Ranking Julian Sayin's stats among other 2025 Heisman finalists

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Ranking Julian Sayin's stats among other 2025 Heisman finalists

Three quarterbacks and one running back made the Heisman Trophy finalist cut, including Ohio State quarterback Julian Sayin. But statistically, how does Sayin compare to the rest of the 2025 contenders?

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 stat comparisons of the four Heisman Trophy finalists below.

Where Julian Sayin’s stats rank among Heisman finalists

Note: (*) = player leads Heisman QB finalists.

Julian Sayin 2025 season stats

Win-loss record: 12-1

Passing yards: 3,323*

Completion percentage: 78.4% (leads FBS)*

Passing touchdowns: 31

Yards per attempt: 9.1

Rushing yards: -2

Rushing touchdowns: 0

Interceptions: 6 (tied with Mendoza)*

Passer Rating: 182.1 (leads FBS)*

Ranked wins: No. 18 Michigan

Sayin led the FBS in completion percentage (78.43%) and passer rating (182.1). His completion percentage is the highest in a single season in FBS history. 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.

Stats-wise, Sayin’s shortcomings are in the run game. He rushed for net -2 yards without a rushing touchdown, far behind the other two Heisman quarterbacks in contention. But Ohio State’s quarterback makes up some ground for the lack of rushing ability by leading Pavia and Mendoza in passing yards.

Ohio State Buckeyes quarterback Julian Sayin (10) warms up prior to the Big Ten Conference championship game against the Indiana Hoosiers at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis on Dec. 6, 2025.

Diego Pavia 2025 season stats

Win-loss record: 10-2

Passing yards: 3,192

Completion percentage: 71.2% (first in SEC)

Passing touchdowns: 27 (first in SEC)

Yards per attempt: 9.4 (first in SEC, tied with Mendoza)*

Rushing yards: 826*

Rushing touchdowns: 9*

Interceptions: 8

Passer Rating: 171.5 (first in SEC)

Ranked wins: No. 24 Tennessee

Vanderbilt quarterback Diego Pavia (2) imitates the Heisman Trophy pose with fans after defeating Tennessee at Neyland Stadium in Knoxville, Tenn., Saturday, Nov. 29, 2025.

Historically, Vanderbilt is a subpar football program in the SEC. But Pavia led the Commodores to their 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). He is also an effective runner, amassing far more rushing yards (826) and more touchdowns (9) than both other Heisman quarterback finalists. He ended the year second in total offensive yards in the FBS (Sayin 42nd, Mendoza 49th).

Vanderbilt’s two losses on the season were to No. 14 Texas and No. 11 Alabama, their two highest ranked opponents. Pavia’s performance against the Crimson Tide was unmemorable, but he threw for 365 yards and three touchdowns while rushing for another in Vanderbilt’s three-point loss to the Longhorns.

Fernando Mendoza 2025 season stats

Win-loss record: 13-0*

Passing yards: 2,980

Completion percentage: 71.5%

Passing touchdowns: 33 (leads FBS)*

Yards per attempt: 9.4 (first in Big Ten, tied with Pavia)*

Rushing yards: 240

Rushing touchdowns: 6 (Tied with Sayin)

Interceptions: 6

Passer Rating: 181.4

Ranked wins: No. 2 Ohio State, No. 5 Oregon*

Indiana Hoosiers quarterback Fernando Mendoza (15) throws during the first half of the Big Ten Conference championship game against the Ohio State Buckeyes at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis on Dec. 6, 2025.

Though with fewer passing yards than Sayin and Pavia, Mendoza has more passing touchdowns (33) and two ranked wins inside the top-10 CFP rankings. Both other quarterbacks have one ranked win inside the top 25. Mendoza led winning efforts against No. 5 Oregon and against No. 2 Ohio State.

Mendoza’s winning efforts are his strongest quality. He led a game-winning drive against Penn State and made signature throws in both ranked wins.

Jeremiyah Love 2025 season stats

Win-loss record: 10-2

Rushing yards: 1,372 (third in FBS)

Rushing touchdowns: 18 (third in FBS)

Rushing yards per attempt: 6.9 (fifth in FBS)

Receiving yards: 280

Rushing touchdowns: 3

Total touchdowns: 21 (2nd in FBS)

All-purpose yards per game: 137.67 (fourth in FBS)

Ranked wins: N/A

Love ranks in the top five in the FBS in rushing yards, touchdowns and yards per attempt. He also finished second in the FBS in total touchdowns and fourth in all-purpose yards.

In 2025, Love was the main catalyst for the Fighting Irish offense. He had notable performances against rival USC (228 rushing yards on 24 carries, two total touchdowns) and Syracuse (eight carries, 171 yards and three rushing touchdowns).

Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love (4) celebrates after getting a first down in the second half of a NCAA football game against Southern California at Notre Dame Stadium on Saturday, Oct. 18, 2025, in South Bend.

There has not been a Heisman running back since Alabama’s Derrick Henry in 2015. In 12 regular-season games, Henry totaled 1,797 rushing yards and 22 rushing touchdowns on 295 carries (6.1 yards per attempt). That’s more than 400 rushing yards and 96 more carries than Love’s 2025 season.

It may feel like an unfair comparison given Henry’s legendary status in college football, but the Heisman Trophy has been a quarterback-dominant award except for outliers such as Travis Hunter’s success in two positions in 2024 and wide receiver Devonta Smith’s standout year for Alabama in 2020.

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.

Ohio State Buckeyes quarterback Julian Sayin (10) scrambles during the first half of the Big Ten Conference championship game against the Indiana Hoosiers at Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis on Dec. 6, 2025.

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.

Julian Sayin Heisman odds

As of Dec. 9, Sayin had 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

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: How Julian Sayin’s stats stack up with 2025 Heisman finalists

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