Deion Sanders makes his Heisman preference clear amid Mendoza-Pavia debate

Colorado head coach Deion Sanders revealed who he thinks should win the 2025 Heisman Trophy as the college football world weighs in on the race.

Sanders knows a thing or two about the Heisman award, having coached last year’s winner, Travis Hunter, who played both sides of the ball as Sanders did back in his playing days.

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This year’s race has essentially boiled down to Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza and Vanderbilt’s Diego Pavia, two quarterbacks who are having stellar seasons for their respective programs.

Following Conference Championship Week, Ohio State quarterback Julian Saiyan has been cast aside in the race after a lackluster showing in the Big Ten title game, leaving Mendoza and Pavia as the two frontrunners.

On social media, Deion Sanders Jr., son of the former NFL player, posted in support of Diego Pavia. The Buffaloes coach reposted his son’s tweet, sending a clear signal of who he thinks should win the award.

Pavia led Vanderbilt to its best season in the school’s history, throwing for 3,192 yards, 27 touchdowns, and eight interceptions. While he has grown as a passer, his strength lies in his ability to run the option, using his legs to gain 826 yards and nine scores this season.

The Vanderbilt defense also showed itself to be a strong unit, but the 10-2 record that the school earned this season came down to the quarterback and his ability to make plays regularly.

Despite the magic Pavia has created, Mendoza is the consensus favorite after leading Indiana to the Big Ten title against Ohio State.

Why is Fernando Mendoza the Heisman favorite?

Mendoza faced the No.1 team in the country on Saturday and walked away as the winner. He threw 222 yards, going 15-for-22. He struggled in the first half, throwing an interception and looking quite rattled amid Ohio State’s talent.

At halftime, he bounced back and looked like the first-round quarterback that he is projected to be, leading clutch drives and making all of the critical throws.

The award was all but wrapped up with his performance. However, there is still a strong case for Pavia, who arguably means more to his team than Mendoza and has led a program that has long been struggling to become a budding playoff team and an SEC powerhouse this season.

It is unlikely that he gets the nod in New York, but Sanders will be far from the only person backing the quarterback as his pick.

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