There are no changes in the Heisman race after another exciting weekend of action, but the field is coming clearer into picture.
1. Marcel Reed | Texas A&M QB | Sophomore (RS) | Last week: 1
The interception in the end zone on Saturday night was obviously bad (and it was followed by a tough break with a deflected interception)—but Reed and the Aggies bounced back as well as possible by dominating LSU in the second half of a 49-25 win. Individually, Reed had a career performance on the ground with 13 carries for 108 yards and two touchdowns, and Texas A&M now has primetime road wins over Notre Dame and LSU with 41+ points in each game.
Season stats:
61.4% | 1,972 PASS YDS | 17 PASS TD | 6 INT
64 CAR | 349 RUSH YDS | 6 RUSH TD | 5.5 AVG
2. Ty Simpson | Alabama QB | Junior (RS) | Last week: 2
Alabama was given a fight by South Carolina over the weekend, and the offense was quiet for much of the game as an early pick-six by the Crimson Tide helped. Still, Simpson made plays when it mattered and is now up to a 20:1 touchdown-interception ratio on the season.
Season stats:
67.8% | 2,184 PASS YDS | 20 PASS TD | 1 INT
51 CAR | 79 RUSH YDS | 2 RUSH TD | 1.5 AVG
3. Fernando Mendoza | Indiana QB | Junior (RS) | Last week: 3
Hopes of a shootout with UCLA coming to town on Saturday didn’t pan out, but Mendoza totaled four touchdowns and showed what he can do as a runner with five carries for 45 yards and a touchdown—which came in a 56-6 victory over the Bruins. We’ll see if Mendoza has better luck on the road this week versus Maryland with just 141.7 passing yards per game and a 3:2 touchdown-interception ratio thus far in 2025.
Season stats:
72.9% | 1,923 PASS YDS | 24 PASS TD | 3 INT
46 CAR | 196 RUSH YDS | 3 RUSH TD | 4.3 AVG
4. Jeremiah Smith | Ohio State WR | Sophomore | Last week: 4
Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love is the other non-quarterback to mention who is squarely in the Heisman conversation, but the Buckeyes being unbeaten should be a factor. Coming out of the bye, Smith might need a bigger performance than he had last year versus Penn State (four receptions for 55 yards) to stay in the top five.
Season stats:
49 REC | 602 REC YDS | 7 REC TD | 12.3 AVG
2 CAR | 20 RUSH YDS | 1 RUSH TD | 10.0 AVG
5. Gunner Stockton | Georgia QB | Junior (RS) | Last week: 5
Stockton got a well-earned rest with a bye after the five-touchdown performance to beat Ole Miss two weekends ago, and he’ll have three clear showcase opportunities left—this week in Gainesville, on November 15 versus Texas, and in the season finale against a Georgia Tech team that is currently 8-0.
Season stats:
70.5% | 1,553 PASS YDS | 10 PASS TD | 1 INT
58 CAR | 279 RUSH YDS | 7 TD | 4.8 AVG