Dec 21, 2024; Austin, Texas, USA; Texas Longhorns quarterback Arch Manning (16) takes the sector earlier than the sport between the Texas Longhorns and the Clemson Tigers within the CFP Nationwide Playoff First Spherical at Darrell Okay Royal-Texas Memorial Stadium. Necessary Credit score: Jerome Miron-Imagn Pictures The Heisman Trophy grew to become an more and more homogeneous honor by the primary quarter of the twenty first century. The highest two contenders for the Heisman in 2024 defied conference, as a Group of 5 working again (Boise State’s Ashton Jeanty) and a two-way playmaker from a crew out of the nationwide title race (winner Travis Hunter from Colorado) made for one of the crucial fascinating competitions in current reminiscence.
Would possibly final season sign the start of a pattern during which the main Heisman candidates don’t must be quarterbacks in offenses constructed to inflate the place’s numbers? And may Group of 5 gamers realistically enter the fray after 11 years handed between any such candidates reaching New York?
Whereas final season’s race is unlikely to turn into the norm, the early frontrunners for 2025 embrace some unconventional names alongside the standard Heisman contenders.
QB Arch Manning, Texas
On-field manufacturing actually issues for constructing a Heisman argument, however even the best candidates want hype to get to New York. Maybe no participant will head into the 2025 season with extra hype than Arch Manning, the previous No. 1 total recruit poised to quarterback Texas after its run to the nationwide semifinals.
Manning whet the appetites of these wanting to see him command the Longhorns full-time with 61 completions on 60 go makes an attempt final season, gaining 939 yards and scoring 9 touchdowns. The eventualities he’ll face in 2025 will differ from the conditions Manning encountered in restricted enjoying time as a freshman, however what he was in a position to present in 2024 seemed worthy of the hype.
QB Cade Klubnik, Clemson
Nov 16, 2024; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Clemson Tigers quarterback Cade Klubnik (2) passes towards the Pittsburgh Panthers through the first quarter at Acrisure Stadium. Necessary Credit score: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Pictures After a middling 2023, Cade Klubnik quietly produced a number of the most spectacular passing numbers of any quarterback within the FBS in 2024. With 36 touchdowns towards solely six interceptions, Klubnik’s 6-to-1 touchdown-to-interception ratio outpaced ACC counterpart and Heisman finalist Cam Ward (39 touchdowns, seven interceptions).
Klubnik additionally completed within the prime 10 nationally for whole passing yards with 3,639—simply 26 fewer than Trevor Lawrence threw for in a single further sport in 2019. Ought to Klubnik preserve comparable numbers whereas main Clemson within the playoff hunt, count on him to be on the forefront of Heisman chatter.
QB Josh Hoover, TCU
Nov 23, 2024; Fort Price, Texas, USA; TCU Horned Frogs quarterback Josh Hoover (10) throws a go earlier than the sport towards the Arizona Wildcats at Amon G. Carter Stadium. Necessary Credit score: Tim Heitman-Imagn Pictures In 2023, TCU endured the type of runner-up hunch normally reserved for Tremendous Bowl losers. The Horned Frogs’ rebound to win 9 video games in 2024 coincided with Josh Hoover’s maturation right into a prolific passer.
The strides Hoover made in his first season with Kendal Briles as TCU’s offensive coordinator resulted within the quarterback flirting with 4,000 yards whereas passing for 27 touchdowns. One other leap in manufacturing in 12 months 2 working the system, together with the Horned Frogs returning to Large 12 title rivalry, are reasonable prospects that would have Hoover within the Heisman race.
QB Blake Horvath, Navy
Dec 27, 2024; Fort Price, TX, USA; Navy Midshipmen quarterback Blake Horvath (11) celebrates profitable the MVP after the sport towards the Oklahoma Sooners at Amon G. Carter Stadium. Necessary Credit score: Andrew Dieb-Imagn Pictures Ten years after the egregious snub of Keenan Reynolds as a 2015 Heisman finalist, Navy has one other excellent quarterback deserving of consideration for the award. Blake Horvath completed within the prime 20 nationally with 103.8 dashing yards per sport, ranked within the prime 12 for dashing touchdowns with 17, and outpaced even Ashton Jeanty with a 7.1-yard per carry common. Solely Utah-bound quarterback Devon Dampier rushed for extra, at 7.5 yards per carry with New Mexico.
Horvath was at his finest in a few of Navy’s greatest video games as properly, going for 211 yards and 4 touchdowns in a win over Memphis (which completed the season ranked within the High 25); 129 yards on simply 14 carries towards Notre Dame; and 196 yards and two touchdowns with one other two scores and 155 yards within the season-ending wins over Military and Oklahoma.
What’s extra, Horvath tossed the ball sufficient in Navy’s possibility offense to build up 1,353 passing yards and 13 extra touchdowns—two of which got here towards each Memphis and Military. His excellent end to shut a 10-win season ought to have voters properly acquainted with Horvath as soon as 2025 will get underway.
QB John Mateer, Oklahoma
Nov 23, 2024; Corvallis, Oregon, USA; Washington State Cougars quarterback John Mateer (10) runs the ball through the fourth quarter towards the Oregon State Beavers at Reser Stadium. Necessary Credit score: Craig Strobeck-Imagn Pictures A 12 months after Cam Ward grew to become a Heisman contender at Miami, John Mateer may very well be the second Washington State switch to take action with one other program. Mateer’s addition is meant to shake up a Sooners offense that stagnated in 2024 after placing up 41.7 factors per sport with Dillon Gabriel on the controls in 2023.
Mateer’s manufacturing final season on the Palouse was spectacular: 224-of-347 passing for 3,139 yards, 29 touchdowns, and solely seven interceptions. He was additionally among the many most harmful dual-threat choices within the sport, dashing for 826 yards and 15 touchdowns.
QB Garrett Nussmeier, LSU
Nov 23, 2024; Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA; LSU Tigers quarterback Garrett Nussmeier (13) alerts a primary down towards the Vanderbilt Commodores through the second half at Tiger Stadium. Necessary Credit score: Stephen Lew-Imagn Pictures Garrett Nussmeier was left filling some huge sneakers when 2023 Heisman winner Jayden Daniels left for the NFL and started carving up the league as a rookie. Nussmeier acquitted himself properly, averaging extra passing yards per sport than any returning quarterback in 2025 at 311.7, solely six yards shy of Daniels’ tempo the 12 months prior.
Now, Nussmeier was nowhere close to the ball-carrier that his predecessor was, however the returning Tigers quarterback has an enormous arm and reads the sector properly. Nussmeier has the potential to steer the nation in passing subsequent season.
WR Jeremiah Smith, Ohio State
Sep 21, 2024; Columbus, Ohio, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes large receiver Jeremiah Smith (4) goes for the ball with Marshall Thundering Herd defensive again Josh Moten (1) through the first quarter at Ohio Stadium. Necessary Credit score: Joseph Maiorana-Imagn Pictures Jeremiah Smith capped an excellent freshman season by stealing the present throughout Ohio State’s nationwide championship run. He’s faculty soccer’s most buzzed-about playmaker after setting a Rose Bowl Sport freshman document with 187 yards on simply seven catches and shaping the Nationwide Championship Sport with a 56-yard scoring reception.
The most recent star within the Buckeyes’ spectacular large receiver lineage may very well be poised to succeed in heights none of his many excellent forerunners did as a Heisman winner.
