This week’s top five in the Last Word Heisman poll features four quarterbacks who all have one common quality: resilience. These signal callers all maneuvered their way into advantageous positions over the course of their respective careers. And then, there’s Julian Sayin, who represents a long list of Heisman candidates from THE Ohio State University. However, all five players on this week’s Heisman poll have their teams in the top ten of the AP Poll. Four of five are the top four teams in the nation: poised to be positioned atop the first College Football Playoff ranking on November 4th. Is a top ten team a requirement to be in the Heisman race? Or is it really about the individual player? Check out our breakdown to find out.
Week 9 Heisman Poll
The SEC Bias Honorable Mention: Gunner Stockton
Georgia has somehow found a way to fly under the radar in 2025. The 6-1 Bulldogs are a top-five team in the country according to the AP and have their eyes set on an SEC Championship and a run in the College Football Playoff. Leading the way for Kirby Smart’s team is quarterback Gunner Stockton. A longstanding relationship between offensive coordinator Mike Bobo and Stockton has brought chemistry to the offense in Athens. The junior leads the SEC with a 70.5% completion percentage and has protected the ball well with only one interception to 10 touchdown passes. As Georgia ascends, keep an eye on Stockton in the Heisman race.
#5 Julian Sayin, QB, Ohio State
Sayin is leading what is widely believed to be the best all-around team in college football, and, believe it or not, that could hurt his chances and the game’s greatest individual award. Our Heisman poll has Sayin slipping as the Buckeyes have steadily handled mediocre Big Ten competition. Amidst a bid for an undefeated season, the sophomore signal caller is completing an astounding 80% of his passes. He has thrown 19 touchdowns to only three interceptions. Ohio State and Sayin have, while dominating the polls at number one, lulled themselves out of the primary conversation due to a lack of exciting games in 2025. With the fall of Penn State, only “The Game,” which has plagued the Buckeyes of late, against Michigan in the final week of the season, holds any appeal against the competitive environments of the other Power 4 conferences. Sayin’s numbers are impressive, but a lack of eyeballs and opportunity for the well-known “Heisman moment” may leave him empty-handed in New York at the end of the season.
#4 Haynes King, QB, Georgia Tech
If you’re looking for the toughest player on the Heisman poll and the most valuable player to his specific team, look no further than Georgia Tech quarterback Haynes King. Like Ohio State, the Yellow Jackets lack an impressive schedule and a signature win. Their best win came earlier in the season against what is now a 3-4 Clemson team. King has been efficient as a passer, completing over 72% of his passes, but has only found the endzone through the air seven times. However, he is averaging 5.8 yards per carry and an ACC-best 12 touchdowns on the ground. King is clearly the go-to guy for Brent Key’s team. Their sights are set on a conference championship and playoff berth, but a rivalry weekend matchup with Georgia on November 29 could set King up with a Heisman moment… if he can stay high on the list of voters until then.
#3 Marcel Reed, QB, Texas A&M
Texas A&M stomped its way through Baton Rouge last Saturday night, ending the tenure of LSU coach Brian Kelly in the process. While Kelly’s firing has dominated headlines all week, it was the work of Aggie quarterback Marcel Reed that gave the Bayou Bengals the final straw. Reed had an average night throwing the ball as he found the endzone and LSU defensive backs twice each. However, he averaged over eight yards per carry and ran into the endzone a couple of times, as well. He does not always have the most impressive stat line, but Reed is the most exciting player to watch on this week’s Heisman poll. Four total touchdowns from a quarterback is a winning formula, and that is what Reed brings to the table. The Aggies are atop the SEC, and their quarterback finds a way to win every time.
#2 Ty Simpson, QB, Alabama
This Alabama team is not a Nick Saban team. In fact, it looks more like the Washington team that made its way to the national championship game after the 2023 season and landed Kalen DeBoer and, eventually, Ryan Grubb in Tuscaloosa. The quarterback whispering duo has the man for their system in Ty Simpson, and his numbers do not lie. An SEC leading 20 touchdowns and only one pick put Simpson undeniably near the top of the Heisman poll. However, like the other candidates, he needs a signature moment. Last week, the Tide barely escaped Columbia, SC, with a win against a struggling Gamecocks team. Now, Simpson and crew take a week off before hosting an LSU team that is a shell of its preseason expectations. Week 12 delivers a matchup between Alabama and Oklahoma that might be Simpson’s best shot to dazzle the Heisman voters.
#1 Fernando Mendoza, QB, Indiana
Improbable. Unexpected. Underdog. Winner. All of these words describe Curt Cignetti’s Indiana Hoosiers, led by Fernando Mendoza. The Miami kid has found a home in Bloomington by way of Berkley, CA. The path is nothing a script writer would have chosen, but somehow Mendoza’s story has become the best in the country. He leads the Big Ten with 24 touchdown passes to only three interceptions and is completing nearly 73% of his passes. But his numbers are not what make this well-traveled quarterback impressive. If a picture is worth a thousand words, the eye test on Mendoza is worth a season of articles. The brash arrogance of Hoosier head man Cignetti has ruffled the feathers of college football fans across the country, but the smooth finish of the Mendoza-led offense settles the crowd and pulls the common fan in to pull for the greatest underdog story in the 2025 football season.
Main Image: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
