New York, NY—-The 2025 Heisman Ceremony arrived with a theme few could have predicted. From the finalists on stage to the programs they represented, this year’s edition broke with tradition and challenged long-held assumptions about what a Heisman résumé is supposed to look like.
In past decades, the ceremony often felt like familiar territory—blue-blood programs, repeat contenders, and pipelines that seemed to replenish themselves every season. This year was different. Dramatically so.
New Names, New Places
Seeing Vanderbilt and Indiana represented among the finalists felt almost surreal. Vanderbilt, in particular, had never been part of this conversation before. Diego Pavia’s presence alone marked a first for the Commodores, signaling a breakthrough not just for a player, but for a program rarely associated with college football’s grandest stage.
Indiana’s finalist, Mendoza, carried history on his shoulders as well. He became only the school’s second Heisman finalist, joining the legendary Anthony Thompson, whose 1989 season remains one of the most celebrated in Hoosiers history. More than three decades later, Indiana was finally back in the spotlight.
Meanwhile, blue-chip powers still had their say. Jeremiyah Love of Notre Dame and Julian Sayin of Ohio State represented programs that know the Heisman path well, joining a lineage of stars who have long defined excellence at their respective schools. Their inclusion added balance to a finalist group that blended tradition with disruption.
DEI, Redefined
DEI became a talking point around this ceremony—but not in the way many expected.
Here, DEI stood for Did Earn It.
Each finalist earned his place through performance, leadership, and resilience. Yet the moment carried deeper meaning. The eventual winner became only the second Latin American player to win the Heisman Trophy, joining Jim Plunkett, the Stanford quarterback who claimed the award in 1970—55 years ago.
Even more remarkable, Diego Pavia’s runner-up finish created an unprecedented milestone: for the first time in the 90-year history of the Heisman Trophy, the top two finishers were Latin American players. Neither came from a school that had ever won the award before.
A Ceremony That Changed the Conversation
This wasn’t about optics or quotas. It was about opportunity meeting preparation, and players from overlooked programs forcing their way into college football’s most exclusive room.
The 2025 Heisman Ceremony reminded everyone why the award exists in the first place. It’s not meant to confirm what we already believe about the sport—it’s meant to honor greatness wherever it emerges.
This year, greatness came from unexpected places, carried unfamiliar names, and told a story college football will be talking about for years to come.
