By: Steve Smith
Well, we made it. We are already at the halfway point of the 2025 college football season. If only the offseason moved this fast. It is hard to believe that some teams have already started the back nine of their schedules. So much has already taken place, so much more will still shock us. While September and early October certainly put a smile on our faces, we all know that the real intrigue is just beginning. November is always a wild ride for the sport, and it’s coming up quickly. We may have more questions now than we did back in August. The coaching carousel is in full swing (Penn State!). Some of the preseason favorites have already seen their playoff hopes go up in smoke (Penn State!). Some surprise teams are trying to break through the CFP door (Texas Tech!). We will soon get the answers to all of our questions and so much more.
As far as the Heisman goes, we sure have come a long way from Week 1 (Tommy Castellanos!). The cream is certainly rising to the top, and we have a better idea of who the true contenders for the award really are. While it is still very much up for grabs with a ton of football to play, it appears that we have a core group of stars that contains the eventual winner. The season would really need to turn upside down for someone outside of our rankings to win this thing. When it comes to college football though, never bet against the chaos. Without further delay, here are the mid-season Heisman rankings through Week 7.
1. Ty Simpson – QB, Alabama. For my money, he has been the best player in college football. He has all of the physical traits to be elite, but even more impressive is his ability to lead and process information in Ryan Grubb’s Alabama offense. He is my leader for the Heisman, he’s been outstanding for The Tide, and it looks like he could be a potential 1.1 pick in the NFL Draft whenever he decides to come out. Simpson is completing 71% of his passes and has 18 total touchdowns to just one interception. We shall see if he can close this out in the second half.
2. Fernando Mendoza – QB, Indiana. If you told me Mendoza was your first choice at this point in the season, I wouldn’t put up much of an argument. The Cal transfer has been spectacular this year in leading the Hoosiers to an undefeated record and one of the biggest wins in program history at Oregon last weekend. There aren’t enough words in the dictionary to describe how incredible this run for Indiana has been, and Mendoza is a massive part of that. A true Heisman (and national championship) contender.
3. Carson Beck – QB, Miami. Beck has been really good in 2025, but I also think the remaining schedule hurts his chances. Miami has played in a few marquee games already; however they were all in the early part of the season. I’m not sure Beck’s play jumps out enough to overtake the two signal-callers ahead of him, but he should remain in the mix. Beck has completed over 70% of his passes for 11 touchdowns and three interceptions. I personally like his chances for a national championship better than his Heisman chances. Interesting to note that he is the Vegas favorite as we currently stand.
4. Jeremiah Smith – WR, Ohio State. While his numbers have not been eye-popping in the first half (they are still very good), I believe that can be attributed to the Buckeyes breaking in Julian Sayin at quarterback. Let’s pretend for a second that Smith goes crazy against Penn State and especially Michigan in November, where millions of eyeballs will be on the game. He’s still the most talented player in the sport and a huge second half certainly warrants a trip to New York. This could get very interesting as Ryan Day and Brian Hartline look to unleash this Ohio State offense over the next several weeks.
5. C.J. Carr – QB, Notre Dame. I’m not sure Notre Dame could be any happier about the development of C.J. Carr to this point. The redshirt freshman has been one of the best players in the country as he tries to lead the Irish to the playoffs after a disappointing 0-2 start. Carr is likely setting the table for a Heisman run in 2026, but if Notre Dame can win out behind outstanding play by Carr, he could have a chance.
Others to consider:
Jayden Maiava – QB, USC.
Dante Moore – QB, Oregon
Ahmad Hardy – RB, Missouri
