Julian Sayin is a Heisman Trophy finalist. Will QB win? Predictions
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Ohio State quarterback Julian Sayin was named a Heisman finalist, but how legitimate of a contender is the redshirt freshman quarterback for the award?
In his first season starting for the Buckeyes, Sayin has the highest single-season completion percentage of all time, with playoff games still to come. Ohio State went undefeated with Sayin at the helm until losing to fellow Heisman Trophy finalist Fernando Mendoza and Indiana 13-10 in the Big Ten championship game on Dec. 6.
Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love and Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia are the other two finalists.
See betting odds and predictions for the Heisman Trophy winner in 2025 below.
Heisman Trophy finalists
Below are the four finalists for the Heisman Trophy in 2025.
Julian Sayin, QB, Ohio State
Sayin led the FBS in completion percentage (78.43%) and passer rating (182.1); his completion percentage is currently the highest of all time in a single season in the FBS. Oregon’s Bo Nix completed 77.45% of his passes in 2023, including an appearance in the Fiesta Bowl, which the Ducks won 45-6 over Liberty.
Jeremiyah Love, RB, Notre Dame
Love emerged as a late Heisman Trophy candidate, finishing fourth in the FBS with 1,372 rushing yards and fifth with 6.89 rushing yards per carry.
Diego Pavia, QB, Vanderbilt
Pavia led Vanderbilt to its first 10-win season and led the SEC in completion percentage (71.2%), passing touchdowns (27), yards per attempt (9.4) and passer rating (171.54).
Fernando Mendoza, QB, Indiana
Mendoza led the nation in passing touchdowns (33) and led Indiana to its first Big Ten championship since 1945, helping the Hoosiers over tough conference games against No. 5 Oregon and the No. 2 Buckeyes.
Julian Sayin Heisman odds
As of Dec. 9, Julian Sayin has the lowest betting odds of the Heisman Trophy finalists at +50000, per BetMGM. Below are the odds of the four finalists to win the award.
- Fernando Mendoza: -2000
- Diego Pavia: +1000
- Jeremiyah Love: +15000
- Julian Sayin: +50000
Julian Sayin Heisman predictions
The Heisman was a two-man race for a majority of the regular season between Sayin and Mendoza. The competition peaked when the two quarterbacks faced off in the Big Ten championship game on Dec. 6.
While Sayin had a decent stat line – completing 72% of his passes for 258 yards and a touchdown – he threw a costly interception that resulted in the Hoosiers scoring an early field goal. Twice in the red zone on third-down situations, Sayin was unable to complete passes to move the chains in the second half.
Meanwhile, Mendoza, who had fewer passing yards and a lower completion rate than Sayin in the championship game, made multiple clutch throws. He made a 51-yard pass to Charlie Becker and a 17-yard touchdown pass to Elijah Sarratt to give the Hoosiers the lead, and Mendoza followed that with a 33-yard dagger to Becker on Indiana’s last offensive drive, leaving Ohio State with too little time to mount a comeback.
While a straight-up statistical comparison would seem to make the Heisman Trophy race close, Mendoza outplayed Sayin and likely secured the Heisman Trophy in the title game.
When are Heisman finalists announced?
The Heisman finalists were announced on Dec. 8.
When is the Heisman Trophy ceremony?
The Heisman Trophy ceremony is at 7 p.m. Dec. 13.
This article originally appeared on The Columbus Dispatch: Will Julian Sayin win Heisman Trophy? Odds, predictions for finalists
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