Fansided

10 best Heisman Trophy winners in history

By Nathaniel Reeves

Dec 12, 2015; New York, NY, USA; Alabama running back Derrick Henry name appears on the Heisman Trophy during a press conference at the New York Marriott Marquis after winning the trophy during the 81st annual Heisman Trophy presentation. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 12, 2015; New York, NY, USA; Alabama running back Derrick Henry name appears on the Heisman Trophy during a press conference at the New York Marriott Marquis after winning the trophy during the 81st annual Heisman Trophy presentation. Mandatory Credit: Brad Penner-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
2 of 10
Next
Jan 12, 2015; Arlington, TX, USA; Oregon Ducks quarterback Marcus Mariota (8) runs with the ball against the Ohio State Buckeyes during the game at AT&T Stadium. The Buckeyes defeated the Ducks 42-20. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports
Jan 12, 2015; Arlington, TX, USA; Oregon Ducks quarterback Marcus Mariota (8) runs with the ball against the Ohio State Buckeyes during the game at AT&T Stadium. The Buckeyes defeated the Ducks 42-20. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-USA TODAY Sports /

9. Marcus Mariota, 2014

Mariota’s brilliant junior campaign earned him one of the most dominant Heisman victories of all time, along with a spot in the top 10.

Only two FBS teams offered a scholarship to Mariota, as he did not start until his senior year of high school. Mariota chose Oregon over Memphis and earned the starting job in 2012 after redshirting for a season.

The Honolulu native instantly mastered Chip Kelly’s offense with over 3,500 total yards and 37 touchdowns as a freshman. Mariota was better across the board the next year, as the Ducks put together a 23-3 record overall with him under center as an underclassman.

With plenty of attention on him as a preseason Hesiman favorite in 2014, Mariota lived up to the hype and then some. Mariota put together one of the best seasons for a quarterback ever with 4,445 passing yards,  a TD:INT ratio of 42:4 and 135 carries for a career-high 770 yards and an additional 15 scores. A receiving touchdown against Arizona in early October helped Mariota tie Sam Bradford’s Heisman winner record of 53 scores in a single season.

Oregon went 13-2 during Mariota’s Heisman run and advanced to the first College Football Playoff, where it would lose to Ohio State in the national title game. Mariota put the seal on his Heisman campaign with a five-touchdown performance in the Pac-12 Championship Game in a 51-13 blowout of the Wildcats, who beat Oregon earlier in the season.

There was no drama in the 2014 Heisman race, as Mariota collected the third-highest vote total ever to easily beat Wisconsin’s Melvin Gordon. Mariota was selected second overall in the subsequent NFL draft and is coming along nicely for the Tennessee Titans.

Home/College Football