Recruiting: How last 10 Heisman Trophy winners ranked as recruits

Dec 8, 2012; New York, NY, USA; Texas A&M Aggies quarterback Johnny Manziel poses for a photo with the Heisman Trophy during a press conference before the announcement of the 2012 Heisman Trophy winner at the Marriott Marquis in downtown New York City. Mandatory Credit: Jerry Lai-USA TODAY Sports /

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Nov 28, 2015; Auburn, AL, USA; Auburn Tigers former player and current Carolina Panthers quarterback Cam Newton walks during Tiger Walk prior to the game against Alabama Crimson Tide at Jordan Hare Stadium. Mandatory Credit: John Reed-USA TODAY Sports /

Cam Newton – 2010 Heisman Winner

The path to superstardom for Cam Newton was an unorthodox one. He wasn’t as sought after as one might expect in high school. He received seven offers, and the one that he accepted earned him the right to be Tim Tebow’s back-up.

But that’s not to say he was underwhelming in high school. He had 32 touchdowns – with nine of them coming on the ground – in his junior year. And while he had a composite ranking of No. 62 in 2007, he was still a four-star recruit, and widely regarded as one of the best dual-threat quarterbacks in the nation. This game tape against Statesboro High shows off a bit of everything:

After two seasons at Florida, Newton transferred after he was accused of stealing a laptop from a student. He went to JUCO to go through the recruiting process again, and this time, he was much more highly touted. He was a five-star recruit and was ranked the No. 1 quarterback in 2009 by Rivals.com. When he landed in Auburn, that’s when he became a star.

In Newton’s only season as a starter at the FBS level, he completely dominated on the way to a comprehensive Heisman trophy. His signature moments included a 49-yard touchdown run against LSU and a 24-point comeback win over Alabama. He led the Tigers to an undefeated regular season and finished with over 2,000 passing yards and 1,000 rushing yards.

Newton’s closest competitor in the Heisman race was fellow first overall pick Andrew Luck, who he still beat out by over 1,000 votes. While he didn’t have a vintage performance in the National Championship, he still led his team on a game-winning drive and capped off his college career in style.

When Newton threw for 400 yards and accounted for three touchdowns in his NFL debut, it was clear that he was going to become a star. He already has an MVP to his name and was a win away from a Super Bowl ring. Looking back, transferring from Florida may have been the best thing that ever happened to Cam Newton.

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