Colorado two-way star Travis Hunter won the 90th Heisman Trophy in a deciding vote Saturday night.

Hunter beat out running back Ashton Jeanty (Boise State) and quarterbacks Dillon Gabriel (Oregon) and Cam Ward (Miami) for the most coveted individual award in college football.

Hunter, a rare two-way player who plays cornerback and receiver for the Buffaloes, received the stiff-arm trophy during a ceremony in New York.

Hunter is the first defensive player to win the Heisman since Michigan’s Charles Woodson in 1997; He is the first receiver to win it since Alabama’s DeVonta Smith in 2020.

With Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders, Hunter, Ward and Jeanty expected to head to the NFL, who are the top candidates for the Heisman Trophy in 2025?

Here’s a look at some of the top potential contenders (in no particular order):

Kevin Jennings, QB, SMU

The Mustangs became a different team after Jennings took over the offense from former starter Preston Stone in the third game of the season. The sophomore led the Mustangs to a nine-game winning streak in their first season in the ACC. That streak ended with a 34-31 loss to Clemson in the ACC title game. Jennings completed 66% of his passes for 3,050 yards with 22 touchdowns and eight interceptions. He ran for 379 yards and scored five scores, and his ability to extend plays off the field confounded defenses all season.

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There’s a lot to love about the sophomore from St. Louis, who ran 134 times for 949 yards and 15 touchdowns this season. Love is the only FBS player to score at least one touchdown in all 12 games this season, setting a Notre Dame record. In the Fighting Irish’s 49:14 victory over No. At 18 Army, Love had 136 all-purpose yards with three touchdowns. He’ll likely share carries with Jadarian Price again in 2025, but quarterback Riley Leonard is moving on.

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Nussmeier had the unenviable task of replacing Heisman Trophy winner Jayden Daniels as LSU’s starting quarterback, but he excelled in his first season. Nussmeier threw for 3,739 yards with 26 touchdowns and 11 interceptions. He threw for at least 300 yards in seven contests and at least 400 yards in two games. Nussmeier was considered a potential first-round pick in next year’s NFL draft, but announced Wednesday that he is returning to LSU, saying in a statement that he is “fully committed to bringing this university a championship.” “.

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Smith was ranked the second-best receiver prospect in the country in the 2024 class by ESPN Recruiting, and he more than lived up to that lofty standard in his first season with the Buckeyes. He had 57 catches for 934 yards and 10 touchdowns. He already has a highlight reel of spectacular one-handed catches and has only dropped two passes this season. Last week, Smith was named the Big Ten Freshman of the Year and Wide Receiver of the Year.

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It’s a good thing for the Sun Devils that Michigan State hired former Oregon State coach Jonathan Smith last year to replace Mel Tucker. Leavitt grew up in West Linn, Oregon, and wasn’t happy that Smith didn’t offer him a scholarship when he coached the Beavers. So Leavitt transferred from Michigan State to ASU, where he led the Sun Devils to an 11-2 record and the unlikely Big 12 title in their first season in the conference. Leavitt passed for 2,663 yards with 24 touchdowns and ran for 383 yards with five scores. ASU coach Kenny Dillingham says Leavitt will play Sunday.

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Nittany Lions coach James Franklin was more than pleased with Allar’s progress from his first to second year as a starter, and the junior could be even better in 2025 if he returns for another season. Allar completed 69.1% of his passes for 2,894 yards with 21 touchdowns and seven interceptions. He also ran for six points. Allar has elite arm talent, and the Nittany Lions began utilizing it under offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki. Allar must be thrilled that Kotelnicki stayed at Penn State after interviewing for the head coaching job at West Virginia.

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After Sellers had 350 yards of offense (244 passing and 106 rushing) with three touchdowns in a 44-20 win over Texas A&M on Nov. 2, another SEC coach called him “Superman” in a text message to Gamecocks coach Shane Beamer. . Sellers was Superman and more for South Carolina this season, passing for 2,274 yards with 17 touchdowns and running for 655 yards with seven scores. He led South Carolina to a surprising 9-3 record and a six-game winning streak to end the regular season.

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The freshman from Saraland, Ala., burst onto the scene by catching a 75-yard touchdown catch from Jalen Milroe with 2:18 left in a 41-34 win over Georgia on Sept. 28. He had six catches for 177 yards in the game. Williams finished the season with 45 receptions for 857 yards and eight scores, but cooled off late. He has had no more than 73 receiving yards in each of the last seven games. If Bama’s passing game improves in 2025 and Williams reduces his drops (eight), he could become one of the Tide’s best receivers.

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Ducks coach Dan Lanning once joked that James runs like an “angry old man,” but the 20-year-old junior can’t even buy a drink. Lanning is glad James transferred his commitment from Georgia to Oregon on National Signing Day in February 2022. James accumulated 1,253 yards with 15 touchdowns this season. He had 115 yards with a touchdown in a 32-31 win over Ohio State, then gained 87 yards and scored twice in a 45-37 win over Penn State in the Big Ten championship game. James has not yet indicated whether he plans to return to Oregon in 2025 or turn pro.

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With junior Quinn Ewers expected to head to the NFL (or even just another FBS team), the Manning era at Texas should finally begin in 2025. Arch Manning was a nephew of former NFL quarterbacks Eli and Peyton and son of Cooper I didn’t rush into the starting role, which is probably a great thing for his development. With a height of 1.80 m and a weight of 100 kg, he has the tools and pedigree to be a star. In eight games this season, he completed 61 of 90 passes for 939 yards with nine touchdowns and two interceptions.

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Tennessee fans got a glimpse of Iamaleava when he scored four touchdowns in a 35-0 win over Iowa in the Cheez-It Citrus Bowl last season. He was the first Vols freshman quarterback to win a bowl game since Peyton Manning in the 1994 Gator Bowl. This season, Iamaleava completed 65.7% of his attempts for 2,512 yards with 19 touchdowns and five interceptions. He is 11-2 as a starter. If Iamaleava progresses as expected, the former five-star recruit could be a Heisman contender in 2025.

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Lagway only became a starter for the Gators when senior Graham Mertz tore his ACL in a 23-17 overtime loss to Tennessee in the sixth game of the season. Lagway gave Florida fans a taste of what to expect when he faced FCS player Samford while Mertz was sidelined with a concussion. Lagway broke a UF freshman record with 456 passing yards and three touchdowns in a 45-7 win. In 11 games, Lagway threw for 1,610 yards with 11 touchdowns. It was enough to give the struggling program hope and keep coach Billy Napier for another season.

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If junior defensive lineman Trevor Etienne declares for the NFL draft, Frazier should enter the 2025 season as the Bulldogs’ primary defensive lineman. He showed plenty of potential as a freshman, rushing 129 times for 634 yards and scoring eight scores. Frazier, from Compton, Calif., improved tremendously as a pass blocker, catching 10 passes out of the backfield. However, he did lose a few inappropriate fumbles, so ball security will continue to be a focus going forward.

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Clemson fans may have laughed at the idea that Klubnik could be a Heisman Trophy contender after he struggled in the Tigers’ 34-3 loss to Georgia in their opener in Atlanta. He threw for 142 yards with no touchdowns, which left many fans wondering whether Clemson would move on. But Klubnik has been one of the sport’s best passers this season, completing 63.7% of his attempts for 3,303 yards with 33 touchdowns and five interceptions. He rushed for 262 yards and four scores in a 34-31 win over SMU in the ACC championship game.