Ranking every Heisman Trophy winner this century
Heisman Trophy winner No. 15: Chris Weinke, QB, Florida State (2000)
One thing that knocks down guys like White, Leinart and Palmer in these rankings is the fact that you could argue that Chris Weinke bettered their seasons before them before the passing and offensive boom that we’ve seen recently in college football. Sure, he was nearly 30 years old, but Weinke was dominant for the Seminoles in a big way.
Throwing for 4,167 yards and 33 touchdowns, Weinke did have an albatross-like 11 interceptions on the season, it should be said. Having said that, his yardage and overall production were wild for the era. The problem is that they still don’t stack up to some of the things that we’ve seen in the 20 years since.
Heisman Trophy winner No. 14: Derrick Henry, RB, Alabama (2015)
If you’re just looking at the raw numbers for Derrick Henry, you might think that having him come in at No. 14 is almost blasphemous. The Crimson Tide running back and now-Tennessee Titans star rushed for an unreal 2,219 yards and an even more incredible 28 touchdowns on the year, the unstoppable force for the Alabama offense.
Why I’ve docked Henry a bit in these rankings, though, is the fact that the running back was simply not all that efficient, by Heisman standards at least, in putting up those numbers. He only averaged 5.6 yards per carry for the season. When you’re talking about the best players over the past 21 seasons, that stuff matters.
Heisman Trophy winner No. 13: Johnny Manziel, QB, Texas A&M (2012)
Remember when we talked about the evolution of the dual-threat quarterback? The season that won Johnny Manziel this award is a testament to how far things have progressed. In the 2012 campaign, the Aggies quarterback rushed for 1,410 yards and 21 touchdowns on the season. That’s on-par with what Crouch did in 2001.
However, Manziel was far more prolific as a passer when he took home the award as a redshirt freshman. The Texas A&M signal-caller threw for 3,706 yards, 26 touchdowns and nine interceptions. He only comes in at No. 13 due to the greatness of those after him but his performance was outstanding, without question.