Indiana QB Fernando Mendoza wins 2025 Heisman Trophy

Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza has won the 2025 Heisman Trophy. He is the Hoosiers’ first-ever Heisman winner.

The Heisman Trophy Trust announced the full Top 10 in voting earlier this week, with the winner announced Saturday night. Mendoza, Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love, Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia and Ohio State quarterback Julian Sayin were the finalists.

While leading Indiana to a perfect 13-0 record – the last undefeated team standing – and the No. 1 overall seed in the College Football Playoff, Mendoza shined after transferring from Cal. He led the nation with 33 touchdown passes this year while completing 71.5% of his passes for 2,980 yards, to just six interceptions.

Mendoza was coming off a career year at Cal, where he shined as the Golden Bears’ quarterback. He completed 68.7% of his passes for 3,004 yards and 16 touchdowns as a sophomore before transferring to Indiana this year.

Ahead of the Heisman Trophy ceremony, Mendoza also won two prestigious honors during Saturday’s College Football Awards show. He brought home the Davey O’Brien Award as the nation’s top quarterback and the Maxwell Award, given to the player of the year in college football.

As he got ready for Saturday’s ceremony, Mendoza reflected on what it would mean to bring home college football’s most prestigious award. He said it’s not only important for his family, but also the Indiana program and the city of Bloomington. As the first-ever Heisman winner from IU, the magnitude of the moment is not lost on him.

“I know that going to this ceremony means so much for everybody here,” Mendoza said Friday. “Bloomington, it means so much for my family, it means so much to the team. Especially having the opportunity to hopefully bring home the first Heisman in Indiana history, it means so much to so many people.”

As part of his decorated season at Indiana, Fernando Mendoza also earned a Second Team selection on the On3 2025 College Football All-America Team. He’s also generating buzz in NFL Draft circles as a potential top pick.

In ESPN’s Field Yates’ initial mock draft earlier this week, Mendoza came in as the projected No. 1 overall pick via a mock trade to the New York Jets. He has an opportunity to continue his impressive story as Indiana starts the College Football Playoff in the quarterfinals after securing a bye.