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Justin's top 10 Heisman Trophy contenders ahead of Week 1 of the 2025 college football season. Where do Jeremiah Smith and Arch Manning rank?
Top 10 Heisman Contenders For Week 1
After a nice little college football sampler this past weekend, the real Week 1 is finally upon us. With a full slate of games on the docket, we’ll get our first look at all the major Heisman contenders. Who are those Heisman contenders, though? Let’s take a look at the top 10 contenders heading into Week 1.
10. Julian Sayin, QB, Ohio State
Julian Sayin’s Heisman case feels complicated by the presence of wide receiver Jeremiah Smith, who is likely to get most of the credit for the success of this Buckeyes offense. However, if Sayin can come in and immediately make a major impact in his first year as a starter, he’ll start to garner some hype. It’s just tough to see him getting past Smith.
9. Carson Beck, QB, Miami
Are we about to fall for the Carson Beck thing again? Last year at Georgia, Beck entered the year with Heisman hype, but instead, he took a major step back from his 2023 season. The most notable drop came in terms of completion percentage, as he dropped from 72,4 percent in 2023 to just 64.7 percent last year. Still, his move to Miami could do wonders for his stock, especially considering how Cam Ward became a Heisman finalist in this system last season.
8. Ty Simpson, QB, Alabama
Ty Simpson finally gets his chance. His limited sample size in college isn’t great, as he’s completed just 58.0 percent of his career passes with zero touchdowns, but that’s on a very limited sample of 50 attempts. The former five-star recruit entered college with a lot of hype, so let’s give him the benefit of the doubt for now.
7. Sam Leavitt, QB, Arizona State
Cam Skattebo’s 2024 performance was so good that it kind of made people not realize that his quarterback, Sam Leavitt, was also having a really strong campaign. Leavitt threw 24 touchdown passes last season and rushed for five more. With Skatteno now in the NFL, Leavitt will get a chance to prove he can lead this Sun Devils team. A return trip to the playoffs, coupled with some improvement in his efficiency, would likely land Leavitt a seat in New York.
6. LaNorris Sellers, QB, South Carolina
South Carolina quarterback LaNorris Sellers was one of the breakout stars of college football last year as he led the Gamecocks to a 9-4 record. Sellers threw for 2,534 yards and 18 touchdowns while rushing for 674 yards and seven scores. The dual-threat QB has Gamecocks fans talking about the playoffs in 2025, but he’ll need to prove that he’s not just a flash in the pan if he wants to deliver on that hype.
5. Drew Allar, QB, Penn State
Drew Allar might be a boring Heisman candidate, but that doesn’t mean we can discount his case. Penn State should be one of the Big Ten’s best teams again and if Allar can cut down on the interceptions — his interception rate quadrupled last year from 0.5 percent to 2.0 percent — then he can definitely walk away with the award. Allar also deserves more credit for what he can do with his legs, as he rushed for 302 yards and six touchdowns in 2024.
4. Jeremiah Smith, WR, Ohio State
Maybe Jeremiah Smith should be higher on this list, but we just have to assume that quarterbacks are the Heisman favorites at this point until those QBs either prove otherwise or a position player steps up. Smith is the best-positioned position player heading into this season, though, as he takes over as the true No. 1 receiver in Columbus with Emeka Egbuka gone to the NFL. Even with Egbuka last year, Smith led the Big Ten in receiving yards and receiving touchdowns, including five touchdowns during the playoffs.
3. Garrett Nussmeier, QB, LSU
A lot of people expect Garrett Nussmeier to do big things in his second season as the starting quarterback for LSU. Last year, he led the SEC in completions and attempts, but also led in interceptions as he tossed the ball to the other team 12 times in 13 games. That number obviously needs to come down, but another season with 29 passing touchdowns and three rushing scores would have Nussmeier well-positioned for a Heisman finalist spot.
2. Arch Manning, QB, Texas
How much do you buy into the Arch Manning hype? With Quinn Ewers in the NFL now, Manning takes over as the full-time starter for the Longhorns. Last season, Manning took over for an injured Ewers against UTSA and proceeded to throw four touchdown passes, then had an uneven showing against Louisiana-Monroe the next week before coming up big against Mississippi State, throwing for 325 yards and two touchdowns in a 35-13 win. If Manning can have more performances like that, then the pre-season hype will be justified.
1. Cade Klubnik, QB, Clemson
It’s finally Cade Klubnik’s moment. The highly-touted prospect took some time to get going at Clemson, but he finally broke out in 2024 with 3,639 yards and 36 touchdown passes while adding 463 rushing yards and seven scores on the ground. All of those were career-best marks for Klubnik. The Tigers have a really good receiving room with Antonio Williams, Bryant Wesco Jr., and T.J. Moore, which will help Klubnik have another strong campaign. Yes, it took a little bit, but the next great Clemson quarterback is finally the next great Clemson quarterback.
