CFB: Ranking recent Heisman winners
1. Johnny Manziel (Texas A&M, 2012): Not only did Manziel have some of the best statistics of the recent Heisman winners, but he also had arguably the most memorable moments, which has always been a staple of the award. Manziel threw for 3,419 yards and 24 touchdowns, while adding 19 (!) rushing touchdowns in 2012. Then he capped the season off with a 41-13 victory over Oklahoma in the Cotton Bowl to finish the year with an 11-2 record.
2. Joe Burrow (LSU, 2019): Burrow, who was named the most recent Heisman winner on Saturday, Dec. 14, might take over the top spot on this list if he can lead his team to a national championship over #2 Ohio State or #3 Clemson. For the time being, though, Burrow can settle for the second slot as he's thrown for 4,715 yards and 48 touchdowns. While also scoring three touchdowns on the ground, as he's led his team to a perfect 13-0 record and SEC title.
3. Baker Mayfield (Oklahoma, 2017): The former Oklahoma quarterback had one of the best statistical seasons in college football history as he connected on an amazing 71% of his passes, totaling 4,340 passing yards and 41 touchdowns. He also helped his team to a Big 12 title victory and a berth in the College Football Playoff as they finished 12-2. Mayfield was the first of two consecutive Sooners quarterbacks to win the prestigious award.
4. Kyler Murray (Oklahoma, 2018): The second of the two was Murray, who took home the trophy a year ago. Murray is only the second of the four that we've discussed so far that accounted for 50+ touchdowns (Burrow) as he finished the season with 40 passing and 11 rushing scores. Murray also threw for 4,053 yards and got Oklahoma back to the CFP before they lost to #1 Alabama in the semifinals. He was the third Big 12 player to win it this decade.
5. Cam Newton (Auburn, 2010): Newton is the third SEC quarterback on this lost, joining Manziel and Burrow, but he's also the only player thus far to win the national championship. Newton, in his only year at Auburn, led the team to the SEC and BCS title, en route to a perfect 14-0 record. He was electric throughout the year, throwing for 28 touchdowns and scoring 20 on the ground. He also had a mind-boggling 1,409 rushing yards.
6. Marcus Mariota (Oregon, 2014): Mariota becomes the third player on this list to total 50+ touchdowns as he torched Pac-12 defenses for 38 passing touchdowns and adding 14 rushing scores. He was nearly impossible to defend all year long as he beat out Melvin Gordon (Wisconsin) and Amari Cooper (Alabama) for the award. Oregon finished the season 13-2 as Pac-12 and Rose Bowl champions, before losing to #4 Ohio State in the national title game.
7. Lamar Jackson (Louisville, 2016): Jackson, who is excelling in the NFL with the Baltimore Ravens, was just as dominant at the college level. He finished the season with 30 passing touchdowns and 21 rushing touchdowns, throwing for 3,390 yards. The knock against Jackson's Heisman-winning season is that his team was just 9-4 as they lost to #19 LSU in the Citrus Bowl. His team success didn't stack up with the six guys in front of him.
8. Jameis Winston (Florida State, 2013): Winston, on the other hand, had all the team success in the world. He led Florida State to a 14-0 record and a national championship victory in his freshman season, defeating #2 Auburn in the Rose Bowl and final BCS title game. Winston threw for 4,057 yards and 40 touchdowns that year, also connecting on 675 of his passes. Winston would finished his college career with an incredible 27-1 record.
9. Robert Griffin III (Baylor, 2011): Griffin III is kind of in the same boat as Jackson, given that neither team competed for a national championship and they each had 3+ losses. Baylor finished the season with a 10-3 record following a win over Washington in the Alamo Bowl. Despite the three losses, Griffin was so fun to watch as he totaled 4,293 passing yards and totaled 47 touchdowns, earning the Big 12's first of three Heisman trophies this decade.
10. Derrick Henry (Alabama, 2015): The final player on this list is Alabama's Henry, who is just the third player on this list to win the national title in the same year he won the Heisman. Don't get us wrong, Henry had a great year as he ran for 2,310 rushing yards and 28 touchdowns, helping the Crimson Tide go 14-1, but he seems like the last deserved. Four years later, and we're still not sure he should have beaten out Christian McCaffrey and Deshaun Watson.
Photo Credit: Tampa Bay.
