Indiana University quarterback Fernando Mendoza is the first player in the 2025 College Football season to shorten to a minus-money favorite in Heisman odds.
Top online sportsbooks have Mendoza from +100 to -115 in Heisman odds, ahead of last week’s odds leader and top challenger, Ohio State’s Julian Sayin.
Key Takeaways
- Nearly nine times out of 10, one of Mendoza or Sayin will win the Heisman.
- Texas Tech LB Jacob Rodrgiuez could throw a wrench into the race with his performances.
- Marcel Reed is clinging onto third following Texas A&M’s historic comeback win against South Carolina.
| FanDuel | BetMGM | Caesars | bet365 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fernando Mendoza | +100 | -115 | +100 | -115 |
| Julian Sayin | +200 | +225 | +200 | +200 |
| Marcel Reed | +550 | +500 | +575 | +500 |
| Diego Pavia | +1500 | +2200 | +1200 | +2000 |
| Gunner Stockton | +2500 | +2500 | +2000 | +2500 |
| Haynes King | +3300 | +3500 | +2800 | +3300 |
| Jeremiyah Love | +4000 | +4000 | +3500 | +3300 |
| Jacob Rodrgiuez | +10000 | +12500 | +4000 | - |
| Ty Simpson | +15000 | +15000 | +8000 | +15000 |
In what could potentially be the most pivotal week of the Heisman race, Mendoza has finally pulled away as the out-and-out favorite. Over the last month, he, Sayin, and Alabama’s Ty Simpson had been stuck in a near-deadlock.
Mendoza’s surge in odds to win the Heisman comes on the back of another dominant performance, during which he went 22-24 for 299 yards and four touchdowns in a 31-7 win over Wisconsin.
Sayin didn’t play up to his usual standard, going 23-31 for 184 yards and a touchdown in a 48-10 win over UCLA. Notably, his top target and one of the public’s most popular picks to win the Heisman, wide receiver Jeremiah Smith Jr., left the game early with a hamstring injury after he’d been listed as questionable on the pre-game availability report.
Using bet365’s Heisman odds, there’s an implied 86.8% chance that either Mendoza (53.5%) or Sayin (33.3%) will win this year’s trophy. Reed, who is next in line, has an implied 16.7% chance.
The Texas A&M quarterback appeared to be on a furious run out of the Heisman race as he and his teammates trailed unranked South Carolina 30-3 at halftime on Saturday. He was only 6-19 passing with two interceptions after the first two quarters, yet he finished 22-39 for 439 yards, three TDs, and two INTs in the 31-30 win, marking the program’s largest comeback victory.
Simpson wasn’t as fortunate. His remarkable fall from as low as +350 last week to about +15000 was cemented after he went 28-42 for 326 yards, a touchdown, and an interception in a 23-21 home loss to No. 11 Oklahoma.
Will a defensive player win the Heisman?
One of the hottest topics in the world of college football is the improbable Heisman campaign of Texas Tech linebacker Jacob Rodriguez.
The senior from Wichita Falls, Texas, recorded nine tackles, an interception, a pass deflection, and a rushing touchdown during Saturday’s 48-9 win over UCF. Rodriguez, who is tied for the third-most tackles among Power Conference schools, now has a remarkable season line of 97 tackles, seven forced fumbles, six pass deflections, four interceptions, a sack, a fumble-six, and a rushing touchdown.
There’s only been one defensive player who won the Heisman trophy: Michigan defensive back Charles Woodson in 1997. Colorado’s Travis Hunter played offense and defense full-time during his 2024 Heisman-winning season.
The remaining Heisman candidates
Despite another stat-stuffing weekend from Rodriguez, Vanderbilt QB Diego Pavia is the top challenger to the lead pack. He did not play last weekend following a career-defining day in an overtime win against Auburn.
Georgia’s Gunner Stockton made up ground, moving from +3000 last week to +2500 at most sportsbooks after he racked up five total touchdowns and an interception in a dominant 35-10 win against No. 10 Texas.
Georgia Tech QB Haynes King and Notre Dame RB Jeremiyah Love are the only players remaining with realistic chances to win the Heisman. King had 424 total yards and a touchdown in a comeback win against Boston College, while Love ran 23 times for 147 yards and a touchdown in a 37-15 win against No. 22 Pitt.
