The 2025 college football season has hit the mid-way mark. As teams have started solidifying their hopes to make a run at the College Football Playoff, there is also a focus on the individual awards. The biggest of them is the Heisman Memorial Trophy, given to the most outstanding playing in college football. The award has been presented annually since 1935. It is time for the 2025 Week 9 College Football Heisman Trophy Power Rankings
1. Ty Simpson- Quarterback- Alabama
Ty Simpson is one of the favorites to win the Heisman currently. Currently, he is the favorite according to FanDuel, but DraftKings has him second. In general, Heisman winners are often quarterbacks, but recently, both Travis Hunter, playing wide reciver and corner, and DeVonta Smith, a wide receiver, have won the award. The winner has also traditionally come from a contending team. Although an amazing seaosn such as Hunter last year, and Robert Griffin III in 2011 can sway voters.
Regardless, Simpson is checking all the boxes currently. Alabama is 6-1 with the only loss of the season being in Week 1. Simspson is tenth in the nation in passing yards, tied for sixth in touchdown passes, and 12th in QBR. Further, he has throw just one interception. He has done all this while facing four ranked opponents in a row with Georgia, Vanderbilt, Missouri, and Tennessee. In those four games, he has passed for over 250 yards three times, while also having two or more touchdown passes in all four. He also has just one interception.
Alabama still has some big games on the schedule as well, with LSU and Oklahoma. Outside of a poor performance by the team or Simpson, the biggest issue for the quarterback's Heisman candiacy could be the schedule. The final two games of the season are against Eastern Illinois and Auburn, which will not help his case.
Ballots are sent out the Monday before conference championship weekend, and due back the Monday after, still many voters cast their ballots before the conference championship games.
2. Marcel Reed- Quarterback- Texas A&M
If leading a program to an undefeated season helps win a Heisman, then Marcel Reed is a frontrunner. Reed has been great in leading the Aggies offense this year. He has passed for 1,770 yards while throwing for 15 touchdowns. Meanwhile, he has run for 241 yards and four scores. Still, he has not capitalized on games in which he could pad some stats. Against Mississippi State, he passed for just 180 yards and threw an interception. He did account for three scores though. Against Auburn, he did not have a touchdown, and passed for just 207 yards.
The quarterback also does not have the same resume in terms of teams faced. Texas A&M has faced just one ranked opponent, a 41-40 win over Notre Dame. Reed has a chance to strengthen his resume in coming weeks. First, it is back to back road games against ranked opponents in LSU and Missouri. He then will end the season with Texas. If Texas A&M is still undefeated, he will get plenty of votes. If they are facing Alabama in the SEC title game, some voters may hold onto the ballot, and give the winner of the game their vote.
3. Diego Pavia- Quarterback- Vanderbilt
No one has generated more hype from their play than the Vanderbilt quarterback. Diego Pavia has proven himself to be a Heisman contender. To start with, he has Vanderbilt, a team who just cracked the AP Top 10 for the first time since 1947, at 6-1. The team did lose to Alabama, which could hurt Pavia's campaign against Simpson. Regardless, they have also defeated LSU and South Carolina.
Pavia has completed 70.5 percent of his passes for 1,569 yards with 15 touchdowns. Further, he has run for 438 yards and four touchdowns. He is also sixth in FBS in QBR this year. He just put up a Heisman level preformance against LSU. While has passed for 160 yards, he had one passing touchdown, ran for 86 yards and two scores. He does not have quite the same level of stats of other top contenders, but also does not have the same level of supporting cast. That could benefit him in the voting.
4. Fernando Mendoza- Quarterback- Indiana
With how voting is structured with the 870 media members being split in between six regions and each region having a equal share of votes, a split in the South region between Simpson and Pavia could help Fernando Mendoza. Texas is part of the Southwest reigion, while Indiana is part of the Midwest.
Mendoza has hit the big win criteria already this year, with wins over two top ten teams, Illinois and Oregon. Meanwhile, Indiana is also undefeated and has just one game within one score. He is tied for the FBS lead with 21 touchdowns this year, while also passing for 1,755 yards. Moreover, he has two rushing touchdowns. He also has four games with four or more passing touchdowns.
The biggest worry will be down the stretch for Indiana. As long as the Hooisers stay undefeated, Mendoza will stay relevant, but with no major games left on the schedule, a loss could doom his Heisman campaign.
5. Julian Sayin- Quarterback- Ohio State
The quarterback for the best school in the nation will always get Heisman consideration, and Ohio State is the best team in the country right now. Julian Sayin has passed for 1,872 yards with 19 touchdowns while sitting fourth in the nation in QBR. While he has thrown three interceptions, he has not thrown one in his last four games.
He has led Ohio State to an undefeated reocrd, but his biggest games have not come against the best comeptition. Against Texas, he passed for just 126 yards and a touchdown. Then, against Illinois, it was just 166 yards, but two scores. Still, if Ohio State keeps winning, he will keep getting Heisman hype.
6. Jeremiyah Love- Running Back- Notre Dame
Since the year 2000, only five non-quaeterback have won the award. It takes a myriad of circumstances to get a non-quarterback into contention. First, there has not be no clear front running quarterback. Currently, that could be possible if the top five guys continue to stay similar. Second, it takes an extraordinary season from the other play. The last time a running back won the away was in 2015 when Derrick Henry took the Heisman.
He ran for 2,219 yards and 29 touchdowns over 15 games that year. Love is on pace for 1,625 yards over 15 games and 20 touchdowns, which is well behind Henry's pace. He is still fifth in the nation in rushing and tied for eight in rushing touchdowns. Love is also coming off a 228 yards and one touchdown game. If he can have a few more of those, he will stay in the conversation. If not, his Heisman candidacy will be short lived.
7. Gunner Stockton- Quarterback- Georgia
Gunner Stockton worked his way back into the Heisman conversation against Ole Miss. He completed 83.9 percent of his passes for 289 yards and four scores. He also added a touchdown on the ground. On the year, he has passed for 1,553 yards. While he has just ten passing touchdowns, he also has seven running this season. His performance against Alabama will hurt him though, where he passed for just 130 yards and one score. Considering his game is more dual threat, he will need Pavia, who was better against Alabama to stumble. Regardless, if Georgia keeps winning, Stockton has an outside shot to take home the award.
