College football analyst names a wide receiver who could potentially win the Heisman Trophy in 2025

The Heisman Trophy will once again be up for grabs in 2025. Colorado cornerback/wide receiver Travis Hunter won it last year with his impressive performance on both sides of the ball, and many fans believe we could have a non-quarterback winner again this year due to lots of unproven quarterback talent.

However, college football analyst Josh Pate believes a handful of quarterback prospects will be up for the Heisman Trophy in the upcoming season. Nonetheless, the analyst sees the possibility of having another position take the honor this year, especially at wide receiver. He named the likely winner if that becomes the case.

"There are some good non-quarterbacks out there, but think about what it took last year,” Pate said Sunday (1:43). "Travis Hunter won this thing last year. It took him playing both ways to win it. Devontae Smith won it at wide receiver, and he also, I think, had a quarterback that was the finalist. So that's always the catch-22.

“If Jeremiah Smith at Ohio State ends up doing it, it was probably Julian Sayin throwing him the ball. So is it one of those inverted dynamics where the wide receiver outshines the quarterback? Could be. He's fourth overall, Jeremiah Smith, in the odds. So that's probably the guy who does it, if someone does it.”

Jeremiah Smith was largely impressive for Ohio State in his true freshman season in 2024. He played a crucial part in the Buckeyes’ national championship success, recording 76 receptions for 1315 yards and 15 touchdowns, breaking the FBS receiving record for a freshman.

Josh Pate will still have his money on a quarterback winning the Heisman Trophy

When many feel a non-quarterback player has a strong chance of clinching the Heisman Trophy in 2025, Josh Pate is still backing a quarterback to win the award. The analyst argues there's enough talent across the country at the position to contend for the honor this year.

“I don't know about this ‘no talent at the quarterback position,’” Pate said (2:48). “What year have we ever gone through at college football where there wasn't Heisman-caliber talent anywhere in the country at quarterback?

“It may be lesser in some years than others, but I read you a list of three, six, I read you 12 names at quarterback, and I didn't even list all the ones that could theoretically contend. So, my money would still be on the quarterback.”

Projected quarterback contenders for the 2025 Heisman Trophy include Texas’ Arch Manning, LSU’s Garrett Nussmeier, Clemson's Cade Klubnik, Penn State's Drew Allar, Tennessee’s Nico Iamaleava, Miami's Carson Beck and a host of others. Without a doubt, there's a good level of quarterback talent in the landscape ahead of 2025.