The Heisman Trophy Trust announced four finalists on December 8, 2025: Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love, Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza, Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia and Ohio State quarterback Julian Sayin.
This article is a dated finalists announcement. It should not be read as a current odds page or as a post-ceremony result page. Fernando Mendoza was later announced as the winner on December 13, 2025.
Jeremiyah Love
RB, Notre Dame
The official announcement credited Love with 1,372 rushing yards, 18 rushing touchdowns, 27 receptions and 21 total touchdowns entering Heisman weekend.
Fernando Mendoza
QB, Indiana
Mendoza was the quarterback for an unbeaten Indiana team and was cited by Heisman materials for leading the nation with 33 passing touchdowns.
Diego Pavia
QB, Vanderbilt
Pavia gave Vanderbilt its first Heisman finalist and was credited with 3,192 passing yards, 27 passing touchdowns and 826 rushing yards.
Julian Sayin
QB, Ohio State
Sayin entered the ceremony with elite efficiency numbers, including a 78.4 completion percentage and 31 touchdown passes in the official finalist release.
A Note on the Earlier Version
A previous headline suggested the group was made up of four quarterbacks. That was incorrect because Love was a running back. This revision also removes vague favorite language and replaces it with source-backed finalist details.
Sources reviewedExpand
Reference notes
MethodologyUpdated May 13, 2026: Corrected the finalist framing, removed unsupported favorite/odds language, and separated the Dec. 8 announcement from the later Dec. 13 result.
Primary source for the four finalists, ceremony date, and official finalist statistics.
Cross-check for finalist names and season context.
Used only for the later update that Mendoza won on Dec. 13.