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Katherine Wright | krikya18.com | September 8, 2024

College football teams with the most Heisman Trophy winners

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Since 1935, the Heisman Trophy has been awarded to college football's most outstanding player. USC leads all programs with eight recipients, followed by Ohio State, Oklahoma and Notre Dame with seven each.

Here is the complete list of the 10 colleges which have produced the most Heisman Trophy winners. Click or tap here to jump right to the list of every Heisman Trophy winner.

Southern California โ€” 7

Winners: 1965 Mike Garrett, 1968 O. J. Simpson, 1979 Charles White, 1981 Marcus Allen, 2002 Carson Palmer, 2004 Matt Leinart, 2005 Reggie Bush, 2022 Caleb Williams

Southern Cal has been a running back factory for most of its existence. All of the Trojans' Heisman winners prior to Carson Palmer in 2002 had been running backs, and Marcus Allen added to that incredible run with his record-breaking 1981 season. Allen became the first player in FBS history to rush for over 2,000 yards in a single season. In total, he ran for 2,342 yards and scored 23 touchdowns.

In 2005, the Trojans became the second program in history to record seven Heisman trophy winners, tying Notre Dame. Southern Cal now sits with eight Heisman Trophy winners after Caleb Williams won the trophy in 2022 and

Ohio State โ€” 7

Winners: 1944 Les Horvath, 1950 Vic Janowicz, 1955 Howard Cassady, 1974 & 1975 Archie Griffin, 1995 Eddie George, 2006 Troy Smith

Archie Griffin did something in 1974 and 1975 that has never been matched. The Ohio State running back became the first and only player ever to win a second Heisman. At 5-foot-9, 180 pounds, he was the Buckeyes starting tailback all four years, at time in which they tallied a 40-5-1 record and four Big Ten titles. Through 12 games as a junior, Griffin rushed 1,695 yards for 12 touchdowns. As a senior, he showed more versatility, rushing 1,450 yards for four touchdowns and receiving 170 yards on 14 catches.

Oklahoma โ€” 7

Brad Penner | USA TODAY Sports Images Kyler Murray posing with his Heisman Trophy after the 2018 award ceremony.

Winners: 1952 Billy Vessels, 1969 Steve Owens, 1978 Billy Sims, 2003 Jason White, 2008 Sam Bradford, 2017 Baker Mayfield, 2018 Kyler Murray

Kyler Murray, the born and bred Texan who originally signed with Texas A&M, found his footing in Oklahoma in the shadow of Baker Mayfield's 2018 Heisman performance. No pressure, right? The junior quarterback closely mirrored Mayfield's senior season, passing for 4,054 yards and 40 touchdowns and leading Oklahoma to a 12-1 record, a Big 12 title and a College Football Playoff berth. In comparison, Mayfield threw for 4,340 yards with 41 touchdowns and led the Sooners to their first CFP.

WALK-ONS: 13 of the best walk-ons in college football history

Notre Dame โ€” 7

Notre Dame Athletics Notre Dame's Paul Hornung posing with his Heisman Trophy in 1956.

Winners: 1943 Angelo Bertelli, 1947 John Lujack, 1949 Leon Hart, 1953 John Lattner, 1956 Paul Hornung, 1964 John Huarte, 1987 Tim Brown

As of 2019, the two oldest living Heisman winners shared similar paths to their legendary careers. With nine years apart, John Lujack and Paul Hornung led their respective Notre Dame teams through strong senior seasons. Lujack, the oldest living Heisman recipient, completed 61 passes for 777 yards and ran for 139 yards on 12 carries, and Hornung rushed for 420 yards on 94 carries and completed 59 passes for 917 yards and three touchdowns.

Alabama โ€” 4

Tom Pennington | Getty Images Devonta Smith of Alabama football wins the 2020 Heisman Trophy Alabama's Devonta Smith scores a touchdown against Notre Dame during the 2020 College Football Playoff semifinal at the Rose Bowl

Winners: 2009 Mark Ingram, 2015 Derrick Henry, 2020 Devonta Smith, 2021 Bryce Young

Bryce Young won the 2021 Heisman Trophy, becoming the first quarterback in Alabama history to win the award. At the time of the Heisman ceremony, he threw for 4,322 yards, 43 touchdowns, and just four interceptions in his first full season under center. Young followed two other Alabama quarterbacks, Mac Jones and Tua Tagovailoa, that were both Heisman finalists.

Young winning the Heisman Trophy made Alabama the first program since Oklahoma in 2018 to have back-to-back winners. Young is Alabama's fourth winner in 12 years, an incredible feat accomplished under head coach Nick Saban, who began his tenure with the Tide in 2007.

Auburn โ€” 3

Auburn Heisman Trophy winners from left to right: Bo Jackson, Cam Newton and the late Pat Sullivan.

Winners: 1971 Pat Sullivan, 1985 Bo Jackson, 2010 Cam Newton

The namesake of the trophy awarded to the best FBS player each season belongs to John Heisman, former coach of the Auburn Tigers. The legendary name has been followed by many legendary Tigers players, including Auburn's three Heisman Trophy winners โ€” Pat Sullivan, Bo Jackson and Cam Newton. After setting several SEC and school records, Sullivan became the Tigers' first Heisman recipient in 1971. The senior quarterback led Auburn to an undefeated season, throwing for 2,012 yards and 20 touchdowns. He was later honored SEC Player of the Year and selected to the All-SEC athletic and academic teams in 1970 and 1971. 

NATIONAL CHAMPS: College football teams with the most national titles

Bo Jackson earned his spot in sports lore as an elite two-sport athlete. Aside from baseball, it was his football career that garnered national attention. He became Auburn's first and only running back to rush for more than 4,000 yards in a career. After rushing for 1,786 and 17 touchdowns his senior year, he edged Chuck Long for the Heisman in what remains the closest vote in the award's history.

Lastly, there's Cam Newton, who won the Heisman overwhelmingly in 2010. One year removed from backing up Tim Tebow at Florida, he became the first double-transfer to win the award after throwing for 2,589 yards, 28 touchdowns and six interceptions and rushing for 1,409 yards and 20 touchdowns.

Army โ€” 3

Winners: 1945 Felix "Doc" Blanchard, 1946 Glenn Davis, 1958 Pete Dawkins

The Heisman Trophy has been awarded to the same school in back-to-back years four times, and Army made history by being the second to do it in 1945 and 1946. Doc Blanchard and Glenn Davis were both neck and neck in Heisman voting in 1945, but Blanchard, the junior fullback, rushed for 722 yards, received for 166 yards and scored 17 touchdowns to earn the Heisman, edging out his teammate. Davis took his runner-up finish in voting as redemption in 1946. He rushed for 712 yards, received for 348 yards and scored 13 touchdowns, earning the trophy in 1946.

With the Blanchard-Davis duo, Army went 27-0-1 and won three national championships.

Florida โ€” 3

Florida Athletics Florida Heisman Trophy winners from left to right: Steve Spurrier (1966), Tim Tebow (2007) and Danny Wuerffel (1996).

Winners: 1966 Steve Spurrier, 1996 Danny Wuerffel, 2007 Tim Tebow

Some say Tebow changed the game of football. And for the three full years he manned Floridaโ€™s quarterback position, he was the face of the college game. He opened the door for football's underclassmen by becoming the sport's first sophomore to ever win a Heisman trophy. Oklahoma's Sam Bradford and Alabama's Mark Ingram then followed him in 2008 and 2009 as sophomore Heisman recipients.

The spread quarterback rushed and passed for 51 touchdowns and threw for 3,132 yards with just six interceptions in the 2007 regular season.

Florida State โ€” 3

Winners: 1993 Charlie Ward, 2000 Chris Weinke, 2013 Jameis Winston

When mentioning a Florida Gator great, a Florida State Seminole legend must follow. For a program that has countless household names, Jameis Winston practically surpassed all. As a freshman, he led Florida State to its third national championship, becoming the first redshirt freshman to win a Heisman and national title in the same season. The two-sport athlete threw for 3,820 yards and 38 touchdowns for a 190.04 pass efficiency rating โ€” the second-best among Heisman winners. He surpassed both his Seminole Heisman predecessors in season touchdowns while being the second freshman in history to win the trophy.

Michigan โ€” 3

Winners: 1940 Tom Harmon, 1991 Desmond Howard, 1997 Charles Woodson

Desmond Howard was a spectacle to watch every Saturday. His acrobatic catches, key returns and high football IQ created a sound foundation for his award-winning junior season. He received for 960 yards and 19 touchdowns and rushed for 165 yards and two touchdowns. His Heisman pose to punctuate his score during the 1991 Ohio State-Michigan game captured the hearts of many. Well, maybe not Michigan fans. At the time, he won the Heisman with the second largest margin in the history of the award.

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Six years later, Charles Woodson became one of the few players to win the Heisman with significant minutes on both sides of the ball. In 1997, he intercepted seven passes, collected 43 tackles and received for 231 yards and one touchdown to propel the Wolverines to a national title.

Nebraska โ€” 3

Nebraska Athletics Nebraska's three Heisman winners from left to right: Johnny Rodgers (1972), Mike Rozier (1983) and Eric Crouch (2001).

Winners: 1972 Johnny Rodgers, 1983 Mike Rozier, 2001 Eric Crouch

Noted as one of the best option quarterbacks ever, Eric Crouch combined 1,510 passing yards with a career-high 1,115 rushing yards and 18 touchdowns to secure the 2001 Heisman Trophy. In addition to the Heisman, he earned the Walter Camp Player-of-the-Year award and the Davey O'Brien quarterback award that year, as the Huskers went on to lose the Miami Hurricanes in the national title game. Crouch walked off the Nebraska campus holding 32 school records.

LSU โ€” 3

LSU's third Heisman trophy winner, Jayden Daniels

Winners: Billy Cannon (1959), Joe Burrow (2019), Jayden Daniels (2023)

Jayden Daniels became the third player from LSU to win the Heisman Trophy, and the second in a four-year span to bring the trophy back to Baton Rouge. Daniels and Joe Burrow both transferred to LSU from other schools en route to winning the award. Daniels spent his first three seasons playing for Arizona State, but in his second season for the Tigers, he dominated college football with 50 total touchdowns. Burrow had a similar career path to Daniels, spending his first three seasons at Ohio State, before winning the Heisman in his second season at LSU, where he accounted for 65 total touchdowns.

Heisman Trophy winners from 1935 to today

Year Winner Team Position Percentage Class
1935 Jay Berwanger* Chicago HB 43.08% Senior
1936 Larry Kelley Yale TE 36.41% Senior
1937 Clint Frank Yale HB 32.89% Senior
1938 Davey O'Brien TCU QB 29.62% Senior
1939 Nile Kinnick Iowa HB/QB 31.00% Senior
1940 Tom Harmon* Michigan HB 54.29% Senior
1941 Bruce Smith Minnesota HB 49.99% Senior
1942 Frank Sinkwich* Georgia HB 56.15% Senior
1943 Angelo Bertelli* Notre Dame QB 64.80% Senior
1944 Les Horvath Ohio State HB/QB 18.31% Senior
1945 Doc Blanchard Army FB 33.81% Junior
1946 Glenn Davis Army HB 79.20% Senior
1947 Johnny Lujack Notre Dame QB 74.20% Senior
1948 Doak Walker SMU HB 28.56% Junior
1949 Leon Hart* Notre Dame TE 36.53% Senior
1950 Vic Janowicz Ohio State HB/P 22.03% Junior
1951 Dick Kazmaier Princeton HB 60.01% Senior
1952 Billy Vessels Oklahoma HB 14.32% Senior
1953 Johnny Lattner Notre Dame HB 49.14% Senior
1954 Alan Ameche Wisconsin FB 27.01% Senior
1955 Howard Cassady Ohio State HB 55.87% Senior
1956 Paul Hornung* Notre Dame QB 26.96% Senior
1957 John David Crow Texas A&M HB 31.12% Senior
1958 Pete Dawkins Army HB 39.01% Senior
1959 Billy Cannon* LSU HB 53.72% Senior
1960 Joe Bellino Navy HB 52.89% Senior
1961 Ernie Davis* Syracuse HB/LB/FB 25.18% Senior
1962 Terry Baker* Oregon State QB 21.25% Senior
1963 Roger Staubach Navy QB 55.21% Junior
1964 John Huarte Notre Dame QB 30.98% Senior
1965 Mike Garrett USC HB 26.61% Senior
1966 Steve Spurrier Florida QB 48.25% Senior
1967 Gary Beban UCLA QB 63.50% Senior
1968 O. J. Simpson* USC HB 80.64% Senior
1969 Steve Owens Oklahoma FB 40.92% Senior
1970 Jim Plunkett* Stanford QB 58.78% Senior
1971 Pat Sullivan Auburn QB 42.25% Senior
1972 Johnny Rodgers Nebraska WR/RB 38.75% Senior
1973 John Cappelletti Penn State RB 32.78% Senior
1974 Archie Griffin Ohio State RB 59.53% Junior
1975 Archie Griffin Ohio State RB 57.64% Senior
1976 Tony Dorsett Pittsburgh RB 74.97% Senior
1977 Earl Campbell* Texas RB 49.11% Senior
1978 Billy Sims* Oklahoma RB 26.25% Junior
1979 Charles White USC RB 53.81% Senior
1980 George Rogers* South Carolina RB 35.81% Senior
1981 Marcus Allen USC RB 57.05% Senior
1982 Herschel Walker Georgia RB 61.14% Junior
1983 Mike Rozier Nebraska RB 57.17% Senior
1984 Doug Flutie Boston College QB 71.11% Senior
1985 Bo Jackson* Auburn RB 47.90% Senior
1986 Vinny Testaverde* Miami QB 70.25% Senior
1987 Tim Brown Notre Dame WR 45.78% Senior
1988 Barry Sanders Oklahoma State RB 68.27% Junior
1989 Andre Ware Houston QB 38.96% Junior
1990 Ty Detmer BYU QB 53.87% Junior
1991 Desmond Howard Michigan WR/PR 75.50% Junior
1992 Gino Torretta Miami QB 50.84% Senior
1993 Charlie Ward Florida State QB 83.79% Senior
1994 Rashaan Salaam Colorado RB 63.15% Junior
1995 Eddie George Ohio State RB 52.84% Senior
1996 Danny Wuerffel Florida QB 49.38% Senior
1997 Charles Woodson Michigan CB/PR 65.69% Junior
1998 Ricky Williams Texas RB 85.23% Senior
1999 Ron Dayne Wisconsin RB 73.83% Senior
2000 Chris Weinke Florida State QB 58.86% Senior
2001 Eric Crouch Nebraska QB 27.75% Senior
2002 Carson Palmer* USC QB 48.01% Senior
2003 Jason White Oklahoma QB 53.54% Senior
2004 Matt Leinart USC QB 47.85% Junior
2005 Reggie Bush USC RB 91.77% Junior
2006 Troy Smith Ohio State QB 91.63% Senior
2007 Tim Tebow Florida QB 70.52% Sophomore
2008 Sam Bradford* Oklahoma QB 62.13% Sophomore
2009 Mark Ingram Jr. Alabama RB 46.99% Sophomore
2010 Cam Newton* Auburn QB 81.55% Junior
2011 Robert Griffin III Baylor QB 60.66% Junior
2012 Johnny Manziel Texas A&M QB 72.88% Freshman
2013 Jameis Winston* Florida State QB 79.12% Freshman
2014 Marcus Mariota Oregon QB 90.92% Junior
2015 Derrick Henry Alabama RB 65.73% Junior
2016 Lamar Jackson Louisville QB 79.50% Sophomore
2017 Baker Mayfield* Oklahoma QB 86.00% Senior
2018 Kyler Murray* Oklahoma QB 77.75% Junior
2019 Joe Burrow* LSU QB 93.8% Senior
2020 Devonta Smith Alabama WR 66.73% Senior
2021 Bryce Young* Alabama QB 83% Sophomore 
2022 Caleb Williams Southern California QB 77.37% Sophomore 
2023 Jayden Daniels  LSU  QB  75.91% Senior 
*first overall NFL draft pick
 
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The views on this page do not necessarily reflect the views of the NCAA or its member institutions.

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