2025 College Football Awards: Winners, Finalists and Snubs
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Who won all of the 2025 college football awards, who should've won, and who was on each of the ballots?
It's that time of year when the college football award season kicks in. The Heisman is the main event, but the rest of the top awards are a big deal to the schools, the history of the game, and obviously, the players.
Who won all of the honors, and what was my ballot for each one? (All except for the Heisman – not allowed to even think about talking about that until it comes out on Saturday night.)
Here they are (updated on the fly as they come in).
2025 College Football Award Winners and Snubs
Bednarik Award
Who were the best defensive players in college football?
2025 Bednarik Award Winner
COMING
2025 Bednarik Award Finalists
Caleb Downs, S Ohio State
Cashius Howell, DE Texas A&M
Jacob Rodriguez, LB Texas Tech
Predicted Finish: 1) Rodriguez, 2) Downs, 3) Howell
Fiu’s Ballot: 1) Rodriguez, 2) Downs, 3) Howell
Best Player Not On Ballot: David Bailey, EDGE Texas Tech
Last Three Bednarik Award Winners
2024 Travis Hunter, CB, Colorado
2023 Payton Wilson, LB NC State
2022 Will Anderson, DE Alabama
Biletnikoff Award
Who were the best receivers in college football?
2025 Biletnikoff Award Winner
COMING
2025 Biletnikoff Award Finalists
Skyler Bell, UConn
Makai Lemon, USC
Jeremiah Smith, Ohio State
Predicted Finish: 1) Smith, 2) Bell, 3) Lemon
Fiu’s Ballot: 1) Smith, 2) Bell, 3) Lemon
Best Player Not On Ballot: Danny Scudero, San Jose State
Last Three Biletnikoff Award Winners
2025 Travis Hunter, Colorado
2024 Marvin Harrison, Jr., Ohio State
2023 Jalin Hyatt, Tennessee
Bronko Nagurski Trophy
Who were the best defensive players in college football?
2025 Bronko Nagurski Trophy Winner
Jacob Rodriguez, LB Texas Tech
2025 Bronko Nagurski Trophy Finalists
Caleb Downs, S Ohio State
Cashius Howell, DE Texas A&M
Leonard Moore, CB Notre Dame
Caleb Rodriguez, LB Texas Tech
Predicted Finish: 1) Rodriguez, 2) Downs, 3) Moore, 4) Howell
Fiu’s Ballot: 1) Rodriguez, 2) Downs, 3) Moore, 4) Howell
Best Player Not On Ballot: David Bailey, EDGE Texas Tech
Last Three Bronko Nagurski Trophy Winners
2025 Kyle Kennard, DE South Carolina
2024 Xavier Watts, S Notre Dame
2023 Will Anderson, EDGE Alabama
Butkus Award
Who were the best linebackers in college football?
2025 Butkus Award Winner
Jacob Rodriguez, LB Texas Tech
2025 Butkus Award Finalists
CJ Allen, Georgia
Aiden Fisher, Indiana
Anthony Hill, Texas
Arvell Reese, Ohio State
Jacob Rodriguez, Texas Tech
Finish: 1) Rodriguez, 2) Reese, 3) Allen, 4) Fisher, 5) Hill
Fiu’s Ballot: 1) Rodriguez, 2) David Bailey, Texas Tech, 3) Red Murdock, Buffalo
Best Player Not On Ballot: Bailey
Last Three Butkus Award Winners
2024 Jalon Walker, Georgia
2023 Payton Wilson, NC State
2022 Jack Campbell, Iowa
Davey O’Brien Award
Who were the best quarterbacks in college football?
2025 Davey O’Brien Award Winner
Fernando Mendoza, Indiana
2025 Davey O’Brien Award Finalists
Fernando Mendoza, Indiana
Marcel Reed, Texas A&M
Julian Sayin, Ohio State
Predicted Finish: 1) Mendoza, 2) Sayin, 3) Reed
Fiu’s Ballot: 1) Mendoza, 2) Sayin, 3) Reed
Best Player Not On Ballot: Diego Pavia, Vanderbilt
Last Three Davey O'Brien Award Winners
2024 Cam Ward, Miami
2023 Jayden Daniels, LSU
2022 Max Duggan, TCU
Doak Walker Award
Who were the best running backs in college football?
2025 Doak Walker Award Winner
COMING
2025 Doak Walker Award Finalists
Ahmad Hardy, Missouri
Kewan Lacy, Ole Miss
Jeremiyah Love, Notre Dame
Predicted Finish: 1) Love, 2) Hardy, 3) Lacy
Fiu’s Ballot: 1) Love, 2) Hardy, 3) Lacy
Best Player Not On Ballot: Kaytron Allen, Penn State
Last Three Doak Walker Award Winners
2024 Ashton Jeany, Boise State
2023 Ollie Gordon II, Oklahoma State
2022 Bijan Robinson, Texas
Heisman Trophy
Who was the most outstanding player in college football?
2025 Heisman Trophy Award Winner
COMING
2025 Heisman Trophy Finalists
Jeremiyah Love, RB Notre Dame
Fernando Mendoza, QB Indiana
Diego Pavia, QB Vanderbilt
Julian Sayin, QB Ohio State
Predicted Finish: (NOT necessarily Fiu ballot): Mendoza, Pavia, Sayin, Love
Best Player Not On Ballot: Jacob Rodriguez, LB Texas Tech
Last Three Heisman Trophy Winners
2024 Travis Hunter, CB/WR Colorado
2023 Jayden Daniels, QB LSU
2022 Bryce Young, QB Alabama
Thorpe Award
Who were the best defensive backs in college football?
2025 Thorpe Award Winner
COMING
2025 Thorpe Award Finalists
Mansoor Delane, LSU
Caleb Downs, Ohio State
Leonard Moore, Notre Dame
Predicted Finish: 1) Downs, 2) Delane, 3) Moore
Fiu’s Ballot: 1) Downs, 2) Moore, 3) Delane
Best Player Not On Ballot: Chris Johnson, San Diego State
Last Three Thorpe Award Winners
2024 Jahdae Barron, S Texas
2023 Trey Taylor S Air Force
2022 Tre’Vius Hodges-Tomlinson, S TCU
John Mackey Award
Who were the best tight ends in college football?
2025 John Mackey Award Winner
COMING
2025 John Mackey Award Finalists
Eli Stowers, Vanderbilt
Kenyon Sadiq, Oregon
Michael Trigg, Baylor
Predicted Finish: 1) Stowers, 2) Trigg, 3) Sadiq
Fiu’s Ballot: 1) Sadiq, 2) Stowers, 2) Trigg
Best Player Not On Ballot: Joe Royer, Cincinnati
Last Three Mackey Award Winners
2024 Tyler Warren, Penn State
2023 Brock Bowers, Georgia
2022 Brock Bowers, Georgia
Lou Groza Award
Who were the best kickers in college football?
2025 Lou Groza Award Winner
COMING
2025 Lou Groza Award Finalists
Aidan Birr, Georgia Tech
Kansei Matsuzawa, Hawaii
Tate Sandell, Oklahoma
Predicted Finish: 1) Matsuzawa, 2) Sandell, 3) Birr,
Fiu’s Ballot: 1) Matsuzawa, 2) Birr, 3) Sandell
Best Player Not On Ballot: Patrick Durkin, Tulane
Last Three Lou Groza Award Winners
2024 Kenneth Almendares, Louisiana
2023 Graham Nicholson, Miami Univ.
2022 Lou Groza Winner: Christopher Dunn, NC State
Maxwell Award
Who was the best player in college football?
2025 Maxwell Award Winner
COMING
2025 Maxwell Award Finalists
Jeremiyah Love, RB Notre Dame
Fernando Mendoza, QB Indiana
Julian Sayin, QB Ohio State
Predicted Finish: 1) Mendoza, 2) Love, 3) Sayin
Fiu’s Ballot: 1) Mendoza, 2) Love, 3) Sayin
Best Player Not On Ballot: Diego Pavia, Vanderbilt
Last Three Maxwell Award Winners
2024 Ashton Jeanty, RB Boise State
2023 Michael Penix Jr., QB Washington
2022 Caleb Williams, QB USC
Outland Trophy
Who were the best interior linemen in college football?
2025 Outland Trophy Winner
COMING
2025 Outland Trophy Finalists
Spencer Fano, OT Utah
Logan Jones, C Iowa
Kayden McDonald, DT Ohio State
Predicted Finish: 1) Fano, 2) McDonald, 3) Jones
Fiu’s Ballot: 1) Fano, 2) McDonald, 3) Jones
Best Player Not On Ballot: Francis Mauigoa, OT Miami
Last Three Outland Trophy Winners
2024 Kelvin Banks, OT Texas
2023 Kenneth Grant, DT Michigan
2022 Olusegun Oluwatimi, C Michigan
Ray Guy Award
Who were the best punters in college football?
2025 Ray Guy Award Winner
COMING
2025 Ray Guy Award Finalists
Evan Crenshaw, Troy
Brett Thorson, Georgia
Palmer Williams, Baylor
Predicted Finish: 1) Thorson, 2) Crenshaw, 3) Williams
Fiu’s Ballot: 1) Thorson, 2) Crenshaw, 3) Williams
Best Player Not On Ballot: Ryan Eckley, Michigan State
Last Three Ray Guy Award Winners
2024 Eddie Czaplicki, USC
2023 Tory Taylor, Iowa
2022 Adam Korsak, Rutgers
Walter Camp Award
Who were the best players in college football?
2025 Walter Camp Winner
Fernando Mendoza, QB Indiana
2025 Walter Camp Finalists
Jeremiyah Love, RB Notre Dame
Fernando Mendoza, QB Indiana
Diego Pavia, QB Vanderbilt
Jacob Rodriguez, LB Texas Tech
Julian Sayin, QB Ohio State
Predicted Finish: 1) Mendoza, 2) Pavia, 3) Sayin, 4) Love, 5) Rodriguez
Best Player Not On Ballot: Caleb Downs, S Ohio State
Last Three Walter Camp Award Winners
2024 Travis Hunter, CB/WR Colorado
2023 Jayden Daniels, QB LSU
2022 Caleb Williams, QB USC
This story was originally published by College Football News on Dec 12, 2025, where it first appeared in the College Football section. Add College Football News as a Preferred Source by clicking here.
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