And the person who hoisted it made a little bit of history, too.
Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza won the 2025 Heisman Trophy, with the announcement capping off a ceremony on Saturday, Dec. 13 from Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Appel Room in New York City.
Watch the Heisman Trophy ceremony live with Fubo (free trial)
Mendoza beat out fellow Heisman finalists Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia, Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love and Ohio State quarterback Julian Sayin for the honor.
Mendoza becomes the first Indiana player to ever win the Heisman.
Pavia finished in second place — with 1,435 points, to Mendoza’s 2,392 — while Love and Sayin finished third and fourth, respectively.
Each of the four finalists was from a team that won at least 10 games this season. With Mendoza’s victory, 13 of the past 16 Heisman recipients have been quarterbacks. Love’s the latest running back to fall short of an award that hasn’t gone to a ball-carrier since Derrick Henry in 2015.
USA TODAY Sports provided live updates from the Heisman Trophy ceremony. Here are the highlights:
Heisman Trophy ceremony live updates
This section will be updated throughout the show.
Fernando Mendoza Heisman speech
Here’s a look at some of the highlights of Fernando Mendoza’s Heisman acceptance speech, including him recognizing his mother, who has multiple sclerosis, and speaking in Spanish to his grandparents (Mendoza is of Cuban descent and grew up in Miami):
Heisman Trophy voting results
Fernando Mendoza finishes first in Heisman Trophy balloting, followed, in order, by Diego Pavia, Jeremiyah Love and Julian Sayin. Here are the full results:
- Fernando Mendoza: 2,392 points (643 first-place)
- Diego Pavia: 1,435 (189)
- Jeremiyah Love: 719 (46)
- Julian Sayin: 432 (8)
- Jacob Rodriguez: 295 (17)
- Jeremiah Smith: 84 (4)
- Gunner Stockton: 43 (3)
- Trinidad Chambliss: 23 (2)
- Caleb Downs: 22 (2)
- Haynes King: 18 (2)
Fernando Mendoza wins 2025 Heisman Trophy
And the Heisman Trophy goes to Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza. A Cal transfer in his first year with the Hoosiers, Mendoza has thrown for 2,980 yards, an FBS-leading 33 touchdowns and six interceptions for an Indiana team that’s the No. 1 overall seed in the College Football Playoff.
He’s Indiana’s first-ever Heisman winner.
Diego Pavia brings Vanderbilt offensive line to Heisman ceremony
A good quarterback is nothing without a good offensive line. Diego Pavia knows as much and has his Vanderbilt offensive line with him in New York City for the Heisman Trophy ceremony.
How long is the Heisman ceremony?
The Heisman ceremony lasts one hour, with the award typically being handed out with about 10 or 15 minutes remaining in the program.
Julian Sayin Heisman outfit
Here’s a look at what Ohio State quarterback Julian Sayin is wearing at the Heisman Trophy ceremony:
Jeremiyah Love Heisman outfit
Here’s a look at what Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love is wearing at the Heisman Trophy ceremony:
Diego Pavia Heisman outfit
Here’s a look at what Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia is wearing at the Heisman Trophy ceremony (the man looks like he’s suiting up to appear on a Death Row Records magazine cover from the 1990s):
Fernando Mendoza Heisman outfit
Here’s a look at what Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza is wearing at the Heisman Trophy ceremony:
Heisman Trophy odds
Here’s a look at the Heisman Trophy odds, according to BetMGM, with Fernando Mendoza standing as the favorite heading into the ceremony:
- Fernando Mendoza, -1200
- Diego Pavia, +700
- Jeremiyah Love, +15000
- Julian Sayin, +50000
What college has the most Heisman Trophy winners?
USC has the most Heisman Trophy winners of any college, with eight. Caleb Williams in 2022 provided the Trojans with their most recent Heisman recipient. Williams was the fourth USC player to hoist the Heisman since 2002.
Notre Dame or Ohio State could tie the Trojans tonight if Jeremiyah Love or Julian Sayin takes home the award.
Here are the top five schools with the most Heisman winners:
- 1. USC, 8
- T-2. Ohio State, 7
- T-2. Notre Dame, 7
- T-2. Oklahoma, 7
- 5. Alabama, 4
Who’s up for the Heisman Trophy this year?
The Heisman Trophy is down to four finalists:
- Indiana QB Fernando Mendoza
- Vanderbilt QB Diego Pavia
- Notre Dame RB Jeremiyah Love
- Ohio State QB Julian Sayin
Those four finished as the leading vote-getters for the award, though the winner won’t be announced until tonight. The rest of the top 10 went as follows:
- 5. Texas Tech LB Jacob Rodriguez
- 6. Ohio State WR Jeremiah Smith
- 7. Georgia QB Gunner Stockton
- 8. Mississippi QB Trinidad Chambliss
- 9. Ohio State S Caleb Downs
- 10. Georgia Tech QB Haynes King
What time does Heisman Trophy ceremony start?
- Date: Saturday, Dec. 13
- Time: 7 p.m. ET
- Where: Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Appel Room (New York City)
The Heisman Trophy Ceremony is scheduled to begin at 7 p.m. ET on Saturday, Dec. 13 from Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Appel Room in New York City.
What TV channel is the Heisman Trophy ceremony on today?
- TV channel: ABC
- Livestream: Fubo (free trial)
The Heisman Trophy ceremony will air on ABC. Streaming options for the game include Fubo, which carries ABC and offers a free trial to new subscribers.
Heisman Trophy predictions
Craig Meyer, USA TODAY Sports: Fernando Mendoza
There’s no player in the country more important to their team than Diego Pavia, but Mendoza’s impressive and efficient numbers while quarterbacking the nation’s No. 1 team will put him over the top in what should be a close race.
