College Football Awards Archives - National Football Post

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

–Field Level Media

Texas star Bijan Robinson was named winner of the Doak Walker Award as the nation’s top running back, it was announced Thursday night at the College Football Awards show.

Robinson, who has rushed for 1,580 yards and 18 touchdowns this season, beat out Illinois’ Chase Brown and Michigan’s Blake Corum for the honor.

“I appreciate the guys that I compete with on Saturdays,” Robinson said on ESPN. “Blake and Chase are great running backs that play for their teams and they’re huge parts of their teams. I appreciate those guys and how they go about their business.”

Robinson hasn’t announced whether or not he will declare for the NFL draft, though he is projected to be the first running back selected if he enters the draft.

Robinson ranks fourth in Texas history with 3,410 rushing yards, trailing Ricky Williams (6,279), Cedric Benson (5,540) and legendary Earl Campbell (4,443). He ranks sixth with 33 career rushing touchdowns.

Texas now has five Doak Walker winners. Williams won in 1997 and 1998, Benson prevailed in 2004 and D’Onta Foreman won in 2016.

Among other awards, TCU quarterback Max Duggan won the Davey O’Brien Award (best quarterback), Alabama linebacker Will Anderson Jr. won the Bednarik Award (best defensive player) and Michigan center Olusegun Oluwatimi won the Outland Trophy (best interior lineman).

Duggan led the Horned Frogs into the College Football Playoff field while throwing for 3,321 yards, 30 touchdowns and four interceptions. He beat out Ohio State’s C.J. Stroud and Southern California’s Caleb Williams for the award.

Anderson had 10 sacks while continuing to be a big-time force for the Crimson Tide. He beat out USC’s Tuli Tuipulotu and Cincinnati’s Ivan Pace Jr. for the honor.

Oluwatimi is the leader of a powerful offensive line that has helped the Wolverines reach the CFP. He won over Northwestern offensive tackle Peter Skoronski and Pittsburgh defensive tackle Calijah Kancey.

“It’s been a special year — we just won the (Big Ten) conference championship and we still have a couple of games left to play this season,” Oluwatimi said on ESPN. “I’m so excited that I came to Michigan and I get to play with these great players and compete with them on a daily basis.”

Oluwatimi also won the Rimington Trophy as the nation’s top center. He won that award over USC’s Brett Neilon and Minnesota’s John Michael Schmitz.

Tennessee’s Jalin Hyatt won the Biletnikoff Award as the nation’s top receiver. Hyatt, who had 67 receptions for 1,267 yards and 15 touchdowns, beat out Ohio State’s Marvin Harrison Jr. and Iowa State’s Xavier Hutchinson.

TCU’s Tre’Vius Hodges-Tomlinson took the Thorpe Award as the nation’s top defensive back. Hodges-Tomlinson has three interceptions while beating out Utah’s Clark Phillips III and Illinois’ Devon Witherspoon.

North Carolina State’s Christopher Dunn was the Groza Award as the top kicker. Dunn, who made 24 of 25 field-goal attempts, beat out Michigan’s Jake Moody and Stanford’s Joshua Karty.

Rutgers’ Adam Korsak was the Ray Guy Award as the top punter. Korsak, who averaged 43.96 yards, was chosen ahead of Cincinnati’s Mason Fletcher and Michigan State’s Bryce Baringer.

Florida State offensive lineman Dillan Gibbons won the Wuerffel Trophy, which considers community service with athletic and academic achievement. Gibbons beat out Minnesota quarterback Tanner Morgan and Stanford safety Patrick Fields.

–Field Level Media

Tag: College Football Awards

Indiana’s Fernando Mendoza headlines college football award winners

Texas RB Bijan Robinson among big winners on awards’ night