There's no better example of how the Heisman Trophy race can be a week-to-week adventure than what we saw in Week 2. A few players had performances that put themselves into contention, most notably Oklahoma QB John Mateer, who stared down a tough Michigan defense and earned a huge top-15 win.
We also saw some new names emerge, like Florida State QB Tommy Castellanos and Utah QB Devon Dampier, each of whom helped carry their teams to 2-0 starts.
Below, we'll break down the top Heisman contenders and how their Week 2 performance impacted their chances to take home the award.
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5. Utah QB Devon Dampier 📈
Next game: @ Wyoming – Sat. Sept. 13, 8 p.m. ET
Coming into the season, the biggest question for the New Mexico transfer was whether he could improve his passing. Dampier heavily relied on his legs and was fourth among FBS quarterbacks with 1,166 rushing yards and second with 19 rushing touchdowns, but has arm wasn’t as reliable, as he threw for 12 TDs and 12 INTs.
Utah has brought out the best in Dampier, who now looks like true dual threat. He had his way with the inferior Cal Poly Tech with 3 TDs in just two-plus quarters, but in his Utah debut against UCLA, he delivered 206 passing yards, 2 passing TDs, 87 rushing yards, and 1 rushing TD.
The major difference is how well Dampier handled the blitz. Last season, when facing a heavy rush, he had just a 61.2% completion rate with 6 TDs and 3 INTs; this year it’s 89.5% with 3 TDs and 0 INTs.
4. Florida State QB Tommy Castellanos 📈
Next game: vs. Kent State – Sat. Sept. 20, 3:30 p.m. ET
The bar was set low in Tallahassee after their abysmal 2-10 performance in 2024. But the 2025 season started with an upset victory over No. 9 Alabama, and now they’ve tied their win total from last year with a dominant 77-3 win in Week 2 against East Texas A&M, all of which helped them climb from unranked to No. 10 in the AP Poll.
Former Boston College QB Tommy Castellanos is making waves with Florida State to start the season. In Week 1, his passing game wasn’t locked in, as he managed just 152 yards. But he dominated with his legs, dropping 78 rushing yards and a touchdown.
In the Week 2 matchup, Castellanos threw for 237 yards and 3 TDs. He didn’t get too many passing opportunities, but he showed off the arm strength — according to PFF, his average depth of target was 19.5 yards, and he threw for 29.5 yards per completion.
Castellanos is an upgrade from last year, when FSU ranked 133rd in passer rating (97.9); this year, they are 39th (155.5).
3. Miami QB Carson Beck 📉
Next game: vs. No. 18 USF – Sat. Sept. 13, 3:30 p.m. ET
Last weekend, Beck had the type of performance expected against an inferior opponent like Bethune-Cook. He threw for 267 yards and 2 TDs, and was impressively efficient, going 22-24, a career-best 91.7% completion rate.
That included a Miami record 15-straight completions, beating Vinny Testaverde’s record of 14. And Testaverde had those 14 straight completions in 1986, the same year he won the Heisman Trophy. Foreshadowing, anyone?
Accuracy and ball control were issues for Beck last year at Georgia, as he threw 12 interceptions. But here in 2025, he’s eighth with a 76.1% completion rate and no interceptions for No. 5 Miami.
2. LSU QB Garrett Nussmeier 📉
Next game: vs. Florida – Sat. Sept. 13, 7:30 p.m. ET
After tossing for 232 yards and 1 TD in a 17-10 win against Clemson, Nussmeier became an early Heisman favorite.
After competing against a top-five team in Week 1, it was a huge drop in competition as LSU hosted a Group of Five program, Louisiana Tech, offering Nussmeier a chance to stat pad against an inferior opponent.
Nussmeier finished with 237 passing yards, with 1 TD and 1 INT. The Tigers took a devastating blow early in the game with the injury to C Braelin Moore, and it seemed to impact the offense, with Nussmeier taking 3 sacks.
Nussmeier never got into a rhythm, managing just 5.7 yards per completion.
1. Oklahoma QB John Mateer 📈
Next game: @ Temple – Sat. Sept. 13, 12 p.m. ET
Mateer made a name for himself as he led No. 18 Oklahoma over No. 15 Michigan in the week's only matchup between ranked teams. He threw for 270 yards, 1 TD, and 1 INT; however, his biggest impact came on the ground with 78 rushing yards and a pair of touchdowns.
Facing a Michigan frontline that had the eighth-most sacks per game last year (2.8), Mateer and his four new offensive lineman — one of whom is a true freshman — handled the pass rush well, with Mateer going 8-13 for 156 yards and 1 TD against the blitz.
After Oklahoma’s quarterback situation last year, where they were 121st in passing yards per game (167.1), head coach Brent Venables praised his signal caller, saying he’s, “...[a] tough guy. He's fearless. He attacks everything without fear."
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