As the 2025 college football season moves towards the postseason, that means its almost time to see the 2025 Heisman Trophy nominees. The award has been presented every year since 1935 to the player who best exhibits “the pursuit of excellence with integrity.” With conference championships and the College Football Playoff on the horizon, the race for the 91st Heisman is heating up. We have the Heisman Awards TV schedule, past winners, and other fun facts for you to check out.
2025 Heisman Trophy TV Schedule: When and Where to Watch the Ceremony
The 2025 Heisman Trophy ceremony is the capstone of the college football awards season, where the top four finalists are whittled down to one winner. For 2025, the finalists will be revealed on Monday, December 8. The main event airs live from New York City on Saturday, December 13, at 7 p.m. ET on ABC. Of note, this will be the first time the ceremony will be broadcast on the network. This shift from ESPN (which has aired it for the past four years) is expected to have a bit more reach across the U.S.
Pre-ceremony Heisman coverage typically kicks off around 6 p.m. ET, with red carpet arrivals and player interviews. Options to watch the event if not by a television include: streaming the event on platforms like ESPN+, YouTube TV, or Fubo if you’re not near a TV. Expect the usual pomp: emotional speeches, highlight reels, and that iconic moment when the winner hoists the stiff-arming statue.
Nominees: Top Contenders in the 2025 Race
Unlike some awards, the Heisman doesn’t have an official “nominee” list until the finalists are announced in early December. But with college football Week 12 in progress at the time of this writing, betting odds and expert rankings have solidified the frontrunners. This year’s field is filled with quarterbacks leading high-scoring offenses.
Based on the latest odds and midseason evaluations, here are the top five Heisman contenders heading into the final stretch:
| Rank | Player | Position | School | Why They’re in the Mix |
| 1 | Fernando Mendoza | QB | Indiana | The Hoosiers’ signal-caller has reclaimed the top spot with a league-leading 4,200+ passing yards and 35 TDs, engineering comeback wins that have Indiana eyeing the Big Ten title. |
| 2 | Julian Sayin | QB | Ohio State | A freshman phenom transferring from Alabama, Sayin’s efficiency (68% completion, 28 TDs) has the Buckeyes unbeaten and him atop Big Ten odds boards. |
| 3 | Marcel Reed | QB | Texas A&M | Dual-threat wizard with 2,800 passing yards and 900 rushing, Reed’s heroics in SEC tilts make him a dark horse for the Aggies’ playoff push. |
| 4 | Ty Simpson | QB | Alabama | Jalen Milroe’s successor has thrown for 3,500 yards and 30 TDs, keeping the Tide in the national championship conversation despite a rocky start. |
| 5 | Diego Pavia | QB | Vanderbilt | The gritty leader has Vanderbilt (yes, Vanderbilt) at 8-2, with 2,200 passing and 600 rushing yards—embodying the Heisman’s “excellence with integrity” ethos. |
Honorable mentions include Oregon’s Dante Moore, Oklahoma’s John Mateer, and Ole Miss’ Trinidad Chambliss, who could surge with strong finishes. The race favors Big Ten and SEC stars, as it often does, but upsets in rivalry week could shake things up.
List of Heisman Trophy Winners (Last 10 Years)
The Heisman has picked winners for nine decades, with Ohio State, Oklahoma, Notre Dame, and USC tied for the most winners at seven each. Below are the most recent recipients over the past 10 years:
| Year | Winner | Position | School |
| 2015 | Derrick Henry | RB | Alabama |
| 2016 | Lamar Jackson | QB | Louisville |
| 2017 | Baker Mayfield | QB | Oklahoma |
| 2018 | Kyler Murray | QB | Oklahoma |
| 2019 | Joe Burrow | QB | LSU |
| 2020 | DeVonta Smith | WR | Alabama |
| 2021 | Bryce Young | QB | Alabama |
| 2022 | Caleb Williams | QB | USC |
| 2023 | Jayden Daniels | QB | LSU |
| 2024 | Travis Hunter | CB/WR | Colorado |
For the complete list of all 89 Heisman Trophy winners dating back to 1935, you can check it out on ESPN here.
Facts: Did You Know?
- Origins and Design: Named after legendary coach John Heisman, the trophy was modeled after 1934 NYU player Ed Smith. It’s 13.5 inches tall, weighs 25-45 pounds (depending on the replica), and depicts a player in eternal stiff-arm glory.
- Voting Breakdown: 870 media members from six U.S. regions plus 61 former winners cast ballots in November. Points are awarded on a 2-1-0 scale for top three picks—simple, but it sparks endless debate.
- Rare Feats: Archie Griffin (Ohio State, 1974–75) is the only two-time winner. Tim Tebow (2007) was the first sophomore; Johnny Manziel (2012) the first freshman. At 19, Jameis Winston (2013) is the youngest ever.
- Diversity Milestones: Reggie Bush (2005) was the first Black running back to win unanimously. DeVonta Smith (2020) was the first wide receiver since Desmond Howard (1991) and the first Black non-QB/RB winner.
- Curses and Legends: The “Heisman Curse” jokes that winners slump in the NFL (e.g., O.J. Simpson aside), but studs like Derrick Henry and Lamar Jackson have debunked it.
The 2025 Heisman promises to come down to the final regular season games for all of the players in contention. They will all be playing in either post-season college football bowl games or the 2025-26 College football playoff as well.
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