As the excitement of the 2025 college football season winds down, the recognition of outstanding players and coaches has begun. Following a thrilling regular season and a decisive conference championship weekend that finalized the College Football Playoff lineup, the award season has officially commenced. ESPN provided a comprehensive list of national award recipients on Friday night, showcasing the top talents in the sport.
Curt Cignetti, head coach of Indiana, received the prestigious Home Depot Coach of the Year award for the second successive year, marking a historic achievement as the first coach to win this accolade in consecutive seasons. Under his leadership, Indiana boasts a flawless record of 13-0 and secured the No. 1 seed in the playoffs after triumphing over Ohio State in the Big Ten Championship.
Fernando Mendoza, Indiana”s quarterback, emerged as one of the season”s standout performers. After transferring from California, he completed 226 out of 316 passes for 2,980 yards, achieving a remarkable 33 touchdown passes against just 6 interceptions. Additionally, Mendoza contributed 6 rushing touchdowns. He earned the Maxwell Award, the Davey O”Brien Award, and is a finalist for the Heisman Trophy, leading Indiana to victories over three top-10 teams.
Jeremiyah Love, a running back at Notre Dame, also became a Heisman finalist, rushing for over 1,000 yards for the second consecutive season. He carried the ball 199 times for 1,372 yards and found the end zone 18 times, while also adding 27 receptions for 280 yards and 3 touchdowns.
Makai Lemon, a wide receiver at USC, made a significant impact this season, recording a career-high 79 receptions for 1,156 yards and 11 touchdowns, ranking among the top five players in receiving yards in the FBS.
Eli Stowers, a tight end from Vanderbilt, led all tight ends nationally with 62 catches for 769 yards and 4 touchdowns. Meanwhile, Logan Jones, a center for Iowa, started all 12 games and earned first-team All-Big Ten honors, becoming just the second player in Iowa”s history to win this award.
Spencer Fano, a right tackle at Utah, had an impressive season, starting all 12 games without allowing a single sack. Jacob Rodriguez, a linebacker from Texas Tech, made headlines by sweeping the three major defensive awards while finishing fifth in Heisman voting. He recorded 117 tackles, including 11 for loss, alongside 1 sack, 7 forced fumbles, 2 fumble recoveries, 6 pass deflections, 4 interceptions, and a defensive touchdown.
Caleb Downs, a safety for Ohio State, played a crucial role for the defending national champions, tallying 60 tackles, 5 tackles for loss, 1 sack, 2 pass deflections, and 2 interceptions.
Tate Sandell, a kicker at Oklahoma, transferred from UTSA and excelled, converting 23 of 24 field goal attempts and 32 of 32 extra points. His go-ahead kick was pivotal in the Sooners” road upset against Alabama in November.
Brett Thorson, a punter from Georgia, averaged 45.2 yards per punt over 42 attempts, with 13 punts exceeding 50 yards. He successfully placed 21 punts inside the 20-yard line, including 5 of 7 in the SEC Championship against Alabama.
Drew Mestemaker, a quarterback at North Texas, transitioned from walk-on to star during the season. He completed 292 of 416 passes for 4,129 yards, achieving 31 touchdown passes with only 7 interceptions, in addition to 5 rushing touchdowns. His impressive performance may lead to significant opportunities in the transfer portal this offseason.
Michael Taaffe, a safety for Texas, recorded 70 tackles, along with 1 tackle for loss, 1 sack, 2 interceptions, and 1 pass deflection during the year. Finally, Kalani Sitake, head coach of BYU, guided the team to an 11-2 record for the second year in a row, narrowly missing the playoffs.
