Fernando Mendoza's Heisman odds: How many Maxwell, Davey O'Brien award winners have won top prize?

Fernando Mendoza is on the cusp of making history. The Indiana quarterback, who won the Maxwell and Davey O'Brien awards on Friday

Published on: Dec 13, 2025, 07:58:25 IST

By Yash Nitish Bajaj

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Fernando Mendoza is on the cusp of making history. The Indiana quarterback, who won the Maxwell and Davey O'Brien awards on Friday, is the favorite to bag the Heisman Trophy. He was also named the Associated Press player of the year.

Indiana's Fernando Mendoza throws during the first half of the Big Ten championship NCAA game against Ohio State (AP)

The Heisman Trophy will be awarded Saturday night in New York, where Mendoza enters as the overwhelming favorite, according to BetMGM.

The California transfer engineered a historic season for the Hoosiers, guiding Indiana to a perfect 13-0 record, a Big Ten championship win over Ohio State and the No. 1 seed in the College Football Playoff. He finished the year with an FBS-best 33 touchdown passes, setting a single-season program record and becoming Indiana’s first-ever O’Brien Award winner.

“It's a wonderful feeling. It really doesn't feel real,” Mendoza said from New York after being named the O'Brien winner. “It's a testament to so many people who believed in me, who have helped groom me into the player I am today and all those people, especially before anybody knew my name.”

Mendoza edged out Ohio State freshman Julian Sayin and Texas A&M quarterback Marcel Reed for the O’Brien Award, with all three signal-callers preparing to lead their teams in the College Football Playoff. For the Maxwell Award, Mendoza topped Sayin and Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love, who became the Irish’s first Doak Walker Award winner after scoring a school-record 21 touchdowns.

The Maxwell honor made Mendoza only the second winner in Indiana history, joining former Hoosiers running back Anthony Thompson, who captured the award in 1989.

Texas Tech linebacker Jacob Rodriguez claimed the Chuck Bednarik Award as defensive player of the year, adding to his earlier Bronko Nagurski Award win. Southern California wide receiver Makai Lemon earned the Fred Biletnikoff Award after finishing among the nation’s top 10 with 1,156 receiving yards and 11 touchdowns.

Ohio State safety Caleb Downs was named the Jim Thorpe Award winner as the nation’s best defensive back, while Utah offensive lineman Spencer Fano captured the Outland Trophy as the top interior lineman. Oklahoma kicker Tate Sandell took home the Lou Groza Award, and Georgia punter Brett Thorson won the Ray Guy Award, with both players heading to the College Football Playoff with their respective teams.

How many Maxwell, Davey O'Brien award winners have won the Heisman Trophy?

2024

Position: RB

Maxwell winner: Ashton Jeanty (Boise State)

Heisman: No

Heisman winner: WR/CB Travis Hunter

2023

Position: QB

Maxwell winner: Michael Penix Jr. (Washington)

Heisman: No

Heisman winner: QB Jayden Daniels

2022

Position: QB

Maxwell winner: Caleb Williams (USC)

Heisman: Yes

2021

Position: QB

Maxwell winner: Bryce Young (Alabama)

Heisman: Yes

2020

Position: WR

Maxwell winner: DeVonta Smith (Alabama)

Heisman: Yes

2019

Position: QB

Maxwell winner: Joe Burrow (LSU)

Heisman: Yes

2018

Position: QB

Maxwell winner: Tua Tagovailoa (Alabama)

Heisman: No

Heisman winner: QB Kyler Murray

2017

Position: QB

Maxwell winner: Baker Mayfield (Oklahoma)

Heisman: Yes

2016

Position: QB

Maxwell winner: Lamar Jackson (Louisville)

Heisman: Yes

2015

Position: RB

Maxwell winner: Derrick Henry (Alabama)

Heisman: Yes

2014

Position: QB

Maxwell winner: Marcus Mariota (Oregon)

Heisman: Yes

Maxwell Winners Who Did Not Win the Heisman (Other Notable Years)

2013

Maxwell: QB AJ McCarron (Alabama)

Heisman: QB Jameis Winston (Florida State)

2012

Maxwell: LB Manti Te'o (Notre Dame)

Heisman: QB Johnny Manziel (Texas A&M)

2011

Maxwell: QB Andrew Luck (Stanford)

Heisman: QB Robert Griffin III (Baylor)

2009

Maxwell: QB Colt McCoy (Texas)

Heisman: RB Mark Ingram (Alabama)

2008

Maxwell: QB Tim Tebow (Florida)

Heisman: QB Sam Bradford (Oklahoma)

Note: Tebow won the Heisman in 2007, not 2008

2006

Maxwell: QB Brady Quinn (Notre Dame)

Heisman: QB Troy Smith (Ohio State)

2004

Maxwell: QB Jason White (Oklahoma)

Heisman: QB Matt Leinart (USC)

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Yash Nitish Bajaj
Yash Bajaj is a Chief Content Producer with a strong foundation in US coverage, digital strategy, and audience-focused storytelling. As part of the US Desk at Hindustan Times, he covers a wide range of topics - from American politics to sports (NFL, NBA, derbies, MLB and more). Before joining Hindustan Times, Yash served as Deputy News Editor at Times Now, where he oversaw international coverage and led a team of six. In this role, he significantly expanded global traffic through strategic planning, SEO-driven content execution, and meticulous trend tracking across platforms. He is experienced in managing high-pressure breaking-news shifts, coordinating live coverage, and building newsroom systems that improve speed, accuracy, and reach. Prior to Times Now, Yash held a position at Opoyi, where he headed the Sports and US news team. He developed broad editorial strategies, guided reporters across multiple beats, and played a key role in recruiting and training new talent. His responsibilities also extended to social media management and experimenting with innovative content formats. A passionate NFL fan, Yash is a die-hard supporter of the Cincinnati Bengals and has followed Joe Burrow closely since his college days at LSU. Whether breaking down top players' latest performance, analyzing team performances, or tracking roster moves, he brings the same dedication and sharp storytelling to his sports coverage as he does to American politics and breaking news. When he’s not writing, Yash can often be found watching games or debating the latest NFL storylines with fellow fans. Yash holds a Bachelor of Mass Media (Journalism) from HR College, Mumbai University. His interests extend well beyond the newsroom: he is an enthusiastic explorer of AI tools, a movie buff with an ever-growing watchlist, and someone who enjoys unraveling conspiracy theories for fun.Read More

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