Heisman Trophy history: Full list of winners for college football’s top award by year

The highly anticipated 2024 Heisman Trophy ceremony is just a few hours away, sparking excitement among college football fans. This event will showcase the top four college football players vying for the prestigious award, all of whom have consistently delivered exceptional performances on the field throughout the regular season.

The Heisman Trophy finalists, Oregon's Dillon Gabriel, Colorado's Travis Hunter, Boise State's Ashton Jeanty, and Miami's Cam Ward, have each proven themselves worthy of the award, showcasing exceptional performances that have kept fans on the edge of their seats each time they took the field.

Now, the Heisman Trophy Trust oversees the distribution of 928 ballots each year to designated representatives, which include media personnel, former winners, and one collective fan vote conducted by ESPN through the Nissan Heisman House. These representatives cast their votes using a three-point system, ranking their top three players based on the most outstanding seasons in college football.

The Heisman Trophy, a prestigious award that has been a cornerstone of college football since 1935, is more than just a symbol of excellence. It's a testament to the hard work and dedication of the best college football player at the end of each season, carrying the weight of a rich history and tradition.

Here is the prestigious list of previous Heisman Trophy winners:

Heisman Trophy odds: Who's favorite to win college football award entering Saturday's ceremony

Every Heisman Trophy winner since 1935

• 1935: RB Jay Berwanger (Chicago)

• 1936: TE Larry Kelley (Yale)

• 1937: HB Clinton Frank (Yale)

• 1938: QB Davey O’Brien (TCU)

• 1939: RB Nile Kinnick (Iowa)

• 1940: RB Tom Harmon (Michigan)

• 1941: RB Bruce Smith (Minnesota)

• 1942: RB Frank Sinkwich (Georgia)

• 1943: QB Angelo Bertelli (Notre Dame)

• 1944: HB Les Horvath (Ohio State)

• 1945: FB Doc Blanchard (Army)

• 1946: RB Glenn Davis (Army)

• 1947: QB John Lujack (Notre Dame)

• 1948: RB Doak Walker (SMU)

• 1949: TE Leon Hart (Notre Dame)

• 1950: RB Vic Janowicz (Ohio State)

• 1951: RB Dick Kazmaier (Princeton

• 1952: RB Billy Vessels (Oklahoma)

• 1953: RB John Lattner (Notre Dame)

• 1954: FB Alan Ameche (Wisconsin)

• 1955: RB Howard Cassady (Ohio State)

• 1956: QB Paul Hornung (Notre Dame)

• 1957: RB John David Crow (Texas A&M)

• 1958: RB Pete Dawkins (Army)

• 1959: RB Billy Cannon (LSU)

• 1960: RB Joe Bellino (Navy)

• 1961: RB Ernie Davis (Syracuse)

• 1962: QB Terry Baker (Oregon State)

• 1963: QB Roger Staubach (Navy)

• 1964: QB John Huarte (Notre Dame)

• 1965: RB Mike Garrett (Southern California)

• 1966: QB Steve Spurrier (Florida)

• 1967: QB Gary Beban (UCLA)

• 1968: RB O.J. Simpson (Southern California)

• 1969: RB Steve Owens (Oklahoma)

• 1970: QB Jim Plunkett (Stanford)

• 1971: QB Pat Sullivan (Auburn)

• 1972: WR Johnny Rodgers (Nebraska)

• 1973: RB John Cappelletti (Penn State)

• 1974: RB Archie Griffin (Ohio State)

• 1975: RB Archie Griffin (Ohio State)

• 1976: RB Tony Dorsett (Pittsburgh)

• 1977: RB Earl Campbell (Texas)

• 1978: RB Billy Sims (Oklahoma)

• 1979: RB Charles White (Southern California)

• 1980: RB George Rogers (South Carolina)

• 1981: RB Marcus Allen (Southern California)

• 1982: RB Herschel Walker (Georgia)

• 1983: RB Mike Rozier (Nebraska)

• 1984: QB Doug Flutie (Boston College)

• 1985: RB Bo Jackson (Auburn)

• 1986: QB Vinny Testaverde (Miami-Fla.)

• 1987: WR Tim Brown (Notre Dame)

• 1988: RB Barry Sanders (Oklahoma State)

• 1989: QB Andre Ware (Houston)

• 1990: QB Ty Detmer (Brigham Young)

• 1991: WR Desmond Howard (Michigan)

• 1992: QB Gino Torretta (Miami-Fla.)

• 1993: QB Charlie Ward (Florida State)

• 1994: RB Rashaan Salaam (Colorado)

• 1995: RB Eddie George (Ohio State)

• 1996: QB Danny Wuerffel (Florida)

• 1997: CB Charles Woodson (Michigan)

• 1998: RB Ricky Williams (Texas)

• 1999: RB Ron Dayne (Wisconsin)

• 2000: QB Chris Weinke (Florida State)

• 2001: QB Eric Crouch (Nebraska)

• 2002: QB Carson Palmer (Southern California)

• 2003: QB Jason White (Oklahoma)

• 2004: QB Matt Leinart (Southern California)

• 2005: RB Reggie Bush (Southern California)

• 2006: QB Troy Smith (Ohio State)

• 2007: QB Tim Tebow (Florida)

• 2008: QB Sam Bradford (Oklahoma)

• 2009: RB Mark Ingram (Alabama)

• 2010: QB Cam Newton (Auburn)

• 2011: QB Robert Griffin III (Baylor)

• 2012: QB Johnny Manziel (Texas A&M)

• 2013: QB Jameis Winston (Florida State)

• 2014: QB Marcus Mariota (Oregon)

• 2015: RB Derrick Henry (Alabama)

• 2016: QB Lamar Jackson (Louisville)

• 2017: QB Baker Mayfield (Oklahoma)

• 2018: QB Kyler Murray (Oklahoma)

• 2019: QB Joe Burrow (LSU)

• 2020: WR DeVonta Smith (Alabama)

• 2021: QB Bryce Young (Alabama)

• 2022: QB Caleb Williams (Southern California)

• 2023: QB Jayden Daniels (LSU)

Which program has the most Heisman Trophy winners?

USC has won the most Heisman Trophy awards, with eight recipients. The most recent winner is quarterback Caleb Williams, who received the award in 2022. USC is followed by Ohio State, Oklahoma, and Notre Dame, each with seven winners.

How to watch the 2024 Heisman Trophy ceremony

The 2024 Heisman Trophy ceremony will air on ESPN at 8 p.m. ET on Dec. 14. It can be streamed on ESPN+.

Stream Live: Watch the 2024 Heisman Trophy ceremony live with a subscription to ESPN+

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This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: 2024 Heisman Trophy: List of every past Heisman winner by year