RADIO
Justin's top 10 Heisman Trophy contenders ahead of Week 6 of the 2025 college football season. Where do Dante Moore and Ty Simpson rank?
Top 10 Heisman Contenders For Week 6
The entire shape of the Heisman race has changed. That’s because the player who looked like the clear favorite, Oklahoma’s John Mateer, had surgery for a hand injury and is expected to miss about a month of action. This essentially eliminates Mateer from the Heisman race, opening up a wide range of possibilities. What looked like a situation where one guy could run away with things has suddenly become something much, much more complicated.
So, how does the Heisman race look now with Mateer out of the running? Well, let’s just say he isn’t the only player to drop out this week. This has been the wildest week so far in terms of how the race has changed, so let’s try to make sense of things. Here are the top 10 Heisman candidates entering Week 6.
10. Marcel Reed, Quarterback, Texas A&M
Last Week: Eighth
We can’t forget Marcel Reed’s heroics against Notre Dame, but his Heisman case definitely took a hit against Auburn as Reed failed to throw for a touchdown or make positive plays on the ground, finishing with -23 rushing yards.
Reed still has the Aggies in line for a playoff berth, but it was the defense clamping down against Auburn that kept the team undefeated this week, not Reed’s arm.
9. Diego Pavia, Quarterback, Vanderbilt
Last Week: Not Ranked
Diego Pavia piqued my interest against South Carolina on Sept. 13 when he threw for two touchdowns in an upset win, but he really got my attention against Utah State this week.
Granted, it was Utah State and not a power conference opponent, but Pavia helped the Commodores improve to 5-0, throwing five touchdown passes and running for another in a 55-35 win. Vanderbilt sits fourth in the FBS in points per game, and Pavia’s Heisman case will look even better if the offense can keep this up in a road contest against Alabama this weekend.
8. Sam Leavitt, Quarterback, Arizona State
Last Week: Not Ranked
The Sun Devils lost a lot of hype against a 24-20 loss to Mississippi State at the beginning of September, but the team has won three in a row since and just took down a strong TCU team to move back into the AP Top 25.
Quarterback Sam Leavitt threw two touchdown passes in the win and ran for one as well, marking his third game in a row with a rushing score. He has the Sun Devils sitting 2-0 in Big 12 play, with the team winning both conference games 27-24.
7. Julian Sayin, Quarterback, Ohio State
Last Week: Not Ranked
Julian Sayin exited this list last week, but he makes his grand return after Ohio State defeated Washington in the team’s Big Ten opener.
Sayin was strong in the game, completing 78.6 percent of his pass attempts for 208 yards and two touchdowns. He currently leads all of the FBS in completion percentage at 78.8 percent. If he can keep this up when the conference games get more difficult, he can probably work his way into the top five.
6. Trinidad Chambliss, Quarterback, Ole Miss
Last Week: Not Ranked
I literally had no idea who this guy was when this season began because I didn’t watch Ferris State play football and I didn’t think I needed to know anything about the Ole Miss backup quarterback.
But with Austin Simmons hurt, Trinidad Chambliss moved into the starting lineup for the Rebels, who are now 3-0 with him as the starter. He’s thrown for 300-plus yards in each game and is a threat with his legs as well. This week, he led the team to a 24-19 upset victory over LSU.
5. Jeremiah Smith, Wide Receiver, Ohio State
Last Week: Ninth
Two weeks ago, Jeremiah Smith was fifth in these rankings, but last week he dropped to ninth due to some big games from other contenders. Now, after a week where some big names struggled, he jumps back to fifth.
Smith caught eight passes for 81 yards and a touchdown this week. Not his best game, but he has now found the end zone five times over the past three games.
4. Ty Simpson, Quarterback, Alabama
Last Week: Not Ranked
The biggest leap this week comes from Ty Simpson, who goes from off the board last week all the way up to fourth after leading the Crimson Tide to a win over Georgia.
Simpson threw for 276 yards and two touchdowns in the 24-21 victory over Georgia, handing the Bulldogs their first home loss since 2019. The first-year starter has yet to throw an interception this season.
3. Fernando Mendoza, Quarterback, Indiana
Last Week: Second
Fernando Mendoza faced his first real test of the season against Iowa, and the results were…meh. The good thing for Mendoza? He led the Hoosiers to a 20-15 win over Iowa to stay undefeated.
The bad stuff? He threw his first interception of the season and completed a season-low 56.5 percent of his pass attempts, a far cry from the 91.3 percent he completed in a blowout win over Illinois the previous week.
2. Carson Beck, Quarterback, Miami
Last Week: Third
Miami had the week off, so there’s not a ton to say about Carson Beck. He moves up one spot because of Mendoza’s so-so effort against Iowa. Beck is the ACC leader in completion percentage and has led the Hurricanes to some big wins, though the defense has played a key role as well.
1. Dante Moore, Quarterback, Oregon
Last Week: Fourth
Dante Moore makes a huge jump from fourth to first this week after Oregon went on the road and defeated then No. 3 Penn State 30-24.
Moore came up big, going 29-for-39 for 248 yards and three touchdowns while adding 35 rushing yards as well. He threw multiple overtime touchdowns, stepping up when Oregon needed it the most to keep the Ducks undefeated. Moore had one mediocre game against Northwestern, but he’s been on fire in Oregon’s other four games. With Mateer injured, the Heisman race is Moore’s to lose.
