From Deion Sanders to CJ Stroud, 10 College Football Greats to Never Win the Coveted Heisman Trophy

Every college football player’s dream is to be awarded the Heisman Trophy, the most coveted award in NCAA football. But there is only one of these prestigious awards and so many great college football players. There have been 74 Heisman Trophy winners till now, but plenty of football legends never got to receive that honor.

It’s almost heartbreaking to see legendary players not getting a chance to win the Heisman Trophy due to a myriad of reasons. But it doesn’t mean they’re not deserving of the title, but the competition is intense and only the top players manage to clinch the title. If you go through this list, you’ll wonder why some of them never got the privilege of the Heisman title.  

10 college football star players without a Heisman Trophy

College football is a game of plenty. 133 schools participate in NCAA football every year, and hence the competition for the Heisman is always at its peak. Not winning the trophy does not mean that these players are not worthy of the title. From football legends like Deion Sanders and CJ Stroud, here is the list of the 10 college football legends who never won the Heisman Trophy. 

• Deion Sanders

Coach Prime Deion Sanders has revived his popularity after becoming the head coach of the CU Buffs. When he was in college, he played as the lightning-fast cornerback for the Florida State Seminoles and became an immediate sensation. Despite his speed and skills and finishing his college football career with 1,429 punt return yards, he finished his career in college fresh out of a Heisman Trophy.

• Peyton Manning

There is no argument that Peyton Manning was one of the greatest college football players without a Heisman Trophy. During his time with the Tennessee Volunteers, he rewrote the record books for the SEC. The retired football QB broke the NCAA record for the lowest career interception rate as well as set new heights in total offense and passing yards. And yet he finished the race in the second spot, right behind Charles Woodson.

• CJ Stroud

Here is another deserving player who was a 2-time finalist for the Heisman Trophy. CJ Stroud finished third in the Heisman voting last season. The former Ohio State Buckeyes QB finished his college football career with 8,123 yards, 85 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions as a starting QB with a 69.3% completion rate.

• Tommy Frazier

Another worthy Heisman contender is former Nebraska QB Tommie Frazier. He’s the only QB since the 1950s to lead his team to two back-to-back national championships in 1994 and 1995. He held the program’s record with the most total offense, touchdown passes, and rushing touchdowns by a QB in a single season. Despite his impressive record at Nebraska, he came second to Eddie George in the 1995 Heisman voting. 

• JJ McCarthy

With the regular college football season coming to a close, Michigan Wolverines star QB JJ McCarthy became a sensation. He led his team with an undefeated record to clinch a spot in the College Football Playoffs 2024. This season, he completed an astounding 74.2% of his passes, 19 touchdown passes, and four interceptions. While he has yet to bag the Heisman till now, he still has a year left in his college football career to do so.

• Colt McCoy

The Texas Longhorns have always been proud of their star QB Colt McCoy who was a 2-time Heisman Trophy finalist. He was a runner-up in 2008 and finished third in 2009, the same year he led his team to the BCS National Championship Game. He left the program after setting the record for the most yards (13,253) and (112) touchdowns. 

• Vince Young

During his college football career with Texas, Vince Young set the record for the first player to pass for 3,000+ yards and rush for 1,000+ yards in one season. He led the Longhorns to victory at the BCS National Championship Game in 2005. Young finished the season with 3,036 yards and 26 touchdowns. 

• Larry Fitzgerald

We can’t really talk about Pittsburgh without Larry Fitzgerald coming to our minds. The star WR spent just two seasons with the Panthers and won several awards including the Walter Camp Award for his 1,672 yards and 22 touchdowns. He also holds the NCAA record for 18 straight games with at least one touchdown reception. 

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• Christian McCaffrey

In 2015, Christian McCaffrey was the Heisman Trophy runner-up after completing the season with 3,864 total yards. He finished with 3,000 rushing yards, 645 receiving yards, 1,200 return yards, and 15 touchdowns. But he lost the title to Derrick Henry who finished the season with 1,500 yards less than McCaffrey. 

• Jim Brown

Former Syracuse RB Jim Brown could’ve won a Heisman Trophy in 1956 if there were no traces of racism in the past. During that season, the Pro Football and College Football Hall of Famer played only eight games and finished with an impressive record of 986 yards and 14 touchdowns with an average of 6.2 yards per carry. 

Just because they didn’t win the Heisman Trophy doesn’t make them any less of a player or legend than they already are. From our list above, who do you think was the most deserving of the coveted award? Let us know your comments below. 

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