As we reach the conclusion to college football’s regular season, the chase for the Heisman Trophy continues to take shape.
Although Week 13 didn’t bring the most exciting slate of games, fans still saw shifts to the College Football Playoff picture and incredible individual performances to boot. No showing was more impressive than Notre Dame’s 70-point performance against Syracuse where star running back Jeremiyah Love found the end zone three times and asserted his standing as one of the most talented players in the nation.
Quarterbacks in the Big Ten and SEC have dominated Heisman talks over the year, continuing to do so even with Love’s increasing rise. Indiana and Fernando Mendoza had the week off after moving to 11-0 last week with a win over Wisconsin. In Week 13, Ohio State’s Julian Sayin underwhelmed although the Buckeyes kept on rolling with a substantial win over Rutgers. Without much on the Big Ten front from a Heisman perspective, Vanderbilt’s Diego Pavia went off for a career game as the Commodores stomped Kentucky. He’s put up eye-opening numbers throughout the season and seems to put together an even better performance each week.
Without further ado, here are the top five candidates for college football’s highest honor with Week 13 in the rearview:
5. Jacob Rodriguez — LB, Texas Tech
- Season stats: 97 tackles, one sack, seven forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries, six pass deflections and four interceptions. Two total touchdowns (one defensive, one rushing).
- Week 13 stats: Idle
Rodriguez and Texas Tech had the week off after the senior linebacker made a Heisman statement last week. In a blowout win over UCF, he scored his first career offensive touchdown when Red Raiders coach Joey McGuire decided to put him in at quarterback for a play. Rodriguez punched in a rushing score and rightfully hit the Heisman pose after. It’s difficult for any defensive player to make a winning case for college football’s top honor, but Rodriguez deserves to be in the conversation with his dominant year as Texas Tech sits at 10-1 ahead of a finale against West Virginia next week.
4. Diego Pavia — QB, Vanderbilt
- Season stats: 2,924 passing yards, 26 touchdowns and six interceptions. Eight rushing touchdowns with 661 yards on 132 carries.
- Week 13 stats: 33-for-39 passing, 484 yards, five touchdowns and one interception. One rushing touchdown on 15 carries for 48 yards (45-17 win over Kentucky).
Pavia put on an offensive show yet again as he led Vanderbilt to a decisive victory over Kentucky Saturday. He accounted for each of the Commodores’ six touchdowns—throwing for five and rushing for one—and threw for a career-high 484 yards in the win. He’s let everyone know that his Heisman case is for real over the season and did so yet again against the Wildcats when he hit the classic pose after one of his passing scores.
“He’s the best player in the country and deserves to be in the Heisman conversation," Vandy coach Clark Lea said of his quarterback via ESPN and the Associated Press. "He tips the field when he steps on it. There’s only a few players in the world that when the ball’s in your hand that they can take over a game, and he’s done that repeatedly here.”
Pavia’s 34 total touchdowns on the year are just one shy of Mendoza’s mark (more on him in a moment) and despite Vandy’s losses to Alabama and Texas, there’s no question he’s a true Heisman candidate.
3. Julian Sayin — QB, Ohio State
- Season stats: 2,832 passing yards, 27 touchdowns and four interceptions.
- Week 13 stats: 13-for-19 passing, 157 yards and two touchdowns (42-9 win over Rutgers).
Sayin’s November numbers won’t wow you, but he continues to be the nation’s most efficient passer as the star sophomore leads the top-ranked Buckeyes. He threw for less than 200 yards for the second straight week as production has dipped a bit since he put together two four-touchdown games in a row against Wisconsin and Penn State in the middle of Ohio State’s schedule.
Nevertheless, Sayin is completing 79.4% of his throws this season, the top mark across college football. If he’s able to keep OSU perfect and lead the Buckeyes to their first victory over archenemy Michigan in four years next week, he should find himself in New York.
2. Jeremiyah Love — RB, Notre Dame
- Season stats: 1,306 rushing yards and 17 touchdowns on 185 carries. Three receiving touchdowns with 274 yards on 26 receptions.
- Week 13 stats: Eight carries for 171 yards and three touchdowns (70-7 win over Syracuse).
In a Heisman race that has been mostly dominated by top Big Ten and SEC quarterbacks, Love has cemented himself as debatably the best player in the nation. His big day against Syracuse on Saturday may have been his Heisman moment, rushing for three scores including touchdown runs of 68 and 45 yards as the Fighting Irish scored 70 points to demolish the Orange.
THE POWER OF LOVE 🫶
— Notre Dame Football (@NDFootball) November 22, 2025
HIS THIRD TOUCHDOWN OF THE DAY 💚#GoIrish☘️ | @JeremiyahLove pic.twitter.com/vaL8Wxe6WY
He needed just eight carries to rush for 171 yards on the day. The ironic part is that Love and the Irish offense took a while to get to work as Notre Dame’s defense and special teams combined for three touchdowns before the offense ran a single play.
Love had a big day against Pittsburgh last week, too, rushing for 147 yards and a score. The Irish are on a nine-game winning streak after they dropped the first two games of the season against Miami and Texas A&M. The early losses made Love’s Heisman hopes a long shot, but he’s all the way toward the top of the conversation with just one game to go.
1. Fernando Mendoza — QB, Indiana
- Season stats: 2,641 passing yards, 35 touchdowns (five rushing) and five interceptions.
- Week 13 stats: Idle
The 11-0 Hoosiers had the week off, but that doesn’t change Mendoza’s standing as the current Heisman favorite. Last week, the Cal transfer threw for four scores and 299 yards in a 31-7 win over Wisconsin. Indiana needs just one more victory to complete a perfect regular season, with a win needed in a trip to Purdue next week to finish the job.
Mendoza is tied for the most touchdown throws in the nation (30) with Baylor’s Sawyer Robertson, but the latter threw two interceptions in a blowout loss to Arizona Saturday. IU’s QB has accounted for 35 touchdowns in total to just five picks as he’s taken the Hoosiers to new heights after a College Football Playoff appearance last year. As one of the best stories across college football this season, Mendoza’s efficiency and dazzling play makes him a top choice to become this year’s Heisman winner.
Others considered: Marcel Reed (QB, Texas A&M), Gunner Stockton (QB, Georgia), Jeremiah Smith (WR, Ohio State)
More College Football on Sports Illustrated
Listen to SI’s new college sports podcast, Others Receiving Votes, below or on Apple and Spotify. Watch the show on SI’s YouTube channel.
This article was originally published on www.si.com as Heisman Trophy Rankings After Week 13: Jeremiyah Love Runs Straight to New York.
