2025 Substack College Football Awards Season
The best players and coaches voted on by your favorite creators!
Hello everyone and welcome to the 2025 Substack College Football Awards Season!
As time keeps passing, more and more great content creators are joining Substack, pushing out all kinds of amazing sports and college football content. And, just like last season, I decided to poll as many as possible to figure out who should actually win some awards for their play this year!
If you want a full breakdown of who voted on these awards and what they bring to the table, head to the bottom of the post. Plus, you might just find some new content creators to subscribe to!
For all of these awards, voters were able to put their top three choices. Points were then awarded on a ranking basis, meaning the first place vote on a ballot netted a player three points, second place two points and third place one point. Then, the results were tabulated and added together with the highest point total taking the prize!
Finally, voters had the option to abstain from any votes and didn’t have to use all three spots on the ballot, which is why you’ll see point totals differ in some places.
Voting Totals: Diego Pavia, Vanderbilt (21); Fernando Mendoza, Indiana (18); Jeremiyah Love, Notre Dame (8); Julian Sayin, Ohio State (6); Jacob Rodriguez, Texas Tech (6)
Many of our voters - and national media - pegged this as a wide open Heisman race. Apparently not in our case, as only five players received votes from the panel. And there was a clear top-two: Diego Pavia and Fernando Mendoza.
Ultimately, it was the diminutive Pavia that claimed the top spot as the nation’s best overall player. And looking at his stats, it makes sense. 3,192 passing yards, 27 touchdowns, 8 interceptions, and a 87.7 QBR that ranked fourth in the nation. He also was effective on the ground, turning 152 carries into 826 yards and nine touchdowns.
All year, Pavia put Vanderbilt on his back, willing them into the playoff picture until the very last second. But that’s enough from me, let’s hear from our panel:
“Pavia meant the most to his team this season. He leads all Heisman finalists in all-purpose yards and made program history, leading them to 10 wins for the first time. He was the main reason the Commodores have the 1st-ranked offense in F+, and, without him at quarterback, Vanderbilt likely doesn’t even make a bowl game.” - Damian Ortega
“No player meant more to his team’s success than Diego Pavia. Nobody had Vanderbilt winning 10 games this year. Pavia was responsible for 36 TDs and led the team in rushing. Normally, everyone is going to take the best quarterback on the best team, but I am not doing that. Pavia has not only changed the entire culture at Vanderbilt, but the future of recruiting and resources. If he didn’t have two abysmal turnovers in the Red Zone against Alabama, he would be an absolute slam dunk to win the Heisman. “ - Andrew Mintner
Voting Totals: Curt Cignetti, Indiana (24); Clark Lea, Vanderbilt (8); Jason Eck, New Mexico (8); Joey McGuire, Texas Tech (7); Jerry Mack, Kennesaw State (4); Brent Venables, Oklahoma (3); Kirby Smart, Georgia (2); Bob Chesney, James Madison (2); Terry Smith, Penn State (1); Jon Sumrall, Tulane (1); Brent Brennan, Arizona (1)
We’ve done this for two years in a row. Both years, Curt Cignetti was named the best coach in the nation. I guess a 24-2 record at Indiana - who had the worst Power Four winning percentage prior to Cignetti’s arrival - is good enough to do that.
“Mendoza and Cig will always be tied together. They should both be award recipients, too.” - Colin Cerniglia
“Curt Cignetti has rewritten the blueprint and expectations for new head coaches with what he’s done at Indiana. Terry Smith is somewhat of a homer pick, but what he took over at Penn State and how that team fought against Indiana and closed out with three wins, is pretty remarkable. He could have easily lost that entire locker room, especially when it appeared James Franklin already had. Also, if Lane Kiffin wasn’t the worst person alive, he would have probably been No. 1 or No. 2. “ - Brian Lennon
“I don’t know if any coach has ever won two years in a row, but if anyone deserves it, Cignetti does for winning the Big Ten against the defending national champions.” - Damian Ortega
“Only Cignetti could have led the hapless Hoosiers to one of, if not the greatest, turnarounds in college football history.” - Adam Firebaugh
Voting Totals: Diego Pavia, Vanderbilt (16); Jeremiyah Love, Notre Dame (13); Fernando Mendoza, Indiana (8); Jeremiah Smith, Ohio State (5); Julian Sayin, Ohio State (3); Cam Cook, Jacksonville State (2); Kewan Lacy, Ole Miss (1); Ahmad Hardy, Missouri (1); Makai Lemon, USC (1); Joe Fagnano, UConn (1)
We already talked about how transcendent Diego Pavia was this season. One of our voters summed it up best, though he did not cast a first-place vote for Pavia;
“Win the Heisman, gotta win this, too.” - Colin Cerniglia
Voting Totals: Jacob Rodriguez, Texas Tech (23); Caleb Downs, Ohio State (6); David Bailey, Texas Tech (5); Reuben Bain Jr., Miami (4); Rolijah Hardy, Indiana (3); Mansoor Delane, LSU (2); Cashius Howell, Texas A&M (2); Sonny Styles, Ohio State (1); Caden Curry, Ohio State (1)
Just one defender showed up on our Player of the Year polling, which makes sense for Texas Tech’s Jacob Rodriguez to win the Defensive Player of the Year award.
And Rodriguez deserved it. He was all over the field and one of the clear most impactful defenders in the nation. But our panel had that covered, with Rodriguez running away with the award.
“Realistically, I could have put three Texas Tech players on this list. I will list Jacob Rodriguez’s stats vs Power 5 competition: 2nd in tackles, 22nd in TFL, 20th in passes defended, and 1st in fumbles forced. This defense is terrifying and his versatility is the main reason. “ - Andrew Mintner
“The mustaches may be the best money can buy, but they were worth every penny for the Red Raiders.” - Brian Lennon
“Texas Tech’s defense was chock-full of studs, but Jacob Rodriguez was the most impactful defensive player this season. The senior linebacker compiled eye-popping turnover and tackle numbers on a defense that ranks among the nation’s best.” - Damian Ortega
Voting Totals: K.C. Concepcion, Texas A&M (9); Kaden Wetjen, Iowa (7); Kansei Matsuzawa, Hawaii (8); Tate Sandell, Oklahoma (6); Ryan Barker, Penn State (3); Kole Wilson, Baylor (3); Billy Gowers, Hawaii (2); Cole Maynard, Western Kentucky (1); Patrick Durkin, Tulane (1); Dante Atton, Temple (1); Sahmir Hagans, Duke (1)
Few players had a larger impact on the special teams game than K.C. Concepcion. The junior speedster was an elite return man, turning more than a few games on their head with the blink of an eye.
Concepcion had 24 punt returns for 460 yards and two touchdowns, with a long of 80 yards.
Voting Totals: Drew Mestemaker, North Texas (22); Cam Cook, Jacksonville State (10); Byrum Brown, South Florida (3); Alonza Barnett III, James Madison (3); Jake Retzlaff, Tulane (3); Wyatt Young, North Texas (2); Red Murdoch, Buffalo (2); Chris Johnson, San Diego State (2); Wayne Knight, James Madison (2); Nadame Tucker, Western Michigan (2); Skyler Bell, UConn (1); Joe Fagnano, UConn (1)
With how much Drew Mestemaker has been the talk of the town, could it really have been anyone else?
North Texas’s offense was a revelation all season, averaging nearly a 50-burger through the regular season. Sure, he wasn’t much of a rushing threat, but when you lead the nation in passing yards and can be relatively unstopped, you’re the best Group of Six player. Let’s hope North Texas can hang onto him.
“Drew Mestemaker as a freshman recorded 4,129 passing yards (leads FBS), 31 TDs, and 7 INTs. North Texas’s future is bright.” - Andrew Mintner
Voting Totals: Fernando Mendoza, Indiana (20); Julian Sayin, Ohio State (16); Diego Pavia, Vanderbilt (13); Drew Mestemaker, North Texas (3); Haynes King, Georgia Tech (1); Joe Fagnano, UConn (1)
Diego Pavia may be the best player of the year, but Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza takes the cake as the nation’s best pure quarterback.
Mendoza’s season with the undefeated Indiana Hoosiers may be more impressive than Pavia’s, edging him out for the third best QBR at 88.4 to go along with his 2,980 yards, 33 touchdowns and only eight interceptions. He was effective as a rusher too, adding 240 yards and six touchdowns.
“I question Mendoza’s pro prospects, but at the same time, he reminds me a lot of Joe Montana.” - Brian Lennon
Voting Totals: Jeremiyah Love, Notre Dame (22); Ahmad Hardy, Missouri (12); Kaytron Allen, Penn State (4); Cam Cook, Jacksonville State (3); Emmett Johnson, Nebraska (2); Kewan Lacy, Ole Miss (2); Caleb Hawkins, North Texas (1); L.J. Martin, BYU (1)
Love is in the air, as Jeremiyah Love finally notches an award win of his own as the nation’s top running back. The junior tailback was the most dangerous weapon on the Notre Dame offense, with stunning efficiency to go with his gaudy counting totals. In the end, that breaks out to 199 carries for 1,372 yards and 18 touchdowns - good for 6.9 yards per carry.
Love was undoubtedbly one of the most dangerous weapons - let alone running backs - in the nation.
“Love’s total production on the ground was remarkable, even though he shared the backfield with Jadarian Price. It speaks to how efficient he was all year at 6.9 YPC.” - Damian Ortega
“If you do not have Jeremiyah Love at the top of this list, you should throw that ballot in the trash. 4th in overall rushing yards with 50-80 less attempts than those in front of him. As a football community, we have been robbed to watch him in the playoffs but I digress.” - Andrew Mintner
Voting Totals: Makai Lemon, USC (16); Jeremiah Smith, Ohio State (15); Elijah Sarratt, Indiana (5); Skyler Bell, UConn (5); Carnell Tate, Ohio State (4); Beau Sparks, Texas State (2); K.J. Duff, Rutgers (1); Omar Cooper Jr., Indiana (1); K.C. Concepcion, Texas A&M (1)
WRU has been dethroned, as USC’s Makai Lemon barely edged out Jeremiah Smith by just one vote. And, as an all-around receiver, Lemon deserves the praise.
He was the top target in one of the nation’s most dangerous offenses, with 1,156 yards and 11 touchdowns all while averaging 14.6 yards per catch. Not to be a one-trick pony, but Lemon also showed his versatility with two rushing scores, even if he didn’t rack up large amounts of rushing yards.
“Makai Lemon firmly established himself as USC’s go-to playmaker and offensive centerpiece. Despite his size, Lemon’s combination of route-running, contested-catch ability, and consistency made him the most complete wide receiver in the country.” - Damian Ortega
“Makai Lemon may have saved Lincoln Riley’s job, especially if he can recruit more receivers to perform like Lemon did this year.” - Brian Lennon
Voting Totals: Eli Stowers, Vanderbilt (20); Kenyon Sadiq, Oregon (12); Michael Trigg, Baylor (8); Tanner Koziol, Houston (3); Charlie Becker, Indiana (2)
The clear-cut top-level tight ends really separated themselves this year, with only four players receiving votes. And the bulk of those went to Stowers.
As Pavia’s top target this season, Stowers was and elite vertical threat working from the tight end position. He hauled in 62 catches for 796 yards and four touchdowns. Those stats may not be the most eye-popping on the surface, but when you consider his solid blocking prowess to get Pavia and Sedrick Alexander free and his 12.4 yards per catch, you get the nation’s top tight end.
Voting Totals: Utah (12); Indiana (11); Iowa (10); Oregon (8); Notre Dame (3); Georgia (2); Texas Tech (2); Miami (1)
This year, we made one tweak to the awards style: going with offensive line units instead of overall players. Think like the Joe Moore Award works.
There’s a lot of things I can say about the Utah offensive line’s work this year, but I think Andrew Mintner summed it up best:
“Utah might surprise you at the top of my list, but they are the only team to rank top 10 in overall yards before contact/rush attempts (first overall) and in overall pressure percentage allowed (seventh). This team will be dangerous again next year. “ - Andrew Mintner
Voting Totals: Rueben Bain Jr., Miami (9); John Henry Daley, Utah (7); David Bailey, Texas Tech (6); Nadame Tucker, Western Michigan (4); Kenyatta Jackson, Ohio State (3); Cashius Howell, Texas A&M (3); Ahkeem Mesidor, Miami (2); Caden Curry, Ohio State (2)
This was our most varied and contentious voting with so many solid players netting votes.
For a solid part of the season, Bain was perhaps the best player in college football. Sure, the offense picked up some slack as the season went on, but Bain was double-teamed and schemed around all year. He still found ways to be disruptive.
Sure, his stats don’t tell the full story - 19 tackles, 4.5 sacks, one forced fumble and one interception - and his teammate Ahkeem Mesidor outplayed Bain on the stat sheet. But that doesn’t account for the double-teams and free rushes Bain opened up for the rest of the Miami defense. He was, after all, the top rated edge rusher by PFF this season.
Voting Totals: Jacob Rodriguez, Texas Tech (21); Arvell Reese, Ohio State (4); Sonny Styles, Ohio State (4); Gideon Lampron, Bowling Green (3); Owen Long, Colorado State (3); Caden Fordham (2); Mac UIhlein, Northwestern (2); Rolijah Hardy, Indiana (2); David Bailey, Texas Tech (2); C.J, Allen, Georgia (2); Anthony Hill, Texas (2); Jack Kelly, BYU (1)
Yeah, Rodriguez ran away with this one, too. Let’s recap his stats, shall we?
117 total tackles. 11.0 tackles for loss. One sack. Six passes defensed. Four interceptions. Seven forced fumbles. Two fumble recoveries.
My goodness, good luck scheming around him during the playoff.
“Rodriguez is Texas Tech’s do-it-all linebacker who’s seemingly capable of doing anything, and he proved it time and time again all season long. He’s a big reason why the Texas Tech Raiders are in prime position for a national championship run.” - Adam Firebaugh
“Every Texas Tech game I watched, it seemed like Jacob Rodriguez was intercepting a pass, forcing a fumble or recovering a fumble. A playmaker on defense like none I’ve seen in years.” - Brian Lennon
Voting Totals: Caleb Downs, Ohio State (10); Leonard Moore, Notre Dame (9); Louis Moore, Indiana (8); Mansoor Delane, LSU (8); Brice Pollock, Texas Tech (2); Chris Johnson, San Diego State (2); Devon Marshall, North Carolina (1); Dillon Thieneman, Oregon (1); Ellis Robinson IV, Georgia (1)
Four players - all talented - were within two points of taking the crown here. After finishing runner-up last season, Ohio State’s Caleb Downs takes the crown this year.
Under the watchful eye of Matt Patricia, Downs posted his best season yet, finishing top-10 in Heisman voting as the only full-time defender to finish that high (Jacob Rodriguez has moonlighted on offense).
The junior safety has 40 tackles, 5.0 tackles for loss, one sack, two interceptions, a pass broken up and a quarterback hurry this year. Like Bain, his stats may not be the most impressive, but his presence on the field forces offenses to adapt to where he lines up and what he’s doing. He’s one of the few players in the nation that can turn a game on a dime with just their positioning, let alone when he can take over a game.
And, he’s doing all this as a safety. The other three contenders for the best defensive back award? All boundary corners that live on an island. Not Downs, who roves around the field with the sole purpose to wreak as much havoc as possible.
The Voters:
Griffin Olah, SID Sports - Griffin is a former SID that specializes in the national coverage of college football and some of the behind the scenes business happenings of college sports. From rankings, to Games of the Slot, to the SID Sports Season Preview Magazine, SID Sports has you covered with all things college football.
Alex Kirshner, Split Zone Duo - One third of the SZD team, Alex is a Los Angeles-based writer whose portfolio includes work in Slate, The Atlantic, GQ, FiveThirtyEight, The Guardian, Men’s Journal, The Ringer, VICE, Baseball Prospectus, and more. His work covers the sprawling landscape of college football, business, and much more.
Tyler Schuster, Three-Point Stance - Tyler, a card-carrying member of the hating community, is a former football player himself and a huge fan of the sport. Be sure to follow Tyler for some comedic takes on what’s going on across the sport, as well as gambling and watching insights.
Colin Cerniglia, Colin Cerniglia - Colin is a positive, fun-loving Penn State homer that loves to write about his Nittany Lions. You can also catch Colin writing about baseball for Yardbarker and Kings of Kauffman and keep an eye out for his upcoming rock ‘n’ roll novel, Papilo.
Brian Lennon, Tailgators Setup - Brian is one third of the Tailgators Setup podcast and the host of the show. A Penn State fan through and through, Brian will discuss and breakdown what you can expect to see from the top teams in their next game. You’ll only notice the tiniest pro-Penn State bias, I promise.
John Crimella, Tailgators Setup - The resident college football expert of Tailgators Setup, John is the guy in the know for listeners. A huge Florida fan, John’s SEC affinity balances well with Gary and Brian’s Big Ten fandom and makes sure the show covers all angles.
Brett Gibbons, Road to CFB - What better journey to go on than to see all 136 FBS stadiums? Gibbons is doing just that, with over 100 visits completed and documenting his trips on his Substack and social media. Gibbons also contributes TheLines, Lineups, Fansided and TCU on SI.
Damian Ortega, Fight On Picks - Damian brings a west coast focus to college football, picking each game each week and giving out betting tips to readers. If you want sharp CFB insights focusing on the Pacific coast - Fight on Picks is for you!
Adam Firebaugh, Storm the Field - Sports isn’t just about what happens on the field. It also factors into its own culture and the American zeitgeist as a whole. Adam is here to be your guide through the cultural side of college football and how it impacts the nation - and fan bases - at large.
Andrew Mintner, The Mintner Method - The resident advanced stats guy, Andrew has his patented Mintner Method to take a look at how stats dictate games are going to play out. He gives great previews to each and every week’s games and tosses in some betting tibdits for those that are more gambling-inclined.