2025 Heisman Watch: Miami’s Carson Beck, Alabama’s Ty Simpson Main Race

A chaotic Saturday has reshuffled the Heisman Trophy race.

Week 7 of the 2025 college football season was packed with upsets that rocked the leaderboard, and no one felt it more than Oregon quarterback Dante Moore. The redshirt sophomore entered the weekend as the front-runner, but a rough outing paired with a loss to Indiana sent his odds tumbling. Meanwhile, Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza and Ohio State’s Julian Sayin both surged into the spotlight with statement performances. 

And at the top? It’s Miami‘s Carson Beck, who didn’t take a single snap, thanks to a well-timed bye week.

Here’s a look at our 2025 Heisman Watch following the seventh full Saturday of the season.

Carson Beck boasts the third-best completion percentage (73.4) among ACC quarterbacks through Week 7. (Photo by Jason Clark/Getty Images)

Beck and the Hurricanes were on a bye in Week 7. After beating FSU last week, Miami faces Louisville on Friday night.

Ty Simpson threw for 200 yards and three touchdowns in Alabama’s win over Missouri. (Photo by Scott Winters/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)

Simpson didn’t post eye-opening stats this week, but he delivered a crucial strike to WR Lotzeir Brooks to convert a fourth-and-8 that helped No. 8 Alabama beat No. 14 Missouri. It’s moments like that play that could define Simpson’s Heisman case.

Indiana QB Fernando Mendoza threw for 215 yards and a touchdown in the Hoosiers’ win over Oregon. (Photo by Soobum Im/Getty Images)

Mendoza helped Indiana notch one of its biggest wins in program history on Saturday. The Cal transfer completed 20 of 31 passes for 215 yards, a touchdown and an interception as the Hoosiers remained undefeated with a 30-20 victory over the third-ranked Ducks. Mendoza out-played Moore, who was the Heisman front-runner entering Week 7.

Jeremiah Smith had five catches for 42 yards and a touchdown in Ohio State’s win over Illinois. (Photo by Alika Jenner/Getty Images)

Smith had his lowest total receiving yards against Illinois on Saturday. However, he boosted his lead in the Big Ten‘s receiving touchdown category, as he hauled in his seventh score of the season.

Sayin leads the league in completion percentage, connecting 80.2% of the time. (Photo by Robin Alam/ISI Photos/ISI Photos via Getty Images)

Sayin has been the definition of solid and dependable, completing a Big-Ten-best 77.7% of his passes during his first season as the Buckeyes starter. On Saturday, he led them to their sixth consecutive win this season.

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