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Heisman Trophy winners by year

College football's best known individual award, presented every year since 1935, with each winner's school and position as the Heisman Trust lists them.

Reggie Bush forfeited his 2005 award in 2010 and the Heisman Trust restored it in 2024, so 2005 lists him. Positions follow the Trust’s own list, which lists most early halfbacks as RB and the ends of 1936 and 1949 as TE.

91 years listed, 1935 to 2025.

Earliest year listed: Jay Berwanger (1935).

Latest year listed: Fernando Mendoza (2025).

90 different player names appear on the list, 1935 to 2025.

Every Heisman Trophy winner since 1935, year by year

Heisman Trophy winners in the 2020s

Year	Winner	School	Position
2025	Fernando Mendoza	Indiana	QB
2024	Travis Hunter	Colorado	CB/WR
2023	Jayden Daniels	LSU	QB
2022	Caleb Williams	USC	QB
2021	Bryce Young	Alabama	QB
2020	DeVonta Smith	Alabama	WR

Heisman Trophy winners in the 2010s

Year	Winner	School	Position
2019	Joe Burrow	LSU	QB
2018	Kyler Murray	Oklahoma	QB
2017	Baker Mayfield	Oklahoma	QB
2016	Lamar Jackson	Louisville	QB
2015	Derrick Henry	Alabama	RB
2014	Marcus Mariota	Oregon	QB
2013	Jameis Winston	Florida State	QB
2012	Johnny Manziel	Texas A&M	QB
2011	Robert Griffin III	Baylor	QB
2010	Cam Newton	Auburn	QB

Heisman Trophy winners in the 2000s

Year	Winner	School	Position
2009	Mark Ingram	Alabama	RB
2008	Sam Bradford	Oklahoma	QB
2007	Tim Tebow	Florida	QB
2006	Troy Smith	Ohio State	QB
2005	Reggie Bush	USC	RB
2004	Matt Leinart	USC	QB
2003	Jason White	Oklahoma	QB
2002	Carson Palmer	USC	QB
2001	Eric Crouch	Nebraska	QB
2000	Chris Weinke	Florida State	QB

Heisman Trophy winners in the 1990s

Year	Winner	School	Position
1999	Ron Dayne	Wisconsin	RB
1998	Ricky Williams	Texas	RB
1997	Charles Woodson	Michigan	CB
1996	Danny Wuerffel	Florida	QB
1995	Eddie George	Ohio State	RB
1994	Rashaan Salaam	Colorado	RB
1993	Charlie Ward	Florida State	QB
1992	Gino Torretta	Miami (FL)	QB
1991	Desmond Howard	Michigan	WR
1990	Ty Detmer	BYU	QB

Heisman Trophy winners in the 1980s

Year	Winner	School	Position
1989	Andre Ware	Houston	QB
1988	Barry Sanders	Oklahoma State	RB
1987	Tim Brown	Notre Dame	WR
1986	Vinny Testaverde	Miami (FL)	QB
1985	Bo Jackson	Auburn	RB
1984	Doug Flutie	Boston College	QB
1983	Mike Rozier	Nebraska	RB
1982	Herschel Walker	Georgia	RB
1981	Marcus Allen	USC	RB
1980	George Rogers	South Carolina	RB

Heisman Trophy winners in the 1970s

Year	Winner	School	Position
1979	Charles White	USC	RB
1978	Billy Sims	Oklahoma	RB
1977	Earl Campbell	Texas	RB
1976	Tony Dorsett	Pittsburgh	RB
1975	Archie Griffin	Ohio State	RB
1974	Archie Griffin	Ohio State	RB
1973	John Cappelletti	Penn State	RB
1972	Johnny Rodgers	Nebraska	WR
1971	Pat Sullivan	Auburn	QB
1970	Jim Plunkett	Stanford	QB

Heisman Trophy winners in the 1960s

Year	Winner	School	Position
1969	Steve Owens	Oklahoma	RB
1968	O.J. Simpson	USC	RB
1967	Gary Beban	UCLA	QB
1966	Steve Spurrier	Florida	QB
1965	Mike Garrett	USC	RB
1964	John Huarte	Notre Dame	QB
1963	Roger Staubach	Navy	QB
1962	Terry Baker	Oregon State	QB
1961	Ernie Davis	Syracuse	RB
1960	Joe Bellino	Navy	RB

Heisman Trophy winners in the 1950s

Year	Winner	School	Position
1959	Billy Cannon	LSU	RB
1958	Pete Dawkins	Army	RB
1957	John David Crow	Texas A&M	RB
1956	Paul Hornung	Notre Dame	QB
1955	Howard "Hopalong" Cassady	Ohio State	RB
1954	Alan Ameche	Wisconsin	FB
1953	John Lattner	Notre Dame	RB
1952	Billy Vessels	Oklahoma	RB
1951	Dick Kazmaier	Princeton	RB
1950	Vic Janowicz	Ohio State	RB

Heisman Trophy winners in the 1940s

Year	Winner	School	Position
1949	Leon Hart	Notre Dame	TE
1948	Doak Walker	SMU	RB
1947	Johnny Lujack	Notre Dame	QB
1946	Glenn Davis	Army	RB
1945	Felix "Doc" Blanchard	Army	FB
1944	Les Horvath	Ohio State	HB
1943	Angelo Bertelli	Notre Dame	QB
1942	Frank Sinkwich	Georgia	RB
1941	Bruce Smith	Minnesota	RB
1940	Tom Harmon	Michigan	RB

Heisman Trophy winners from 1935 to 1939

Year	Winner	School	Position
1939	Nile Kinnick	Iowa	RB
1938	Davey O'Brien	TCU	QB
1937	Clinton Frank	Yale	HB
1936	Larry Kelley	Yale	TE
1935	Jay Berwanger	Chicago	RB

Most Heisman Trophies since 1935

How we counted: each line in the year by year tables counts for the player name exactly as the table writes it, so a player the table writes two ways counts separately under each.

Out in front: Archie Griffin, 2 trophies.

Player	Trophies under this name	Years
Archie Griffin	2	1974, 1975

89 more player names appear once.

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Where this comes from

Each table was verified against at least two independent sources, and the checks run on every build: winner lists are audited answer by answer, split titles and vacated seasons are pinned so they can never quietly change, and a blank cell means the detail was never verified rather than papered over. Spot something that looks wrong anyway? The Report a bug button below lands straight in our inbox.

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