Are you tired of hearing about the House case and the latest on how the College Football Playoff will expand? Okay, let’s be honest: you’re college football junkies like us. That is why you are reading in the middle of Summer. You and your friends probably enjoy arguing and debating about these stories. Let’s take a break from the theoretical and take a look at the gridiron. Fanduel put out its 2025 Heisman odds for the season. Last year, we had a two-horse race between two-way phenom Travis Hunter and one of the best running backs in recent memory, Ashton Jeanty.
For 2025, it’s all about the quarterbacks, well, mostly. Nine of the top ten players with the best odds to win the 2025 Heisman are signal callers. We have just one wide receiver in the group. One day, we may have another big skill guy like Orlando Pace get some love, but we are not holding our collective breath. The Big Ten and SEC also dominate the list. The SEC has five favorites, the Big Ten has four, and the ACC has one. Before we get to our 2025 list, here are two names that could emerge from the rest of college football.
- CJ Carr, QB Notre Dame Fighting Irish: Grandson of a national championship-winning coach at Michigan and quarterback at Notre Dame. Who needs the luck of the Irish?
- Sam Leavitt, QB, Arizona State Sun Devils: Cameron Skattebo is gone in Tempe; it’s Leavitt’s show now. The Sun Devils are the favorite to win the Big 12 and return to the College Football Playoff.
2025 Heisman Watch: A First Look
#10 Dante Moore, QB, Oregon Ducks
Relationships matter. Moore was initially committed to Oregon before a late flip to UCLA in January 2023. He started fast with the Bruins, leading them to a 3-0 start before fading as the season went on. The Detroit native finished the season passing for 1,610 yards, with 11 touchdowns and nine interceptions in nine games. He transferred to Oregon after the season and sat behind Dillon Gabriel’s Heisman run last year. The Ducks will have expectations again in 2025, despite possibly being without wide receiver Evan Stewart.
#9 LaNorris Sellers, QB, South Carolina Gamecocks
Sometimes it’s not all about the money. Reports surfaced in recent weeks that LaNorris Sellers was offered upwards of $8 million to transfer away from South Carolina after the 2024 season. The South Carolina native stayed true to his roots. The pride of South Florence High School native was electric in his first year as the Gamecock started leading them to a 9-4 season. Sellers passed for 2,534 yards and 18 touchdowns and showed his duel-threat capability with 674 rushing yards and seven touchdowns. If the Gamecocks remain hot in 2025, look for Sellers to shoot up the 2025 Heisman list.
#8 John Mateer, QB, Oklahoma Sooners
Brent Venables and Oklahoma are once again hitting the reset button in Norman. Venables hit the transfer portal, bringing in a new offensive coordinator and quarterback to turn the Sooners’ fortunes around in 2025. Mateer and Ben Arbuckle were a perfect pair last year for Washington State. Mateer led the NCAA with 44 total touchdowns. Like Sellers, he is another dual-threat quarterback. He completed 224 of 347 pass attempts (64.6%) for 3,139 yards and 29 touchdowns, while also rushing 178 times for 826 yards and 15 touchdowns. The SEC isn’t the 2 Pac. We’ll see how well Mateer and Arbuckle translate.
#7 DJ Lagway, QB, Florida Gators
Another SEC coach will be looking to his quarterback to keep him off the hot seat. Billy Napier had difficulty finding traction in his first two years in Gainesville, failing to win six games or make a Bowl Game. 2024 offered a glimmer of hope, and most of it was thanks to his young quarterback. Lagway was 6-1 as the Gators’ starter and finished passing for 1915 yards, 12 touchdowns, and nine interceptions. His health will be key as the Gators face one of the toughest schedules in the nation.
#6 Julian Sayin, QB, Ohio State University
Sayin was one of the prize recruits of the Class of 2024. He was a five-star and the second-ranked quarterback in the class. He initially committed and enrolled at Alabama before taking his talents north to Columbus when Nick Saban retired. Sayin is now going to have the opportunity to show his skills as QB1 of the Buckeyes. The Buckeyes are always loaded on offense, highlighted by wide receiver Jeremiah Smith. Sayin will get his first opportunity to showcase his talent when the Buckeyes open their season at home against another 2025 Heisman-favorite, Arch Manning.
#5 Drew Allar, QB, Penn State University
Drew Allar is the top-ranked quarterback in the NCAA 2025 football game. While some may think there are better choices, including many on this list. Regardless of the opinions and the rankings, Allar did lead Penn State to two wins in last year’s College Football Playoff. The challenge will now be to see if he can help the Nittany Lions claim the Big Ten Title and bring Penn State their first national championship since 1986.
#4 Jeremiah Smith, WR, The Ohio State University
The best freshman wide receiver in the Class of 2024 was not the 17-year-old from Alabama. Instead, it was Jeremiah Smith who looked like he was playing with a cheat code all season. Smith finished the year with 76 receptions for 1,315 yards and 15 touchdowns and averaged 17.3 yards per reception. The Ohio State will be one of the best teams in the country, and Smith should get plenty of good press to put him in the running for the 2025 Heisman.
#3 Cade Klubnik, QB, Clemson Tigers
Little old Clemson continues to find a way to stay relevant in the ever-changing landscape of college football. Let’s face it, Clemson is the ACC’s only hope, and Dabo Swinney and Cade Klubnik are the only team that can likely stand toe-to-toe with the Big Ten or SEC. (Yes, we know about Miami and their money spending, but let’s face it, Mario Cristobal is still gonna Cristobal.) Klubnik is old for college football. A three-year starter who has experienced all of the ups and downs of college football. Klubnik is accurate with the football, completing almost 70% of the passes he has thrown. He has also passed for 7,426 yards and 86 touchdowns, with just seven interceptions. He can also run the ball, racking up 1,319 rushing yards and 31 touchdowns. The ACC needs a big year to continue to stay relevant in college football in 2025. Klbunik and Clemson are the key.
#2 Garrett Nussmeier, QB, LSU Tigers
Nuss for Heisman. We’ve heard the narrative through many media outlets this offseason. If LSU is going to look to match their baseball team’s success and play for a national championship, it’s gonna be due to the success of Nussmeier. Nuss had a nice year in 2024. He led LSU to a 9-4 year and racked up the stats. Passing for 4,052 passing yards, 29 touchdowns, and just 12 interceptions. He will need to play his best against the best, though. He was a non-factor against Alabama. If he can elevate his game against the best, the Tigers could be dancing again, and Nuss can find his way to New York for the Heisman ceremony.
#1 Arch Manning, QB, Texas Longhorns
What can we say? The kid has some hype. He has an iconic last name. He is playing for one of the biggest brands in college football. Texas will likely be ranked preseason #1 heading into the season. Unlike their Big Ten counterpart in Columbus, they will be featured on plenty of primetime games for the nation to see. If Arch Manning can live up to the sizzle and the hype, then the sky is the limit. Manning is a triple-threat to opposing defenses that he can beat with his mind, arm, and legs. Manning for Heisman, it seems like we’ve seen this one before? Maybe again in 2025.
Main Photo: Ken Ruinard / staff / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
