Who our 28 college football staffers believe will win the national title (Texas?), the Heisman (not Arch?) and more, plus bold predictions.

Notre Dame is expected to contend for the championship again in 2025, and if they come close, it will likely mean Love is in the running for the Heisman. A couple of injuries limited Avery Johnson in his sophomore season in the Little Apple, but there was still plenty to love about the dual-threat quarterback.

Another commonality: Almost all of these players are on preseason top-25 teams. The Heisman Trophy winner is often a leader on a team that played for its conference championship or is bound for the College Football Playoff. The past two winners (Hunter in ’24 and Jayden Daniels in ’23) were rare exceptions.

Odds: +700 — The most hyped quarterback in America finally earning his stripes. Less than three full games last season resulted in 939 yards and nine TDs. He also carries dual-threat upside—a meter voters love.

CBS Sports and 247Sports took on a similar task of naming each preseason top-25 team's top Heisman candidate in May. Lagway was the natural pick with better odds before his injury woes became a headline. He ranked 10th, one spot ahead of Miami (via Georgia) quarterback Carson Beck.

Matt Leinart is not sugarcoating things about Lincoln Riley ahead of the 2025 college football season. Leinart was interviewed by “The Escapist” for a story published on Tuesday. In the interview, Leinart said that Riley is on the hot seat.

This might be the year of the quarterback, but it's hard to say who might rise to the top. Arch Manning is inexperienced, and the crowd is pretty stacked. That's why The Athletic is predicting that the Heisman Trophy winner won't be a quarterback at all.

The quarterback battle at Notre Dame is ongoing, but could whoever wins end up being a Heisman Trophy contender?