Indiana quarterback Fernando Mendoza turned the 2025 College Football Awards ceremony into his own highlight reel Friday, sweeping the Maxwell Award for most outstanding player and the Davey O’Brien Award, given to the nation’s top quarterback.
Mendoza piloted the Hoosiers to a 13-0 season, a Big Ten title and the No. 1 seed in the College Football Playoff.
The Cal transfer shattered Indiana’s single-season passing touchdown mark with 33, completing 71.5% of his throws for 2,980 yards against six interceptions, and added 240 rushing yards with six scores. He beat out Notre Dame running Jeremiyah Love and Ohio State QB Julian Sayin for the Maxwell, and topped Texas A&M’s Marcel Reed and Sayin for the O’Brien.
USC’s Makai Lemon claimed the Biletnikoff Award as the nation’s top receiver, becoming just the second Trojan to win it after Marqise Lee in 2012. Lemon finished with 79 catches for 1,156 yards and 11 touchdowns, stringing together four 150-plus yard games (tied for most in FBS). UConn’s Skyler Bell and Jeremiah Smith from Ohio State were the other finalists.
Texas Tech linebacker Jacob Rodriguez edged a loaded field for the Chuck Bednarik Award as college football’s best defensive player. The Red Raiders star stacked 117 tackles, including 11 for loss, four interceptions and a sack in 13 games to hold off finalists Caleb Downs (Ohio State) and Cashius Howell (Texas A&M) for the award. Rodriguez also won the Butkus Award as the top linebacker.
At running back, Notre Dame’s Love delivered the program’s first Doak Walker Award. Love churned out 1,372 rushing yards (6.9 per carry) and 18 touchdowns, adding 280 receiving yards and three more scores. Missouri’s Ahmad Hardy and Ole Miss’ Kewan Lacy rounded out the finalists.
Indiana’s renaissance doubled down with Curt Cignetti repeating as Coach of the Year. Cignetti’s Hoosiers snapped a 32-game skid vs. Ohio State to win their first Big Ten crown in 58 years and secure the CFP’s top seed.
Several other marquee honors were awarded on the night. Utah’s Spencer Fano captured the Outland Trophy as best interior lineman after not allowing a sack this season; Iowa’s Logan Jones and Ohio State’s Kayden McDonald were finalists. Jones edged out Florida’s Jake Slaughter and Iapani Laloulu of Oregon for the Rimington Trophy as college football’s best center. Vanderbilt’s Eli Stowers claimed the John Mackey Award as the top tight end after catching 62 passes for 769 yards and four touchdowns, ahead of Oregon’s Kenyon Sadiq and Baylor’s Michael Trigg.
Ohio State safety Caleb Downs won the Jim Thorpe Award for top defensive back with 60 tackles, five TFLs, two interceptions, two pass breakups and a sack, beating LSU’s Mansoor Delane and Notre Dame’s Leonard Moore. Georgia’s Brett Thorson took the Ray Guy Award (best punter) over Troy’s Evan Crenshaw and Baylor’s Palmer Williams, averaging 45.2 yards per boot. Oklahoma’s Tate Sandell earned the Lou Groza Award (best kicker) after going 23-for-24 on field goals and a perfect 32-for-32 on extra points, topping Georgia Tech’s Aidan Birr and Hawaii’s Kansei Matsuzawa.
With Mendoza headlining the haul, and Cignetti taking top coaching honors for a second straight year, Indiana’s storybook climb has the individual hardware to match. The Heisman awaits, with Mendoza joined by Love, Sayin and Vanderbilt’s Diego Pavia as the finalists, with the award being handed out Saturday night in New York.
Award winners:
Maxwell: Indiana QB Fernando Mendoza
Davey O’Brien: Indiana QB Fernando Mendoza
Biletnikoff: USC WR Makai Lemon
Bednarik: Texas Tech LB Jacob Rodriguez
Butkus: Texas Tech LB Jacob Rodriguez
Doak Walker: Notre Dame RB Jeremiyah Love
Mackey: Vanderbilt TE Eli Stowers
Outland: Utah RT Spencer Fano
Rimington: Iowa C Logan Jones
Thorpe: Ohio State S Caleb Downs
Ray Guy: Georgia P Brett Thorson
Lou Groza: Oklahoma K Tate Sandell
Coach: Indiana’s Curt Cignetti
