- Fernando Mendoza is our Heisman pick: The Indiana quarterback will likely be the program’s first ever Heisman Trophy winner.
- Jeremiah Love wins the Doak Walker Award: The Notre Dame star claims the award for the nation’s best running back.
- Get PFF+ for 30% off: Use promo code HOLIDAY30 to unlock the PFF Player Prop Tool, Premium Stats, fantasy dashboards, the PFF Mock Draft Simulator, industry-leading fantasy rankings and much more — everything you need to win your season.
Estimated Reading Time: 8 minutes
The months of December and January are all about trophies in college football. Nine teams have already hoisted conference championships, and we now enter the College Football Playoff/bowl season.
It’s also time for individuals to take home some hardware. Using PFF’s advanced metrics, here’s to whom we would give 23 of college football’s major awards.
Heisman Trophy/Maxwell Award (Best Player)
Winner: QB Fernando Mendoza, Indiana
Mendoza led Indiana to a perfect 13-0 record which included a Big Ten Championship and the first No. 1 ranking in program history. The California transfer’s 33 touchdown passes lead the FBS, while his 126.7 passer rating is second.
Mendoza saved his best for last, posting a career-high 92.3 PFF grade against top-ranked Ohio State in the Big Ten title game. He will likely be Indiana’s first ever Heisman Trophy winner.
Chuck Bednarik Award/Bronko Nagurski Trophy (Best Defensive Player)
Winner: LB Jacob Rodriguez, Texas Tech
Rodriguez isn’t just the highest-graded defender in college football: He’s the highest-graded player in college football. Rodriguez’s 95.3 PFF run-defense grade and 93.0 PFF coverage grade also lead all defensive players, as do his seven forced fumbles. The former walk-on also paces all FBS linebackers with four interceptions, while his 65 defensive stops are tied for the most in the Power Four.
Davey O’Brien Award (Best Quarterback)
Winner: QB Fernando Mendoza, Indiana
See above.
Doak Walker Award (Best Running Back)
Winner: RB Jeremiyah Love, Notre Dame
Love entered the season as the best running back in college football and has been exactly that this year. His 92.9 PFF grade leads all FBS tailbacks. while his 39 explosive runs are tied for third. Love is also third among FBS backs with 1,652 total yards from scrimmage.
Biletnikoff Award (Best Receiver)
Winner: WR Makai Lemon, USC
Lemon’s 90.4 PFF grade leads all FBS wide receivers this season, while his 1,156 receiving yards were the most among Power Four wideouts. His 20 forced missed tackles tied for sixth among all receivers in the nation, and he caught 10 of his 15 contested targets despite only being 5-foot-11, 195 pounds.
John Mackey Award (Best Tight End)
Winner: TE Eli Stowers, Vanderbilt
Like Love, Stowers entered the year as the top player at his position and proved why this season. His 769 receiving yards are 75 more than any other tight end in the nation, while his 81.9 PFF grade is third in the FBS. The former four-star quarterback recruit also led the country with 377 yards after the catch and has been Diego Pavia’s most trusted weapon ever since their days at New Mexico State.
Outland Trophy (Best Interior Lineman)
Winner: OT Keagen Trost, Missouri
Trost took over Missouri’s right tackle position from a top-10 pick in Armand Membou, and he’s been similarly dominant as the current New York Jet. The Wake Forest transfer’s 91.3 PFF grade is 2.6 points higher than any other offensive lineman in college football right now. Trost’s 90.5 PFF run-blocking grade is also easily the best in the nation, and he’s only surrendered nine pressures on 386 pass-blocking snaps.
Rotary Lombardi Award (Best Lineman)
Winner: EDGE David Bailey, Texas Tech
Bailey is the most productive pass-rusher in college football, leading America with 14 sacks and 74 pressures so far. The projected top-20 pick’s 93.6 PFF pass-rush grade is also tied for the best in the country, while his 35 defensive stops are tied for fourth among Power Four edge defenders.
Rimington Award (Best Center)
Winner: C Logan Jones, Iowa
Jones was the Power Four’s highest-graded center last season, earning an 83.6 mark. His 84.0 PFF grade this year is the best in the nation by nearly two points. Jones is the only center in America who has top-five figures as a pass blocker (second) and run blocker (third).
Ted Hendricks Award (Best Defensive End)
Winner: EDGE David Bailey, Texas Tech
See above.
Butkus Award (Best Linebacker)
Winner: LB Jacob Rodriguez, Texas Tech
See above.
Jim Thorpe Award (Best Defensive Back)
Winner: CB Leonard Moore, Notre Dame
After a stellar true freshman season, Moore entered his sophomore campaign as the PFF’s top-ranked cornerback in America and further showed why this year. His 92.0 grade is tied for the best among all corners in America and leads all Power Four defensive backs. Moore’s five interceptions are tied for the most in the country, and he’s only allowed a 45.9 passer rating into his coverage.
Paul Hornung Award (Most Versatile Player)
Winner: WR KC Concepcion, Texas A&M
Concepcion does it all for the Aggies, whether it be as a receiver, rusher or returner. He led all SEC wide receivers with an 83.2 PFF receiving grade while placing fourth in the conference with 886 receiving yards.
The NC State transfer’s 86.0 PFF return grade is also second in the Power Four, as he was one of five players in the nation with multiple punt return touchdowns. The projected top-40 pick also has a rushing touchdown for Texas A&M as well.
Lou Groza Award (Best Placekicker)
Winner: K Tate Sandell, Oklahoma
Sandell is in the midst of one of the greatest seasons we’ve ever charted for a kicker. His 97.8 PFF kicking grade would be the single-season PFF record if it stands.
The UTSA transfer has made all 32 of his extra points and 23 of his 24 field goal attempts this year. Amazingly, he has drilled all seven of his attempts from 50-plus yards.
Ray Guy Award (Best Punter)
Winner: P Billy Gowers, Hawaii
Gowers’ 93.6 PFF punting grade is the best in America. Over half of his 47 punts have landed inside the 20-yard line, and his average hang time of 4.24 seconds is currently fifth.
Johnny “The Jet” Rodgers Award (Best Return Specialist)
Winner: WR Kaden Wetjen, Iowa
Wetjen’s 90.3 PFF return grade leads all Power Four players. The wide receiver has four total return touchdowns, one on a kickoff and three off of punts. If he brings another back to the house in Iowa’s bowl game, that would tie the all-time record for most return touchdowns in a season.
Shaun Alexander Freshman of the Year Award (Best Freshman)
Winner: QB Julian Sayin, Ohio State
This award applies to both true freshmen and redshirt freshmen, which makes Sayin the easy pick here. PFF’s runner-up for the Heisman Trophy leads all FBS quarterbacks with a 93.2 grade, while his 78.4% completion rate would be the all-time record if it stands.
For those wondering, Miami (FL) wide receiver Malachi Toney would be our pick for this award if it only went to true freshmen.
Burlsworth Trophy (Best Player Who Started his Career as a Walk-On)
Winner: S Michael Taaffe, Texas
Taaffe has been the heartbeat of Texas’ secondary over the last couple of seasons. His 89.4 coverage grade this year is tied for fifth among FBS safeties, while his 88.4 overall grade is seventh.
Joe Moore Award (Best Offensive Line)
Winner: Iowa
Iowa’s offensive line runs away with this award for us. The Hawkeyes’ 94.3 offensive line grade is nearly 10 points higher than any other front five in college football.
Iowa leads the nation in team run-blocking grade while placing third in pass-blocking grade. No other team is in the top 10 for both metrics.
Coach of the Year Award
Winner: HC Curt Cignetti, Indiana
Cignetti was our pick for Coach of the Year last season for leading Indiana to the College Football Playoff and its first 10-win season in school history after winning just nine games in the three prior seasons. And somehow, Cignetti has raised the bar once again.
The Hoosiers are the only undefeated team in college football heading into the playoff, claiming their first Big Ten championship since 1967 and their first No. 1 ranking in program history. Their 96.8 overall grade is also the best in the nation.
Frank Broyles Award (Best Assistant Coach)
Winner: DC Matt Patricia, Ohio State
After winning the national championship in 2024, Ohio State saw eight defenders get selected in the 2025 NFL Draft. The Buckeyes were also introducing a new defensive coordinator with Jim Knowles leaving for Penn State.
And somehow, the Ohio State defense looks even better. The Buckeyes still haven’t given up 17 points in any of their 13 games, and their 4.0 yards per play allowed are second to only Texas Tech in the country.
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