Who won our 2025 Heisman Trophy Fantasy Draft? The results are in, and they are bad

For the sixth consecutive year, college football writers from The Athletic conducted a preseason draft of Heisman contenders. Participants earn points based on the final Heisman voting results of their selections. This year, Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love, selected by one of the writers, finished third in the voting, marking the highest finisher among the draft picks.

Ralph Russo claimed victory in the standings by selecting Ohio State players Julian Sayin and Jeremiah Smith, who both finished in the top six. Notably, the eventual Heisman winner, Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza, was not picked by any of the eight participating writers. Mendoza, who transferred from Cal, became the first undrafted winner since Alabama's DeVonta Smith in 2020.

Additionally, the runner-up, Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia, was also overlooked despite his breakout performance and leading Vanderbilt to a 10-win season. This marked the first time since 2022 that neither the Heisman winner nor the runner-up was