As the leaves begin to drop the Heisman race typically gains a sense of inevitability. Preseason favorites fall into a decomposing pile while leaders catch the light in crimson and gold, players piling up stats on contending teams as one narrative takes hold and the others are raked away.
Last year by this time it was a two-man race, two-way sensation Travis Hunter and ankle-breaking Bronco Ashton Jeanty. In 2025, Fernando Mendoza and Ty Simpson lead playoff contenders and Top Ten teams, and it becomes increasingly tough for anyone to unseat them unless they stumble.
Ty Simpson (Alabama) +320
Fernando Mendoza (Indiana) +340
Julian Sayin (Ohio State) +410
Marcel Reed (Texas A&M) +700
Gunner Stockton (Georgia) +1100
Diego Pavia (Vanderbilt) +1200
Dante Moore (Oregon) +1600
Jeremiyah Love (Notre Dame) +3000
Moore's odds ticked up slightly from +2000 after a strong performance at Rutgers.