Despite quarterbacks dominating the Heisman Trophy in recent years, Travis Hunter on Saturday night broke the streak of three straight wins by a signal-caller.
The award could, and probably will, swing back to the quarterback position in 2025. Here are fourteen contenders I’d highlight as favorites for the 2025 Heisman Trophy, which includes nine quarterbacks plus a quartet of wild cards. Let’s start with a guy who’s earned the ‘Superman’ nickname in SEC circles, harkening all the way back to Cam Newton in 2010.
For more college football coverage, stay tuned for Blake Brockermeyer’s Top 150 player rankings next week. Brockermeyer was a first-team All-American offensive lineman for the Texas Longhorns in 1994 and a first-round draft pick by the Carolina Panthers in 1995.
LaNorris Sellers
SC • QB • #16
6-3, 242
PASS YARDS2,274
PASS TD17
RUSH YARDS655
RUSH TD7
Sellers — the SEC’s latest ‘Superman’ — put together an impressive season as a first-year starter for the Gamecocks and will almost certainly enter the season as my No. 1 player and Heisman front-runner. Sellers is an effective passer but has elite athleticism to destroy defenses with his legs and shrug off defenders like Vince Young once did. He’s a big-time prospect who should only improve with development in the offseason. We’re looking at the best player South Carolina has had since Jadeveon Clowney.
View Profile
Garrett Nussmeier
LSU • QB • #13
6-2, 200
PASS YARDS3,739
PASS TD11
QBR RANK14th
Nussmeier is a surprise addition to the list. I expected him to leave early for the 2025 NFL Draft but he struggled down the stretch with turnovers. I love his gunslinger mentality and reminds me a little of Brett Farve in that regard. He has a big arm and can throw into high windows. I expect he will be surrounded by a solid supporting cast in 2025 and should put up big numbers and on big stages. Will be in the mix to be QB1 in the 2026 NFL Draft, too.
View Profile
Cade Klubnik
CLEM • QB • #2
6-2, 210
PASS YARDS3,303
PASS TD33
RUSH YARDS458
RUSH TD7
Klubnik quietly put together a really nice season for the Tigers, completing 64% of his passes and only throwing five interceptions. I expect Klubnik will be in the mix for an award Clemson has never won with an improved receiving corps and total command of the offense. The former five-star prospect is living up to the hype and could jumpstart his 2025 Heisman campaign if he makes noise in the College Football Playoff.
View Profile
Jeremiah Smith
OHIOST • WR • #4
6-3, 215
REC57
REC YARDS934
REC TD10
Smith is a match-up nightmare who can dominate the contested catches and reel in the one-handed catches in his sleep. The No. 1 recruit in 2024, Smith entered this season with a ton of hype after spring and summer workouts and did not disappoint, emerging as Ohio State’s go-to dude. Smith will have high expectations and a ton of deserved hype entering the season — but who will throw him the football?
View Profile
Dylan Sampson
TENN • RB • #6
5-11, 201
RUSH256
RUSH YARDS1,485
RUSH TD22
Sampson had a fantastic season for the Vols. I would not necessarily expected him to return to school but he obviously hasn’t declared yet with a CFP game on the horizon, and in today’s NIL world, you never know. Sampson led the SEC in rushing as a slasher who generally stays inside the tackles. He’s got terrific vision and balance with good-not-great speed and brings it every week.
View Profile
Jordan James
OREG • RB • #20
5-10, 210
RUSH226
RUSH YARDS1,253
RUSH TD15
I’m not who Oregon’s quarterback will be in 2025 and James could leave early for the draft after the season ends. One thing is for sure: the Ducks will have someone really good at both spots. Let’s say it’s James. He’s a highly effective running back who added 24 catches for over 200 yards this season. James is a powerful runner with a thick lower half with excellent vision and cutback skills. He’s a name to know if he returns and I think he’s still got some meat left on the bone as a college player.
View Profile
Drew Allar
PSU • QB • #15
6-5, 238
PASS YARDS2,894
PASS TD21
QBR RANK10th
Allar was much improved in 2024 under the direction of new offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki, who opened up the offense. But he still has not quite tapped his true potential. Allar has a strong arm and it’s a treat to watch him stand in the pocket and launch bazookas when he’s locked in. The former five-star could use a few more weapons around him (cue to Penn State fans nodding their heads in agreement). I’m expecting a big 2025 season for a quarterback who could go high in the 2026 draft.
View Profile
Nico Iamaleava
TENN • QB • #8
6-6, 215
PASS YARDS2,512
PASS TD19
QBR RANK35th
The former No. 2 recruit in the 2023 class had a solid redshirt freshman campaign, though I think he left plenty of production and “wow” moments on the table. He’ll have everybody opportunity to make a run at the Heisman in 2025 and I would expect a large jump as he gets more and more comfortable in Josh Heupel’s offense. Let’s see if he can use the CFP as a launchpad for that; an opening win vs. Ohio State and a trip back to native California for the Rose Bowl would make quite the statement.
View Profile
DJ Lagway
FLA • QB • #2
6-3, 239
Lagway has been as advertised as the top-ranked QB in the 2024 class and just earned 247Sports True Freshman All-America Team honors. He’s trending towards being a very high pick in two seasons if he continues to develop but until then he’s got the chance to be the face of a Florida turnaround and one of the best QBs in the country. The big-framed dual-threat QB has plenty of big-name teams on the docket next year to deliver a Heisman moment or two.
View Profile
Kevin Jennings
SMU • QB • #7
6-0, 189
PASS YARDS3,050
PASS TD22
RUSH YARDS379
RUSH TD5
Jennings was one of the biggest surprises in 2024 considering he was not named the starter until the thirrd game of the year. The dual-threat figures to improve even more in 2025 after a year of playing time and understanding the intricate details of Rhett Lashlee’s blistering offense even better. Jennings is anA accurate passer who throws the ball on the move well. An area for improvement next year is his decision-making when under pressure. Has a chance to become America’s sweetheart if he engineers a road upset at Penn State next week in the first round of the CFP.
View Profile
Arch Manning
TEXAS • QB • #16
6-4, 225
PASS YARDS939
PASS TD9
RUSH TD4
No one will create more hype entering the season than Arch Manning given his lasts name, his his dual-threat ability and the immense talent surrounding him. Sarkisian is an elite schemer and there is no doubt there will be lots of green grass for Manning to throw to, but is he the elite quarterback developer we all thought? I’m concerned the plateauing of Quinn Ewers is in some ways an indictment on Sarkisian. Manning will have high expectations but we might be a year early on truly realistic expectations. Texas’ schedule in 2025 figures to be extremely difficult – at Ohio State, at Florida, at Georgia – and so Texas either has chances at a Heisman opportunity for Manning or, on the other side of the coin, the Longhorns may struggle to make the CFP, which would dim Manning’s Heisman hopes.
View Profile
Ryan Williams
BAMA • WR • #2
Williams started off the year with some highlight catches that put the nation on notice but faded a little as the season went on. Williams is a highly athletic receiver who can track and catch contested balls and has the speed to separate with green grass ahead of him. Williams is expected to be a major part of Alabama’s offense that should air it out a bit more considering Ty Simpson won’t need the QB run baked into the gameplan. Williams enrolled late so expect a bigger, faster, stronger version of himself in 2025 as he turns, yes, 18-years-old.
View Profile
Quinn Ewers
TEXAS • QB • #3
6-2, 210
PASS YARDS2,665
PASS TD25
QBR RANK33rd
Multiple reports have Ewers as likely to declare for the 2025 NFL Draft, but there’s still lots of chatter about him coming back to try to increase his draft stock. If he does, it won’t be at Texas. Ewers has done some terrific things through three years that put him on the Mount Rushmore of Texas QBs, yet there’s still a nagging sense in Austin that he has not lived up to the hype coming out of high school as the No. 1 recruit. Nagging injuries over three years (including currently, when an ankle and probably still his oblique are bothering him) put me in the camp that think Ewers should try once more for a fresh slate in a different location and try to lift his draft stock back to Round 1 territory. He was the Heisman favorite after a Week 2 win at Michigan but just has not looked the same since suffering an injury in the next game.
View Profile
Caleb Downs
OHIOST • S • #2
6-0, 205
SOLO TKLS33
INT1
PUNT RET TD1
A finalist for the Thorpe and Bednarik awards, Downs is most definitely the biggest long-shot of the group as a safety but is an excellent player on the backend in both phases and also returns punts, which could give him a slight chance if he excels. Ohio State loses some key pieces on their defense and the spotlight will be bright on Downs. His numbers are way down from his freshman year at Alabama but if he could get back to that level of play in 2025 and add a handful of punt return touchdowns, then a Heisman run is possible, albeit unlikely. There was talk Downs could play situationally as a running back this year. That never happened. Maybe the Buckeyes try to get their Travis Hunter on and give him the rock!
View Profile
Read the full article here
