Indiana Hoosier quarterback Fernando Mendoza has been named one of three finalists for The Maxwell Award, presented annually to college football's most outstanding the player, along with Notre Dame running back Jeremiyah Love and Ohio State quarterback Julian Sayin.
Maxwell Award finalists for player of the year
— Brett McMurphy (@Brett_McMurphy) November 25, 2025
Jeremiyah Love, Notre Dame
Fernando Mendoza, Indiana
Julian Sayin, Ohio State
Established in 1937, the Robert Maxwell Award has been annually presented to “the most outstanding collegiate player of the year,” recognizing excellence on the field and exceptional contributions to the game.
The award is named after Robert “Tiny” Maxwell, who was a distinguished sportswriter and influential figure for his time and helped shape the sport of college football into what it is today.
Maxwell Award includes recent recipients such as Michael Penix Jr., Caleb Williams, Bryce Young, Devonta Smith, Joe Burrow, among dozens more legendary college football players. Former Boise State running back Ashton Jeanty was named the Maxwell Award winner in 2024.
This season Mendoza has been arguably the best quarterback and overall player nationally. Mendoza has Indiana sitting at 11-0, ranked No. 2 in the College Football Playoff Rankings. The Miami, Florida native also has a passer rating of 184.8 with 2,641 passing yards, 30 passing touchdowns, and five interceptions. He also had 216 rushing yards and five rushing touchdowns. Indiana takes on Purdue on Friday in a game where he should be able to put on huge numbers and stay healthy in a projected blowout.
As for the other nominees Ohio State sophomore quarterback has passed for 2,832 yards, 27 touchdowns to only four interceptions. Sayin in his first season as a starter is already one of the most accurate passers in Ohio State's history throwing for a FBS high a 79.4 completion percentage. The San Diego, California native has Ohio State sitting at 11-0 and No. 1 overall heading into their game with No.15 Michigan.
Jeremiyah Love might just be te most exciting player in the country. In 11 games, Love has run for 1,306 yards and 17 touchdowns while averaging 7.1 yards per rush. He's also added 26 catches for 274 yards and three scores through the air. Notre Dame sits comfortably in position to make the CFP as they are 9-2 and ranked No. 9 overall.
The 2025 Maxwell Award winner for college football's best player will be announced on December 11, 2025, during the ESPN Home Depot College Football Awards Show.
Finalists for the Heisman Trophy will be revealed on Monday evening, Dec. 8th, and the winner will be announced in a ceremony on Saturday, Dec. 13th.
Mendoza would be the first Indiana player to win the prestigious awards, the closest was running back Anthony Thompson, who finished as the runner-up in 1988.