The last month of the college football season is a pivotal stretch where players make their final cases to be the Heisman Trophy winner. With this year's race being very close, these individuals cannot afford to have one bad game if they want to win the land's most prestigious award.
We saw Ole Miss QB Trinidad Chambliss deliver another incredible performance in Week 9 against Oklahoma, and given how well he has played since becoming the starter, he must return to our rankings.
As a result, Vanderbilt QB Diego Pavia, who threw for just 129 yards and rushed for 20 in a 17-10 Week 9 win over Missouri, drops out of the top five.
Below, we'll take a look at the Heisman Watch frontrunners ahead of Week 10, breaking down the top five contenders to win the 2025 Heisman Trophy and the frontrunners' stat projections on PrizePicks real money CFB game this week.
2025 Heisman Watch: Top Heisman Candidates as of Week 10
Here are the top Heisman Trophy Watch candidates heading into Week 10 college football games on Saturday, November 1.
On PrizePicks, you can win real money by picking More or Less on weekly stats from these Heisman candidates and more CFB players — including pass yards, TDs, and much more.
5. Ohio State QB Julian Sayin
Next game: vs. Penn State – Saturday, 12 p.m. ET
It sometimes takes time to adjust when a team gets a new QB, but Julian Sayin has made this transition easy for Ohio State. The Buckeyes might even be better with him.
This season, Ohio State has been No. 1 in the AP Poll each week since their 14-7 Week 1 win over Texas. Last season, it didn’t become the top program until the final poll was released after winning the National Championship.
A significant reason OSU is 7-0 is Sayin’s arm, as he has thrown for 2 or more TDs in six straight games. He is the only quarterback with an 80% completion percentage.
The Buckeyes return from their bye this week to take on Penn State. It isn’t quite the marquee matchup that was anticipated before the season, as the Nittany Lions have a 3-4 record. They have one remaining game against a ranked team, when they face their hated rival, No. 21 Michigan.
Julian Sayin Projections vs. Penn State
Julian Sayin’s projections are from the PrizePicks real money CFB game — pick players, predict More or Less on their stats, and win cash if you're right.
- 254.5 Passing Yards
- 1.5 Pass TDs (Goblin)
- 0.5 Rush TDs (Demon)
- 0.5 Rush+Rec TDs (Demon)
- 43.5 Yards on Longest Completion
4. Indiana QB Fernando Mendoza
Next game: @ Maryland – Saturday, 3:30 p.m. ET
The Hoosiers are another Big Ten team that is rolling along with an 8-0 record. Indiana enters this week with the fourth-most points per game (41.4) and is coming off another dominating performance with a 56-6 win over UCLA.
QB Fernando Mendoza only had 168 passing yards but threw for 3 TDs — the fourth time he's thrown at least 3 TDs in a game this year. That gives him an FBS-leading 24 passing TDs, and he also has the fifth-best completion percentage (72.9%) and seventh-highest yards-per-completion mark (9.5).
Indiana’s schedule could ultimately prevent Mendoza from winning. This week’s matchup against Maryland (4-3) will be the Hoosiers' final opponent that has an above .500 record. Its final three games are against Penn State, Wisconsin, and Purdue, which are a combined 7-16.
Fernando Mendoza Projections vs. Maryland
Fernando Mendoza’s projections are from the PrizePicks real money CFB game — pick players, predict More or Less on their stats, and win cash if you're right.
- 248.5 Passing Yards
- 19.5 Rushing Yards
- 282.5 Pass+Rush Yards
- 2.5 Pass TDs
- 0.5 Rush TDs (Demon)
- 0.5 Rush+Rec TDs (Demon)
3. Ole Miss QB Trinidad Chambliss
Next game: @ South Carolina – Saturday, 7 p.m. ET
The story of QB Trinidad Chambliss continues to enlighten the world of college football. Just last year, the zero-star recruit committed to Division II Ferris State, where he won that level’s National Championship. Now, he's the starter for the No. 7 team in the country.
The start to his Division I career is one for the record books, as he is the first SEC quarterback to throw for 300+ yards and rush for 50+ in each of his first three starts. Chambliss has excelled as the Rebels' starter, and since Week 3, he’s eighth in the nation with 1,487 passing yards and 10th among QBs with 255 rushing yards after contact.
After going 2-1 against ranked opponents, Chambliss may not see another one for the rest of the season.
Trinidad Chambliss Projections vs. South Carolina
Trinidad Chambliss’ projections are from the PrizePicks real money CFB game — pick players, predict More or Less on their stats, and win cash if you're right.
- 268.5 Passing Yards
- 54.5 Rushing Yards
- 328.5 Pass+Rush Yards
- 2.5 Pass TDs (Demon)
- 0.5 INT (Goblin)
- 1.5 Rush+Rec TDs (Demon)
- 43.5 Yards Longest Completion
- 18.5 Yards Longest Rush
2. Texas A&M QB Marcel Reed
Next game: @ Missouri – Saturday (11/8), 3:30 p.m. ET
When your performance gets the opposing head coach fired, you deserve to move up in the rankings.
It was another fantastic game for QB Marcel Reed, and he was a dominating force in a 49-25 Week 9 win over then-No. 20 LSU. He didn’t pass much, going 12-for-21 for 202 passing yards, but threw 2 TDs. He also showed off his legs by rushing for a career-high 108 yards and 2 TDs.
This week, Reed was given the prestigious honor of being named to the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award Top 10 List. This is given to college football’s top upperclassman QB who represents leadership and excellence on and off the field.
Reed is one of the best QBs in a tough SEC. He has 23 TDs responsible for (17 passing, 6 rushing), which are second in the conference, along with 290.1 total yards per game.
In this tough conference, Reed will be tested. The Aggies control their own destiny as a remaining undefeated team. They're idle in Week 10 and will face a ranked opponent in two of the final four games, including No. 19 Missouri in Week 10.
1. Alabama QB Ty Simpson
Next game: vs. LSU – Saturday (11/8), 7:30 p.m. ET
On paper, it didn’t look like Alabama had a tough challenge in Week 9, but South Carolina gave them everything. Their 29-22 matchup went down to the wire. The Gamecocks took a late lead, but Crimson Tide QB Ty Simpson responded with a 4-yard passing TD on the next drive. SC would promptly fumble, and Alabama answered with a game-winning TD.
It was another solid performance from Simpson, who threw for 253 yards and 2 TDs. This now gives him at least 200 passing yards and 2 passing TDs in all eight games this season. He’s excelled in his first season as a starter, leading the SEC with 20 passing TDs, while being second in passer rating (162.6) and yards per game (273.0).
Just like A&M, 'Bama can secure a spot in the SEC Championship if it wins its remaining games. They're on bye this week, and their schedule includes one more ranked opponent when they face No. 18 Oklahoma in Week 11.
Make Picks on Heisman Candidates on PrizePicks
Going into Week 10 of the 2025 college football season, Ty Simpson remains the Heisman Trophy favorite, but several other SEC quarterbacks like Marcel Reed and Trinidad Chambliss will make this race even more exciting.
No matter who you're backing to win the Heisman Trophy, you can cash in on your player picks in PrizePicks' real money college football game every week this season.
Just pick More or Less on weekly stat projections and win if your picks are correct.
Check out the Playbook for more CFB DFS picks and college football predictions throughout the season.
