Heisman Watch: 3 players who can crash Fernando Mendoza and Julian Sayin's party before voting begins

Is the Heisman suddenly more than a two-man race? Or are the current betting odds just window dressing ahead of what looks to be an inevitable decision between Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza and Ohio State’s Julian Sayin?

After Week 13, there are now four players with odds of +600 or better to win the Heisman Trophy at BetMGM. Mendoza is still the favorite (-105) despite being off last weekend. And Sayin is in that group too (+400).

But there are two newcomers to the group who were relative long shots a week ago. Are we seeing a late-season Heisman push from both of them?

Based on the betting odds, there appear to be five clear Heisman finalist candidates ahead of Georgia QB Gunner Stockton at 40-1. Here’s a look at the three other players who have a real chance to head to New York City for the Heisman ceremony on Dec. 13 even if their chances of winning the trophy are much smaller than their betting odds would indicate.

Notre Dame RB Jeremiyah Love (+375)

Love’s odds took a big leap forward after a dominating performance against Syracuse. Granted, the entire Notre Dame team dominated Syracuse. Love had 171 rushing yards and three touchdowns on just eight carries. That’s an average of 21.4 yards a carry.

Love is probably the best running back in the country and now has 185 carries for 1,306 yards and 17 TDs while also catching 26 passes for 274 yards and three scores. He’s rushed for at least 136 yards in four of his last five games and hasn’t had more than 24 carries in any of them. A huge late-night performance against Stanford in Week 14 will only strengthen his case, but don’t overlook the late night part of that either. A couple big runs will help the highlight reels that many will watch on Sunday morning.

Even if you think Love is a serious Heisman contender, Notre Dame’s lack of a conference is going to work against him. As Mendoza and Sayin are on an apparent course to meet in the Big Ten title game, Stanford is Notre Dame’s last game of the season before Heisman voting opens.

Vanderbilt QB Diego Pavia (+400)

Pavia had the best game of his career in Week 13 as Vanderbilt rolled Kentucky. He was 33-of-39 passing for a school-record 484 yards and five touchdowns while also rushing 15 times for 48 yards and a score.

Pavia has rushed for at least one touchdown in five straight games and has totaled 34 TDs in 2025. He’s also Vanderbilt’s leading rusher with 132 carries for 661 yards; no other Vandy player has more than 445 yards. The charismatic QB of a longtime loser leading his team in a push for the playoff is catnip for Heisman voters. But, like Love, Pavia is playing his final game of the season on Saturday. He’s going to need another massive performance against Tennessee to have a real chance at first-place votes.

Texas A&M QB Marcel Reed (13-1)

Reed is the sleeper to buy low on if you’re looking outside of the Sayin and Mendoza realm. His odds went the wrong way after the Aggies’ game against Samford simply because he didn’t play the final three quarters. As Pavia pushed to stay in Vanderbilt’s blowout of the Wildcats, Reed was 10-of-15 passing for 120 yards and three scores in 15 minutes of work.

The case for Reed’s Heisman chances is pretty simple even if you don’t think it’s probable. With a massive prime-time game Friday night against Texas and a possible matchup with Alabama or Georgia in the SEC title game, two big performances over the next two weeks will put him on the same tier as Mendoza and Sayin.