ode
— The Heisman Trophy (@HeismanTrophy) December 14, 2025
Mendoza also passed for 2,980 yards and showed off his running ability, too, by scoring six touchdowns on the ground. According to the PFSN CFB QB Impact metrics, Mendoza has a 93.2 impact score and grades out to an A.
MORE: 2025 Heisman Trophy Results: Who Was Named the Most Outstanding Player in College Football?
For most of this season, Sayin was leading the top-ranked Ohio State Buckeyes at quarterback. The redshirt-freshman amassed 3,329 yards passing and 31 touchdown passes this season. Last season, he played four games for Ohio State under head coach Ryan Day before picking up the starter’s role.
Ohio State sat at the top of the Associated Press Top 25 poll for 13 consecutive weeks, too. According to the PFSN CFB QB Impact metrics, Sayin has an impact score of 90.8 and grades out to an A-.
What about Pavia? Well, the Vanderbilt quarterback has shown a level of cockiness on the field and has backed that up with stellar play. For the season, Pavia has totaled a Commodores school-record 3,192 yards and 27 touchdown passes. Vanderbilt posted its first 10-win season this season under head coach Clark Lea.
Pavia initially made a name for himself on the national scene with his play at New Mexico State, then headed to Vanderbilt. According to the PFSN CFB QB Impact metrics, Pavia has an impact score of 94.8 and grades out to an A as the No. 1 quarterback in the nation.
Then there’s Love, who was the lone running back at the Heisman Trophy ceremony in New York City. Love totaled 18 rushing touchdowns for the Fighting Irish, and his season is done. Notre Dame didn’t get into the College Football Playoff, and the team chose not to play a bowl game this season.
MORE: When Was the Last Time an Indiana Player Won the Heisman?
Love can run past defenses at a moment’s notice for Fighting Irish head coach Marcus Freeman. Love had a 98-yard run against the Hoosiers in a College Football Playoff game last season, then had a 94-yard dash against Boston College this season. According to the PFSN CFB RB Impact metrics, Love has an impact score of 92.2 and grades out to an A-.
All four Heisman Trophy candidates proved that they deserved to be at Saturday night’s ceremony.
They were present with a number of former Heisman Trophy winners at the event, including former Texas A&M quarterback Johnny Manziel, former Michigan wide receiver Desmond Howard, former Florida quarterback Tim Tebow, and former Ohio State quarterback Troy Smith.
But only one of the finalists would walk away with the prestigious honor.
