The Heisman Trophy became an increasingly homogeneous honor through the first quarter of the 21st century. The top two contenders for the Heisman in 2024 defied convention, as a Group of Five running back (Boise State’s Ashton Jeanty) and a two-way playmaker from a team out of the national title race (winner Travis Hunter from Colorado) made for one of the most captivating competitions in recent memory.
Might last season signal the beginning of a trend in which the leading Heisman candidates don’t need to be quarterbacks in offenses built to inflate the position’s numbers? And can Group of Five players realistically enter the fray after 11 years passed between any such candidates reaching New York?
While last season’s race is unlikely to become the norm, the early frontrunners for 2025 include some unconventional names alongside the typical Heisman contenders.
QB Arch Manning, Texas
On-field production certainly matters for building a Heisman argument, but even the most productive candidates need hype to get to New York. Perhaps no player will head into the 2025 season with more hype than Arch Manning, the former No. 1 overall recruit poised to quarterback Texas after its run to the national semifinals.
Manning whet the appetites of those eager to see him command the Longhorns full-time with 61 completions on 60 pass attempts last season, gaining 939 yards and scoring nine touchdowns. The scenarios he’ll face in 2025 will differ from the situations Manning encountered in limited playing time as a freshman, but what he was able to show in 2024 looked worthy of the hype.
QB Cade Klubnik, Clemson
Nov 16, 2024; Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania, USA; Clemson Tigers quarterback Cade Klubnik (2) passes against the Pittsburgh Panthers during the first quarter at Acrisure Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Charles LeClaire-Imagn Images After a middling 2023, Cade Klubnik quietly produced some of the most impressive passing numbers of any quarterback in the FBS in 2024. With 36 touchdowns against only six interceptions, Klubnik’s 6-to-1 touchdown-to-interception ratio outpaced ACC counterpart and Heisman finalist Cam Ward (39 touchdowns, seven interceptions).
Klubnik also finished in the top 10 nationally for total passing yards with 3,639—just 26 fewer than Trevor Lawrence threw for in one additional game in 2019. Should Klubnik maintain similar numbers while leading Clemson in the playoff hunt, expect him to be at the forefront of Heisman chatter.
QB Josh Hoover, TCU
Nov 23, 2024; Fort Worth, Texas, USA; TCU Horned Frogs quarterback Josh Hoover (10) throws a pass before the game against the Arizona Wildcats at Amon G. Carter Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Tim Heitman-Imagn Images In 2023, TCU endured the kind of runner-up slump usually reserved for Super Bowl losers. The Horned Frogs’ rebound to win nine games in 2024 coincided with Josh Hoover’s maturation into a prolific passer.
The strides Hoover made in his first season with Kendal Briles as TCU’s offensive coordinator resulted in the quarterback flirting with 4,000 yards while passing for 27 touchdowns. Another jump in production in Year 2 running the system, along with the Horned Frogs returning to Big 12 title contention, are realistic possibilities that could have Hoover in the Heisman race.
QB Blake Horvath, Navy
Dec 27, 2024; Fort Worth, TX, USA; Navy Midshipmen quarterback Blake Horvath (11) celebrates winning the MVP after the game against the Oklahoma Sooners at Amon G. Carter Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Andrew Dieb-Imagn Images Ten years after the egregious snub of Keenan Reynolds as a 2015 Heisman finalist, Navy has another outstanding quarterback deserving of consideration for the award. Blake Horvath finished in the top 20 nationally with 103.8 rushing yards per game, ranked in the top 12 for rushing touchdowns with 17, and outpaced even Ashton Jeanty with a 7.1-yard per carry average. Only Utah-bound quarterback Devon Dampier rushed for more, at 7.5 yards per carry with New Mexico.
Horvath was at his best in some of Navy’s biggest games as well, going for 211 yards and four touchdowns in a win over Memphis (which finished the season ranked in the Top 25); 129 yards on just 14 carries against Notre Dame; and 196 yards and two touchdowns with another two scores and 155 yards in the season-ending wins over Army and Oklahoma.
What’s more, Horvath tossed the ball enough in Navy’s option offense to accumulate 1,353 passing yards and 13 more touchdowns—two of which came against both Memphis and Army. His outstanding finish to close a 10-win season should have voters well acquainted with Horvath once 2025 gets underway.
QB John Mateer, Oklahoma
Nov 23, 2024; Corvallis, Oregon, USA; Washington State Cougars quarterback John Mateer (10) runs the ball during the fourth quarter against the Oregon State Beavers at Reser Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Craig Strobeck-Imagn Images A year after Cam Ward became a Heisman contender at Miami, John Mateer could be the second Washington State transfer to do so with another program. Mateer’s addition is meant to shake up a Sooners offense that stagnated in 2024 after putting up 41.7 points per game with Dillon Gabriel at the controls in 2023.
Mateer’s production last season on the Palouse was impressive: 224-of-347 passing for 3,139 yards, 29 touchdowns, and only seven interceptions. He was also among the most dangerous dual-threat options in the game, rushing for 826 yards and 15 touchdowns.
QB Garrett Nussmeier, LSU
Nov 23, 2024; Baton Rouge, Louisiana, USA; LSU Tigers quarterback Garrett Nussmeier (13) signals a first down against the Vanderbilt Commodores during the second half at Tiger Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-Imagn Images Garrett Nussmeier was left filling some big shoes when 2023 Heisman winner Jayden Daniels left for the NFL and began carving up the league as a rookie. Nussmeier acquitted himself nicely, averaging more passing yards per game than any returning quarterback in 2025 at 311.7, only six yards shy of Daniels’ pace the year prior.
Now, Nussmeier was nowhere near the ball-carrier that his predecessor was, but the returning Tigers quarterback has a big arm and reads the field well. Nussmeier has the potential to lead the nation in passing next season.
WR Jeremiah Smith, Ohio State
Sep 21, 2024; Columbus, Ohio, USA; Ohio State Buckeyes wide receiver Jeremiah Smith (4) goes for the ball with Marshall Thundering Herd defensive back Josh Moten (1) during the first quarter at Ohio Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joseph Maiorana-Imagn Images Jeremiah Smith capped an outstanding freshman season by stealing the show during Ohio State’s national championship run. He is college football’s most buzzed-about playmaker after setting a Rose Bowl Game freshman record with 187 yards on just seven catches and shaping the National Championship Game with a 56-yard scoring reception.
The latest star in the Buckeyes’ impressive wide receiver lineage could be poised to reach heights none of his many outstanding forerunners did as a Heisman winner.
