With the regular season wrapped and the Natty still weeks away, the calendar felt empty. December 13 fixed that. Heisman Night turned the lull into must-watch drama, pitting the season’s stars against each other. The chase for the iconic 45-pound bronze hardware had narrowed to four final contenders- Fernando Mendoza, Diego Pavia, Jeremiyah Love, and Julian Sayin. While Mendoza got the chance to lift the bronze beauty, here is the comparative analysis of the ones who ran the final sprint.

Heisman finalists’ NIL value and deals compared

On3 slots Mendoza fifth in the nation and seventh on its NIL 100, tagging him with a $2.6 million valuation. Only Arch Manning, Jeremiah Smith, Carson Beck, and Bryce Underwood stand ahead of him. And after a fairytale 2025, steering Indiana to a perfect 13-0 run and its first outright Big Ten crown since 1945, the Heisman spotlight had no choice but to find Mendoza.

In December, Mendoza signed an NIL deal with sportswear giant Adidas. 

“Excited to share that I’ve accepted an opportunity to join Adidas!” Mendoza wrote in a LinkedIn post. “I’m very grateful for everyone who has supported me along the way and excited to bring my passion for sport, leadership, and work ethic to the Three Stripes. Let’s get to work.”

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Mendoza has also signed NIL deals with Epic Games, JLab Audio, and T-Mobile.

According to On3, Ohio State’s quarterback, Sayin, checks in at No. 9 on the NIL board, carrying a $2.5 million valuation. The sophomore has taken the leap from promising to proven, steering the Buckeyes with poise and playmaking flair. Off the field, he’s stacked deals with Panini America, The Foundation, and Thrive.

Sitting one spot behind Sayin at No. 10, Pavia matches him dollar-for-dollar with a $2.5 million NIL valuation. While this season marked his official NIL breakout, Pavia has dominated the conversation, both on the field and in court.

Thanks to his challenge of the NCAA’s JUCO eligibility rules. His NIL portfolio features Blanco Clothing, TruGreen, and AutoPro, among others.

Jeremiyah Love checks in lower than his Heisman peers on On3’s board, landing at No. 36 with a $1.6 million NIL valuation. The Notre Dame Fighting Irish running back stands alone as the only non-quarterback finalist and has inked deals with Samsung, Celsius, and New Balance.

Heisman finalists 2025 college stats comparison

The betting board left little room for suspense. DraftKings installed Mendoza as a prohibitive favorite at -1800, with Pavia next at +900 and Love and Sayin buried deep down the board. BetMGM narrowed things slightly, Mendoza at -1200, Pavia at +700, but the hierarchy stayed intact.

Heisman finalists’ high school stats comparison

Their paths from high school to college couldn’t have been more different. Mendoza arrived as a two-star recruit, Sayin as a five-star blue-chip, Pavia rose from zero-star obscurity through junior college to Vanderbilt stardom, and Love entered as a four-star prospect.

All Heisman finalist Big Ten Championship 

The Big Ten Championship on December 6, 2025, was a high-stakes duel between Mendoza and Sayin, and it shaped the Heisman race. Mendoza battled through an early injury and orchestrated key fourth-quarter plays to seal the win.

Sayin, on the other hand, struggled behind a relentless Indiana pass rush, taking five sacks that doomed Ohio State in the red zone. Lucas Oil was awash in red as Mendoza dropped three unforgettable throws- 17 yards to Elijah Sarratt, 51-yard third-down strike to Charlie Becker, and a 33-yard seam shot to lock the game.

Why Julian Sayin didn’t win the Heisman

Sayin finished fourth in the Heisman voting, the highest for a Buckeyes signal-caller since C.J. Stroud’s third-place finish in 2022. After a three-touchdown explosion at Michigan on Nov. 29 that snapped Ohio State’s four-game losing streak in the rivalry, some oddsmakers even pegged Sayin as a slight Heisman favorite.

However, Sayin fell behind in the Heisman race after coming up short against Mendoza in last weekend’s Big Ten title clash. The lasting image from Indianapolis: his potential game-winning pass to tight end Bennett Christian, snatched away in the end zone late in the fourth. The third-quarter heroics by Mendoza rained on Sayin’s hopes.

Winning the Heisman immediately after a conference title loss is rare for quarterbacks; only twice in the last 20 years has it happened. Despite the Oklahoma Sooners’ Big 12 title loss to the TCU Horned Frogs, Baker Mayfield sealed a historic Heisman win. USC Trojans fell to Utah Utes in the Pac-12 title game, but Williams lifted the trophy.

Why Diego Pavia didn’t win the Heisman

Despite eclipsing Mendoza in passing and rushing production during the regular season, Pavia and Vanderbilt fell short of the CFP, garnering 1,435 votes. Even so, he carved out history, becoming Vanderbilt’s first Heisman finalist and the only SEC player to land in the top four this season.

Pavia guided Vanderbilt to a program-best 10-2 record, the first 10-win season in school history. But losses to the Alabama Crimson Tide and Texas Longhorns hurt his case with some Heisman voters. Mendoza, meanwhile, went 13-0 and delivered a conference championship at Indiana.

Why Jeremiyah Love didn’t take home the Heisman?

Love settled for third in the Heisman race, collecting 719 votes but trailing Mendoza by 1,673. The Notre Dame running back fell short of ending the running back drought that’s lingered since Derrick Henry’s 2015 win. Another year, another quarterback-favored ballot?

Maybe. Team results mattered, too. Notre Dame’s 0-2 start put Love behind the eight ball early, and in a race where wins carry weight, that slow start likely dulled his Heisman push.

With Fernando Mendoza hoisting the Heisman, it’s party time on and off the field in Bloomington. He led Indiana to its first-ever No. 1 ranking and the top seed in the 12-team CFP, and then capped it by becoming the first Hoosier to win college football’s crown jewel since the trophy debuted in 1935. At the same time, it is the best gift Mendoza gave to his mother, who is fighting against multiple sclerosis.