For the second week in a row, there is a clear Heisman Trophy frontrunner after Miami QB Carson Beck went on the road and took down his third ranked opponent in five games.
There is also another debut in this week's Heisman rankings, Alabama QB Ty Simpson has his team back into CFB Playoff contention after suffering an early-season loss.
Below, we'll take a look at the Heisman Watch frontrunners ahead of Week 7, breaking down the top five contenders to win the Heisman Trophy in 2025 and their projections on PrizePicks real money CFB game this week.
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2025 Heisman Watch: Frontrunners Aheadof Week 7
Here are the new top Heisman Trophy Watch candidates heading into Week 7. On PrizePicks, you can win real money by picking More or Less on the weekly stats from these Heisman candidates and more CFB players.
5. Ohio State WR Jeremiah Smith
Next game: @ No. 17 Illinois – 12 p.m. ET
The defending National Champions continue to dominate as they coasted to a 42-3 win in Week 6 over Minnesota. This now gives them a +57 point differential in two games against Big Ten opponents.
Ohio State has shown no drop-off at the quarterback position, moving from Will Howard in 2024 to Julian Sayin, and it likely correlates to the pass catchers. Buckeyes WR Carnell Tate led the team with 183 receiving yards in Week 6, but Smith also made a large impact and led with 2 receiving TDs.
Smith doesn’t always need to have numbers that jump off the stat sheet, as long as OSU continues to win and Smith impacts the score, he will receive Heisman consideration.
Jeremiah Smith Projections vs. Illinois
Jeremiah Smith's projections are from the PrizePicks real money CFB game — pick players, predict More or Less on their stats, and win cash when you're right.
- 6.5 Receptions
- 91.5 Receiving Yards
- 0.5 Rush+Receiving TDs (Goblin)
4. Alabama QB Ty Simpson
Next game: @ No. 14 Missouri – Sat. Oct. 11, 12 p.m. ET
It feels like a long time ago when Alabama was upset by Florida State. Since then, the Crimson Tide have won four straight, including back-to-back against ranked opponents. A catalyst for this run has been QB Ty Simpson, who has settled in to throw for 2+ TDs in each game.
Simpson waited a long time for this opportunity. He’s been with Bama since 2022 and backed up former QBs Bryce Young and Jalen Milroe, but the wait has paid off.
His PFF passing grade ranks 10th (90.5), and he has the fifth-most passing TDs (13). He ranks third in overall expected points added — higher than any other player on this list.
Simpson and the Tide will continue to be tested as they travel to Columbia to face Missouri in Week 7. It doesn’t get easier after that, as their final five SEC opponents include four that are currently ranked in the top 12.
Ty Simpson Projections vs. Missouri
Ty Simpson's projections are from the PrizePicks real money CFB game.
- 1.5 Pass TDs (Goblin)
- 281.5 Passing Yards
- 20.5 Fantasy Score
- 0.5 INT
3. Indiana QB Fernando Mendoza
Next game: @ No. 3 Oregon – Sat. Oct. 11, 3:30 p.m. ET
Indiana QB Fernando Mendoza — the transfer from California — is having a breakout season, as his 16 TDs are the second-most in the country, matching his total from last year.
He ranks 13th in total EPA among all QBs, and 10th in yards per dropback, with an astounding 60.6% success rate.
Mendoza threw for 265 yards and 5 TDs in the Week 4 63-10 win over then-No. 9 Illinois, thrusting Mendoza into Heisman contention and the Hoosiers back into playoff contention.
Although he wasn’t the quarterback for the Hoosiers in 2024, he is helping erase the bad taste of their awful CFB Playoff defeat for voters. If they can defeat No. 3 Oregon and get a second win over a ranked opponent, it would look great on the Hoosiers' resume.
Fernando Mendoza Projections vs. Oregon
Fernando Mendoza's projections are from the PrizePicks real money CFB game.
- 1.5 Passing TDs (Goblin)
- 0.5 Rush+Receiving TDs
- 222.5 Passing Yards
- 16.5 Rushing Yards
- 18.5 Fantasy Score
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2. Oregon QB Dante Moore
Next game: vs. No. 7 Indiana – Sat. Oct. 11, 3:30 p.m. ET
Oregon QB Dante Moore was idle in Week 6, and if it weren’t for the brilliant performance by Beck, he’d still hold the top spot.
The win against Penn State might have taken a slight hit with the Nittany Lions' loss to UCLA, but it remains a significant road victory in the pursuit of another Big Ten championship.
Moore’s story is one of redemption and encouragement. According to 24/7 Sports, he was listed as a five-star recruit and the No. 4-ranked player in the 2023 class. He had offers from all the top programs, including Georgia, Michigan, and Notre Dame, and decided to attend UCLA.
He was thrown right into the fire as a true freshman, and it was an underwhelming season, during which he threw for 1,610 yards, 11 TDs, 9 INTs, and a 53.5% completion rate.
He was one-and-done with the Bruins, transferred to Oregon, and after sitting behind Oregon QB Dillon Gabriel last year, he has thrived for the No. 3 team in the country, ranking seventh in QB rating (183.5).
The junior will get his second big test as the Ducks host No. 7 Indiana. If they manage to win, the Ducks could position themselves well to make it back to the Big Ten Championship, as they won't face any more currently ranked teams for the remainder of the regular season.
With this being the only top ten matchup in Week 7, all eyes will be on these teams and their Heisman-contending quarterbacks.
Dante Moore Projections vs. Indiana
Dante Moore's projections are from the PrizePicks real money CFB game.
- 1.5 Passing TDs (Goblin)
- 0.5 Rush+Receiving TDs (Demon)
- 239.5 Passing Yards
- 24.5 Rushing Yards
1. Miami QB Carson Beck
Next game: vs. Louisville – Fri. Oct. 17, 7:30 p.m. ET
It’s time to say it: The U is back!
Beck and the Hurricanes have been battle-tested to start this season. They have already faced three ranked teams and beaten each one.
The 28-22 win over then-No. 18 Florida State was their first true road test as they went to Tallahassee to face their bitter rivals and escaped victorious.
Miami had control of this game from the start. On their second drive of the game, they scored a touchdown with 50 seconds left in the first quarter and never trailed again. He controlled the scoring as all 28 points came from passing touchdowns.
Freshman WR Malachi Toney had 2 TDs, and sixth-year senior WR CJ Daniels had the other two as they each had a touchdown of 20 yards, and Toney had one of 40+ yards.
Beck’s accuracy has been impressive, and he maintained his strong performance by going 20-for-27 (74.0%) against FSU. His overall season completion percentage of 73.4% ranks 10th. Beck's success rate ranks ninth in the country (52.1%), despite a difficult schedule to start the year.
It feels like all the talk of NIL money, his struggles with turnovers last year, and the highly publicized breakup with social media influencer Hanna Cavinder are all behind him, and he’s on a mission. It showed because even after a huge win, he remained all business.
The Canes do not currently have another ranked opponent on their schedule. They are off in Week 7 before playing Louisville, which is their only opponent that has fewer than two losses so far this year.
If Beck continues on this trajectory, he could help Miami win its first ACC Championship and his first Heisman.
Make Picks on Heisman Candidates on PrizePicks
After Week 6 of the 2025 college football season, we have a brand new No. 1, with Carson Beck grabbing a big win against Florida State. Ty Simpson lost to that same FSU team in Week 1, but now has Alabama ranked inside the top ten.
No matter who you're backing to win the Heisman Trophy, you can cash in on your player picks in PrizePicks' real money CFB DFS game every week this season.
Just pick More or Less on weekly stat projections, including Dante Moore’s passing yards or Jeremiah Smith’s receiving yards, and get paid when your picks are correct — all the way up to 2000x.
Check out the Playbook for more CFB DFS picks and college football predictions throughout the season.
