The writers at Last Word on Sports have put forth the final Heisman Poll of the season. With the Heisman Trophy Presentation Ceremony upcoming on Saturday, December 12, at 7:00 PM EST live on ESPN, the official votes have been cast. Four finalists will make the trip to New York for the Heisman ceremony: Fernando Mendoza, Diego Pavia, Jeremiyah Love, and Julian Sayin.
The writers at Last Word saw things similarly, ranking the candidates in that order with one change, the addition of Texas Tech linebacker Jacob Rodriguez in the number two spot. The nuances of this year’s Heisman race have been well documented in our weekly column. Quarterback numbers are way down, top-ranked teams have their players prominently featured, and the idea of a player who plays significant defensive snaps winning in back-to-back years is borderline insane in the current landscape. So, it’s prediction time. Who will be the winner of college football’s most prestigious individual honor?
Week 15 Heisman Poll
An Ode To Rodriguez
Texas Tech’s best defense player is the best defensive player in the country, according to the Nagurski Award voters, as he walked away from that trophy presentation on Monday evening with the hardware. The fifth-year senior recorded 117 tackles, including 11 tackles for loss, a sack, and four interceptions. He recovered two fumbles, returning one for a touchdown, and forced a national best seven fumbles in 2025. It was a remarkable year for the leader of a Red Raiders defense that, along with the rest of the team, earned a first-round bye in the College Football Playoff after winning the Big 12 Championship Game.
Rodriguez got two carries on offense, as well, scoring touchdowns on both. The offensive versatility is often necessary for a primarily defensive star to earn a spot as a Heisman finalist. Unfortunately for Rodriguez, he did not quite have enough to make the trip to New York. But the writers here at Last Word gave high praise consistently down the stretch of the regular season. Something tells me Rodriguez is more concerned with preparing for Texas Tech’s run in the playoff than boasting personal achievements anyway.
The Impact of Championship Weekend
Much has been made about the lack of a need for conference championship games after the results only caused controversy in the final College Football Playoff Rankings. However, two of the four Heisman finalists faced off for the Big Ten Championship with one final opportunity for a signature Heisman moment. Both Mendoza and Sayin had lackluster performances in a game that ultimately ended in a 13-10 victory for Indiana. Both quarterbacks turned the ball over and struggled to really move the ball with consistency. Indiana’s run game was more productive, proving to be the edge the Hoosiers needed.
In a strange turn of events, it’s possible that the quarterback benefiting most from conference championship weekend wasn’t even playing. Entering the weekend, Pavia was tied in the odds market with Mendoza. With no quality moments happening over the weekend, voters may be inclined to take a deeper dive back into the season as a whole. The only silver lining for Mendoza is, like it or not, winning matters. With Indiana’s Big Ten Championship win, voters will look at him with positivity.
Predicting A Winner
The Heisman Trophy presentation can be an opportunity to honor Heisman finalists before rewarding a clear-cut winner who is widely expected to take home the honors. Not this year. All four candidates have a solid argument. Love’s numbers put him in Heisman running back territory, and he did so for Notre Dame, one of the most prominent programs in the history of the sport. Sometimes that helps. Sayin, leading another blue blood in Ohio State, quarterbacked an undefeated regular season and a College Football Playoff first-round bye.
However, the two leading candidates play for historical doormats in the college football world. Indiana and Vanderbilt are great stories of programs rising from the doldrums to compete at a high level in 2025. The storyline there is much easier to write. Everyone loves an underdog. In one case, Mendoza has quietly been the architect of a masterful season for the Hoosiers. His calm leadership sets the tone for an Indiana team that upgraded its overall talent after a loss in its opening playoff game in 2024. On the other hand, Pavia brings attitude and swagger as the undisputed MVP of the Commodores’ 10-2 season.
Two transfer quarterbacks. Two overachieving underdog programs. But only one winner. We will have immediate coverage of the Heisman Trophy winner on Saturday night following the presentation ceremony.
Main Image: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
