Paul Finebaum names QB who 'could have a chance' at '25 Heisman

Paul Finebaum names college football QB who 'could have a chance' at 2025 Heisman Trophy

Originally posted on Athlon Sports | By Jaron Spor | Last updated Feb 15, 2025 1:34 PM ET

The Heisman Trophy is widely considered the most prestigious award in college football. It is awarded annually to the most outstanding player of the season.

Historically, this award has predominantly gone to quarterbacks; since 2000, only five non-quarterbacks have won it. Notably, two of those winners emerged since 2020, the most recent being Travis Hunter, a wide receiver/cornerback from the Colorado Buffaloes, who won the award last season.

Despite this, it is reasonable to anticipate that a quarterback will likely receive the award next season. On "The Paul Finebaum Show," SEC Network analyst Paul Finebaum discussed the chances of a young quarterback winning the award next year. He mentioned that quarterback DJ Lagway could be a contender for the Heisman Trophy if the Florida Gators have a strong season.

"To win the Heisman, you obviously need a great year," Finebaum said. "But, your team needs to be in contention. You don't have to win ... If Florida is really good and rolling along in November, in position to maybe get to the playoff, then I think he could have a chance. He'll play in enough marquee games."

Lagway had an intriguing first season at Florida. Initially projected to be the backup, he stepped in as the starter when Graham Mertz suffered an injury. In Lagway's first start, he threw for 456 yards and three touchdowns, breaking Chris Leak's single-game school record for the most passing yards by a freshman.

However, his overall performance for the season was not as striking as that debut suggested. He completed 59.9% of his passes for 1,915 yards, 12 touchdowns and nine interceptions throughout the year. Despite this, the Gators finished strong, winning four straight games and ending the season with an 8-5 record.

This success has created some momentum heading into next season. However, they will need to improve upon their eight-win season as they face the third toughest schedule in college football, according to 247Sports. If Lagway and the Gators can navigate this challenging schedule, he could become the first Gator to win the Heisman Trophy since Tim Tebow in 2007.

This article first appeared on Athlon Sports and was syndicated with permission.

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