The Heisman Trophy is awarded to the most outstanding player in college football.
QB Fernando Mendoza won the prestigious Heisman Trophy in 2025, becoming the first player in Indiana Hoosiers history to win the award.
In 2025, Mendoza passed for 3,535 yards, 41 touchdowns (Most in Division 1) while completing 72.0 percent of passes while leading Indiana to an undefeated regular season, capped off by a 27-21 victory over the Miami Hurricanes to win the first NCAA Football National Championship in school history.
Colorado Buffaloes CB/WR Travis Hunter won the 2024 Heisman Trophy, becoming the first two-way player to win it since Michigan Wolverines DB/WR Charles Woodson in 1997.
Hunter was both the top receiver and top cornerback for his team, which went 9-3 this season. He led the Buffaloes in receptions (92), receiving yards (1,152), total TDs (15), interceptions (4) and passes defended (11).
Heisman Trophy Winners by Year
Year | Player | Position | School |
2025 | Fernando Mendoza | Quarterback | Indiana |
2024 | Travis Hunter | Cornerback/Wide receiver | Colorado |
2023 | Quarterback | LSU | |
2022 | Quarterback | USC | |
2021 | Quarterback | Alabama | |
2020 | DeVonta Smith | Wide receiver | Alabama |
2019 | Quarterback | LSU | |
2018 | Quarterback | Oklahoma | |
2017 | Quarterback | Oklahoma | |
2016 | Quarterback | Louisville | |
2015 | Running back | Alabama | |
2014 | Marcus Mariota | Quarterback | Oregon |
2013 | Jameis Winston | Quarterback | Florida State |
2012 | Johnny Manziel | Quarterback | Texas A&M |
2011 | Robert Griffin III | Quarterback | Baylor |
2010 | Cam Newton | Quarterback | Auburn |
2009 | Mark Ingram II | Running back | Alabama |
2008 | Sam Bradford | Quarterback | Oklahoma |
2007 | Tim Tebow | Quarterback | Florida |
2006 | Troy Smith | Quarterback | Ohio State |
2005 | Reggie Bush (rescinded) | Running back | USC |
2004 | Matt Leinart | Quarterback | USC |
2003 | Jason White | Quarterback | Oklahoma |
2002 | Carson Palmer | Quarterback | USC |
2001 | Eric Crouch | Quarterback | Nebraska |
2000 | Chris Weinke | Quarterback | Florida State |
1999 | Ron Dayne | Running back | Wisconsin |
1998 | Ricky Williams | Running back | Texas |
1997 | Charles Woodson | Defensive back | Michigan |
1996 | Danny Wuerffel | Quarterback | Florida |
1995 | Eddie George | Running back | Ohio State |
1994 | Rashaan Salaam | Running back | Colorado |
1993 | Charlie Ward | Quarterback | Florida State |
1992 | Gino Torretta | Quarterback | Miami (FL) |
1991 | Desmond Howard | Wide receiver | Michigan |
1990 | Ty Detmer | Quarterback | BYU |
1989 | Andre Ware | Quarterback | Houston |
1988 | Barry Sanders | Running back | Oklahoma State |
1987 | Tim Brown | Wide receiver | Notre Dame |
1986 | Vinny Testaverde | Quarterback | Miami (FL) |
1985 | Bo Jackson | Running back | Auburn |
1984 | Doug Flutie | Quarterback | Boston College |
1983 | Mike Rozier | Running back | Nebraska |
1982 | Herschel Walker | Running back | Georgia |
1981 | Marcus Allen | Running back | USC |
1980 | George Rogers | Running back | South Carolina |
1979 | Charles White | Running back | USC |
1978 | Billy Sims | Running back | Oklahoma |
1977 | Earl Campbell | Running back | Texas |
1976 | Tony Dorsett | Running back | Pittsburgh |
1975 | Archie Griffin | Running back | Ohio State |
1974 | Archie Griffin | Running back | Ohio State |
1973 | John Cappelletti | Running back | Penn State |
1972 | Johnny Rodgers | Wide receiver | Nebraska |
1971 | Pat Sullivan | Quarterback | Auburn |
1970 | Jim Plunkett | Quarterback | Stanford |
1969 | Steve Owens | Running back | Oklahoma |
1968 | OJ Simpson | Running back | USC |
1967 | Gary Began | Quarterback | UCLA |
1966 | Steve Spurrier | Quarterback | Florida |
1965 | Mike Garrett | Running back | USC |
1964 | John Huarte | Quarterback | Notre Dame |
1963 | Roger Staubach | Quarterback | Navy |
1962 | Terry Baker | Quarterback | Oregon State |
1961 | Ernie Davis | Running back/Linebacker | Syracuse |
1960 | Joe Bellino | Running back | Navy |
1959 | Billy Cannon | Running back | LSU |
1958 | Pete Dawkins | Running back | Army |
1957 | John David Crow | Running back | Texas A&M |
1956 | Paul Hornung | Quarterback | Notre Dame |
1955 | Howard Cassady | Running back | Ohio State |
1954 | Alan Ameche | Running back | Wisconsin |
1953 | Johnny Lattner | Running back | Notre Dame |
1952 | Billy Vessels | Running back | Oklahoma |
1951 | Dick Kazmaier | Running back | Princeton |
1950 | Vic Janowicz | Running back | Ohio State |
1949 | Leon Hart | Running back/Wide receiver | Notre Dame |
1948 | Doak Walker | Running back | SMU |
1947 | Johnny Lujack | Quarterback | Notre Dame |
1946 | Glenn Davis | Running back | Army |
1945 | Doc Blanchard | Running back | Army |
1944 | Les Horvath | Quarterback/Running back | Ohio State |
1943 | Angelo Bertelli | Quarterback | Notre Dame |
1942 | Frank Sinkwich | Running back | Georgia |
1941 | Bruce Smith | Running back | Minnesota |
1940 | Tom Harmon | Running back | Michigan |
1939 | Nile Kinnick | Quarterback/Running back | Iowa |
1938 | Davey O'Brien | Quarterback | TCU |
1937 | Clint Frank | Running back | Yale |
1936 | Larry Kelley | End | Yale |
1935 | Jay Berwanger | Running back | Chicago |
Heisman Trophy announcement
The Heisman Trophy winner is announced during the Heisman Trophy Ceremony, which takes place annually and airs on ESPN after the conclusion of the college football regular season.
Heisman Trophy voting
A total of 870 media members in the United States vote for the Heisman Trophy winner. Also eligible to vote are former Heisman winners, of which there are 57 currently living. Fans can vote on the Trophy in limited fashion in 2023: Fans can vote for their Heisman pick through trophy sponsor Nissan's website, and the player receiving the most votes will have one additional vote added to their tally.
Who is the Heisman Trophy named after?
The Heisman Trophy is named after legendary college football coach and innovator John Heisman. After playing for Brown and Penn in college, Heisman took up head coaching roles with Auburn, Clemson, Georgia Tech, Penn, and Rice. He is credited with legalizing the forward pass, among other key innovations to the sport in the 19th and 20th centuries.
Heisman passed away in 1936, and two months later the once Downtown Athletic Club trophy was re-named in his honor.
The Heisman Trophy
The Heisman Trophy features a statue of Ed Smith, who played football at New York University and was drafted in the third round of the 1936 NFL Draft. Smith never won the Heisman Trophy, but he was presented with a version of the trophy in 1985 since his stiff-arm has become synonymous with college football excellence. The trophy is 13.5 inches tall, 14 inches long, 16 inches in width, and it weighs 45 pounds.
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