A cap will be put on the college football regular season on Friday night with the 2025 College Football Awards show. Some of the nation’s top players from this past year will be recognized, as nine major awards will be handed out to lead into Saturday’s Heisman Trophy Ceremony before the start of the College Football Playoff.
Let’s take a look at the finalists for each award set to be presented on Friday night, along with my predictions for who will win.
Maxwell Award (Most Outstanding Player)
- Jeremiyah Love (Notre Dame)
- Fernando Mendoza (Indiana)
- Julian Sayin (Ohio State)
Prediction: Fernando Mendoza (226/316, 2,980 yds, 33 TDs)
While both the Maxwell and Heisman are intended to honor the nation’s best or most outstanding in the game, they don’t always go to the same player. We’ve seen that over the past two seasons, with Ashton Jeanty and Michael Penix Jr. winning the Maxwell while Travis Hunter and Jayden Daniels took home the Heisman. With that said, I expect the awards to align this year, with Fernando Mendoza getting the nod fresh off of leading his team to a Big Ten Championship.
Doak Walker Award (Best Running Back)
- Ahmad Hardy (Missouri)
- Kewan Lacy (Ole Miss)
- Jeremiyah Love (Notre Dame)
Prediction: Jeremiyah Love (199 carries, 1,372 yds, 18 TDs)
While Love finished with fewer rushing yards than Hardy and fewer rushing touchdowns than Lacy, he comfortably surpasses both in yards per carry. The household name Heisman finalist was a favorite for the Doak Walker Award in the preseason, and he’ll likely be named the winner on Friday night. Love has looked unstoppable for most of the season with several long, game-breaking runs. If not for a down performance in the opener against Miami, we could have had the first running back Heisman winner since Derrick Henry in 2015.
Biletnikoff Award (Best Receiver)
- Skyler Bell (UConn)
- Makai Lemon (USC)
- Jeremiah Smith (Ohio State)
Prediction: Skyler Bell (101 rec, 1,276 yds, 13 TDs)
Had Jeremiah Smith not battled injury issues late in the season, he likely would have been the frontrunner. Historically, receivers from smaller programs haven’t had much luck with the Biletnikoff. Just look at last year when San Jose State’s Nick Nash captured the statistical triple crown but fell short to Travis Hunter. However, UConn’s Skyler Bell has been nothing short of phenomenal this season thanks to a strong connection with his quarterback Joe Fagnano. Bell ranks second in receptions, receiving yards, and touchdowns, surpassed the 100-yard mark in seven games, and played a major role in one of the best seasons in UConn football history.
Chuck Bednarik Award (Defensive Player of the Year)
- Caleb Downs (Ohio State)
- Cashius Howell (Texas A&M)
- Jacob Rodriguez (Texas Tech)
Prediction: Jacob Rodriguez (60 solo, 54 ast, 7 FF, 4 Int, 6 PD, 1 sack)
This one is a no-brainer, as many thought Jacob Rodriguez at least deserved an invite to New York for the Heisman ceremony. The senior linebacker has been the centerpiece of a top Red Raiders defense making plays all over the field. He’s tallied 114 tackles this season, along with a remarkable seven forced fumbles and four interceptions. To put that in perspective, when Notre Dame’s Manti Te’o was a Heisman finalist in 2012, he finished the season with 111 total tackles, seven interceptions, and zero forced fumbles.
Davey O'Brien Award (Best Quarterback)
- Fernando Mendoza (Indiana)
- Marcel Reed (Texas A&M)
- Julian Sayin (Ohio State)
Prediction: Julian Sayin (279/356, 3,323 yds, 31 TDs)
I feel that Julian Sayin has to get some shine at some point given how tight the Heisman race was for most of the season, so I wouldn’t be surprised if voters give him the nod for the Davey O’Brien Award.
Jim Thorpe Award (Best Defensive Back)
- Mansoor Delane (LSU)
- Caleb Downs (Ohio State)
- Leonard Moore (Notre Dame)
Prediction: Caleb Downs (40 solo, 20 ast, 2 Int, 1 PD, 1 sack)
Caleb Downs isn’t just regarded as one of the top defensive players in the country, but one of the best players overall in college football. His coverage skills along with his ability and willingness to be a physical force in the run game makes him an elite all-around safety, and he’s been a notable piece on the back end of Matt Patricia’s top-ranked Buckeye defense this season. He’ll look to join the likes of Grant Delpit, Minkah Fitzpatrick, among others as safeties to win the Thorpe Award.
Outland Trophy (Best Interior Lineman)
- Spencer Fano (Utah)
- Logan Jones (Iowa)
- Kayden McDonald (Ohio State)
Prediction: Spencer Fano
The Outland Trophy is a unique award, as it is position-specific but can be given to either an offensive or defensive player. I expect Spencer Fano to become the fifth offensive lineman in the past seven years to win it. Fano was recently named the Big 12 Offensive Lineman of the Year, allowing just one sack while leading the way for Utah’s rushing attack, which ranked second in the country at 269.8 yards per game and totaled 37 rushing touchdowns on the season.
Lou Groza Award (Best Placekicker)
- Aidan Birr (Georgia Tech)
- Kansei Matsuzawa (Hawai’i)
- Tate Sandell (Oklahoma)
Prediction: Kansei Matsuzawa
Matsuzawa had a near-perfect season making 25 of 26 field goals and all 37 extra-point attempts, scoring a total of 112 points for the Rainbow Warriors. He was 11 for 11 from beyond 40 yards, with a long of 52, and was the story of Week Zero with two late kicks to tie the game and then win it against Stanford. Matsuzawa also comes with an incredible story, having taught himself how to kick from YouTube videos and starting his playing career at NJCAA Hocking College in Ohio where he also learned the English language.
Ray Guy Award (Best Punter)
- Brett Thorson (Georgia)
- Evan Crenshaw (Troy)
- Palmer Williams (Baylor)
Prediction: Brett Thorson
I’d be lying if I said I knew all about the college football punting game and who the best booters of the ball were this season. With that said, Brett Thorson seemingly had a great year averaging 45.2 yards per punt, with half of his 42 punts downed inside the 20-yard line.
The 2025 College Football Awards show will kick off at 7:00 p.m. ET on Friday night and will air on ESPN.