10 Outsiders Who Could Win The 2025 Heisman Trophy

While the Heisman Trophy often goes to one of college football’s biggest stars entering the season, every now and then, someone comes from off the radar to claim the sport’s biggest individual honor.

We’re counting down 10 players who could do just that in 2025, shocking the sports world and establishing themselves as a program and college football legend.

When Travis Hunter won the 2024 Heisman Trophy, nobody was surprised. Hunter entered the season as one of, if not the biggest, star in college football.

But that’s not always the case. In 2019, Joe Burrow came from out of nowhere to win the award with one of the best individual seasons in college football history. Johnny Manziel did the same in 2012. As have many others?

Which players could pull off a similar feat in 2025? We’re counting them down.

10) Anthony Hankerson - Oregon State

Haven’t heard of Anthony Hankerson? Well, it’s time to get familiar with the Oregon State star running back.

Hankerson, a Florida native, began his college career at Colorado before leaving the program after Deion Sanders’ first year in charge. He found his way to Corvallis, where he became one of college football’s best running backs.

Hankerson ran for 1,082 yards and 15 touchdowns for the Beavers in 2024. Oregon State returns a good bit for coach Trent Bray in 2025, and if they can make a surprise playoff push as a quasi-independent, don’t be surprised to see Hankerson in the talk for national awards.

9) Caleb Downs - Ohio State

If the Heisman Trophy went to the best player in college football every year, Downs would be ineligible for this list, because he’d be at or near the top of the odds to win.

The Ohio State safety is an absolute game wrecker and has been since his freshman year at Alabama.

However, the last primarily defensive player to win the Heisman Trophy was Charles Woodson in 1997, making it extremely unlikely for Downs to lift the trophy.

Still, if there’s any defensive player in the country who could do it, Downs is the one.

8) Brendon Lewis - Memphis

Like Anthony Hankerson, there’s a decent chance you have heard of Memphis quarterback Brendon Lewis. But Lewis was quietly one of the best dual-threat quarterbacks in the nation a year ago.

Also like Hankerson, he began his career at Colorado before transferring when Deion Sanders showed up. Lewis then lit it up at Nevada for two seasons. He threw for 2,290 yards and 16 touchdowns a year ago, while adding a further 775 yards and eight scores on the ground.

Now Lewis is expected to be the start of a high-flying Memphis offense that could lead the Tigers to the College Football Playoff. If they do end up there, Lewis could well find himself in New York City in December as a Heisman finalist.

7) Marcel Reed - Texas A&M

Marcel Reed was supposed to spend his redshirt freshman season in College Station behind starter Conner Weigman. But went Weigman got injured early in the season, it provided an opportunity for Reed to step in.

He threw for 1,864 yards and 15 touchdowns for the Aggies, while adding a further 543 yards and seven touchdowns on the ground. Reed then put up big numbers in Texas A&M’s bowl game against USC, combining for over 330 yards and four touchdowns.

If he’s able to get more comfortable and improve the finer points of the quarterback position in 2025, Reed is a prime candidate to break out in a big way.

6) Makhi Hughes - Oregon

What happens when you take one of the best running backs in college football and put him into a high-powered offense with national title aspirations? Well, we’ll find out with Makhi Hughes and Oregon this season.

Hughes rushed for a combined 2,779 yards and 22 touchdowns over the last two seasons for Tulane, where he was twice named first-team All-AAC.

Now he heads cross country to Eugene, where he’s expected to be the focal point of Will Stein’s wide-open offense.

5) Fernado Mendoza - Indiana

One year ago, the Indiana Hoosiers came from seemingly out of nowhere to make the College Football Playoff under first-year head coach Curt Cignetti.

Transfer quarterback Kurtis Rourke thrived in Cignetti’s high-powered offense, throwing for 3,042 yards and 29 touchdowns and finishing ninth in the Heisman voting.

This year, the Hoosiers have yet another transfer QB at the helm in the form of former Cal signal caller Fernando Mendoza.

Mendoza is a bigger, stronger-armed quarterback than Rourke and has legitimate NFL upside. If he and the Hoosiers are able to replicate their success from a year ago, he’ll not only be a Heisman Trophy threat but a potential first-round NFL Draft pick as well.

4) Kaidon Salter - Colorado

Could it be that the Colorado Buffaloes lost Shedeur Sanders to the NFL but got better at the quarterback position?

It would be a tall ask, but new QB1 Kaidon Salter lit up in his time at Liberty. In 2023, Salter threw for 2,876 yards and 32 touchdowns for the Flames with a further 1,089 yards and 12 scores on the ground.

His play took a step back in 2024, but a change of scenery and a pass-happy offense in Boulder could help him regain his mojo. If he does and Colorado has a successful year in the Big 12, the Buffs could be looking at back-to-back Heisman winners.

3) Darian Mensah - Duke

Our list would not be complete without alleged $8-million-man Darian Mensah.

Mensah starred as a redshirt freshman for Tulane, throwing for 2,723 yards, 27 touchdowns, and just six interceptions. He then hit the transfer portal and landed a reported big-time NIL deal with the Duke Blue Devils.

The Blue Devils had a surprising 9-4 season in 2024 under first-year head coach Manny Diaz, and quarterback Maalik Murphy had a breakout season.

Duke reportedly then pushed Murphy out the door in favor of Mensah. If the Blue Devils’ new QB can outdo Murphy’s 2024 performance, Duke is a genuine threat to win the ACC and Mensah will undoubtedly be in the Heisman conversation.

2) Haynes King - Georgia Tech

We go from one ACC quarterback in Mensah to another in the form of Georgia Tech senior Haynes King.

King did a little bit of everything for the Yellow Jackets in 2024, combining for 2,701 yards passing and rushing and 25 touchdowns.

Most notably, he accounted for 413 yards and five touchdowns in Georgia Tech’s near-upset of hated rival Georgia.

If King can continue that progression in his third year under offensive coordinator Buster Faulkner, the Ramblin’ Wreck will be a handful for any team they come across and their star quarterback is going to be a legitimate Heisman threat.

1) John Mateer - Oklahoma

Saying an Oklahoma quarterback is off the radar for the Heisman may seem like cheating, especially after Mateer threw for 3,139 yards and 29 touchdowns a year ago.

But that was at Washington State, not in the SEC, and Oklahoma’s quarterback play has been a struggle under head coach Brent Venables since Lincoln Riley left Norman for USC.

Which is exactly why Venables brought in not only Mateer, but also hotshot offensive coordinator Ben Arbuckle, who coached Mateer at Wazzu and doesn’t turn 30 until mid-September.

If the duo can replicate their success at Oklahoma, it could not only save Venables’ job but also the immediate future of the Sooners’ program. And if he does that, Mateer will undoubtedly be in the Heisman conversation come December.