The 66 Greatest College Football Players of All Time

By YPB TeamNov 10

Leather-helmet halfbacks, playoff-era quarterbacks and a few small-school record breakers are judged here only on what they did before turning pro.

1
Herschel Walker
Georgia running back who helped win the 1980 national title as a freshman and won the 1982 Heisman Trophy.
1000pts
2
O. J. Simpson
USC tailback who won the 1967 national title and the 1968 Heisman Trophy.
969pts
3
Chuck Bednarik
Penn center and linebacker who won the 1948 Maxwell Award; the Bednarik Award carries his name.
965pts
4
Archie Griffin
Ohio State running back and the only two-time Heisman Trophy winner (1974 and 1975).
935pts
5
Gale Sayers
Kansas halfback nicknamed the Kansas Comet who was a two-time All-American in 1963 and 1964.
902pts
6
Jim Brown
Syracuse running back of 1954–56 who was a unanimous All-American in 1956 and also starred in lacrosse.
897pts
7
Lamar Jackson
Louisville quarterback who won the 2016 Heisman Trophy at age 19.
810pts
8
Reggie Bush
USC running back whose 2005 Heisman Trophy was vacated in 2010 and restored in 2024.
785pts
9
Deion Sanders
Florida State cornerback who was a two-time consensus All-American and won the 1988 Jim Thorpe Award.
759pts
10
Tim Tebow
Florida quarterback who won the 2007 Heisman Trophy as a sophomore and national titles in the 2006 and 2008 seasons.
738pts
11
Ron Dayne
Wisconsin running back who won the 1999 Heisman Trophy and set the NCAA career rushing record.
685pts
12
Dick Butkus
Illinois linebacker and center who was a two-time All-American in 1963 and 1964; the Butkus Award bears his name.
685pts
13
Ndamukong Suh
Nebraska defensive tackle who swept the Outland, Lombardi, Bednarik and Nagurski awards in 2009.
685pts
14
Lee Roy Selmon
Oklahoma defensive tackle who won the Outland Trophy and Lombardi Award in 1975 and two national titles.
685pts
15
Travis Hunter
Colorado receiver and cornerback who played both ways and won the 2024 Heisman Trophy.
685pts
16
Eric Dickerson
SMU running back who shared the Pony Express backfield with Craig James and finished third in the 1982 Heisman voting.
685pts
17
Barry Sanders
Oklahoma State running back who rushed for 2,628 yards in 1988 and won that year's Heisman Trophy.
627pts
18
Reggie White
Tennessee defensive lineman who was a consensus All-American and SEC Player of the Year in 1983.
627pts
19
Adrian Peterson
Oklahoma running back who rushed for 1,925 yards as a freshman in 2004 and was the Heisman runner-up.
627pts
20
Desmond Howard
Michigan receiver and returner who won the 1991 Heisman Trophy and struck the Heisman pose after a punt return against Ohio State.
627pts
21
Ronnie Lott
USC defensive back who was a consensus All-American in 1980 and was part of the 1978 national title team.
627pts
22
Lawrence Taylor
North Carolina linebacker who was a consensus All-American and ACC Player of the Year in 1980.
627pts
23
Bronko Nagurski
Minnesota fullback and tackle who was an All-American in 1929; the Nagurski Trophy is named after him.
627pts
24
Glenn Davis
Army halfback known as Mr. Outside who won the 1946 Heisman Trophy.
627pts
25
Tony Dorsett
Pittsburgh running back who won the 1976 Heisman Trophy and that season's national title.
627pts
26
Bruce Smith
Virginia Tech defensive end who won the 1984 Outland Trophy.
561pts
27
Bo Jackson
Auburn running back who won the 1985 Heisman Trophy.
561pts
28
Earl Campbell
Texas running back who won the 1977 Heisman Trophy.
561pts
29
Marshall Faulk
San Diego State running back who ran for 386 yards against Pacific as a freshman in 1991, then an NCAA single-game record.
561pts
30
Hugh Green
Pittsburgh defensive end who won the 1980 Lombardi Award and finished second in that year's Heisman voting.
486pts
31
DeVonta Smith
Alabama receiver who won the 2020 Heisman Trophy, the first wide receiver to win it since 1991.
486pts
32
Davey O'Brien
TCU quarterback who won the 1938 Heisman Trophy and led the Horned Frogs to that season's national title.
486pts
33
Charles Woodson
Michigan cornerback who won the 1997 Heisman Trophy, the first primarily defensive player to do so.
486pts
34
Cam Newton
Auburn quarterback who won the 2010 Heisman Trophy and that season's BCS national title.
486pts
35
Walter Payton
Jackson State running back of 1971–74 who scored 464 career points, then an NCAA record.
486pts
36
Bubba Smith
Michigan State defensive end who was a two-time All-American and played in the 1966 game against Notre Dame billed as the Game of the Century.
486pts
37
Archie Manning
Ole Miss quarterback who produced 540 yards of total offense against Alabama in 1969.
486pts
38
Billy Sims
Oklahoma running back who won the 1978 Heisman Trophy.
486pts
39
Paul Hornung
Notre Dame quarterback who won the 1956 Heisman Trophy for a team that finished 2–8.
486pts
40
Sammy Baugh
TCU quarterback and punter of 1934–36 who was a two-time All-American.
486pts
41
Doak Walker
SMU halfback who won the 1948 Heisman Trophy; the Doak Walker Award is named for him.
486pts
42
Peyton Manning
Tennessee quarterback of 1994–97 who led the Volunteers to the 1997 SEC title and was that year's Heisman runner-up.
486pts
43
Ernie Davis
Syracuse running back who in 1961 became the first African American to win the Heisman Trophy.
401pts
44
Doug Flutie
Boston College quarterback who won the 1984 Heisman Trophy and threw the Hail Flutie pass to beat Miami.
401pts
45
Christian McCaffrey
Stanford running back who gained an NCAA-record 3,864 all-purpose yards in 2015.
401pts
46
Doc Blanchard
Army fullback known as Mr. Inside who won the 1945 Heisman Trophy.
400pts
47
Ricky Williams
Texas running back who won the 1998 Heisman Trophy and broke the NCAA career rushing record that season.
400pts
48
Marcus Mariota
Oregon quarterback who won the 2014 Heisman Trophy, the first in the school's history.
400pts
49
Roger Staubach
Navy quarterback who won the 1963 Heisman Trophy.
400pts
50
Larry Fitzgerald
Pittsburgh receiver who won the 2003 Biletnikoff Award and finished second in the Heisman voting.
400pts
51
Vince Young
Texas quarterback who ran for the winning touchdown against USC in the Rose Bowl that decided the 2005 national title.
400pts
52
Tommie Frazier
Nebraska quarterback who started for national title teams in 1994 and 1995 and ran 75 yards for a touchdown in the 1996 Fiesta Bowl.
400pts
53
Billy Cannon
LSU halfback who won the 1959 Heisman Trophy, remembered for his Halloween-night punt return against Ole Miss.
400pts
54
Marcus Allen
USC tailback who in 1981 became the first player to rush for 2,000 yards in a season and won the Heisman Trophy.
302pts
55
Jerry Rice
Mississippi Valley State receiver who set Division I-AA receiving records in 1983 and 1984.
302pts
56
Andrew Luck
Stanford quarterback who finished second in the Heisman voting in both 2010 and 2011.
302pts
57
Steve Spurrier
Florida quarterback who won the 1966 Heisman Trophy.
302pts
58
Tom Harmon
Michigan halfback who won the 1940 Heisman Trophy.
302pts
59
Red Grange
Illinois halfback nicknamed the Galloping Ghost who scored four touchdowns in the first 12 minutes against Michigan in 1924.
187pts
60
John Elway
Stanford quarterback who was a consensus All-American in 1982 and finished second in that year's Heisman voting.
187pts
61
Johnny Lujack
Notre Dame quarterback who won the 1947 Heisman Trophy and played on three national title teams.
187pts
62
Eddie George
Ohio State running back who won the 1995 Heisman Trophy.
187pts
63
Johnny Rodgers
Nebraska receiver and return man who won the 1972 Heisman Trophy.
187pts
64
Joe Burrow
LSU quarterback who threw 60 touchdown passes in 2019, winning the Heisman Trophy and the national title.
187pts
65
Ed Reed
Miami safety who was a consensus All-American in 2001 and started on that season's national title team.
187pts
66
Jim Thorpe
Carlisle Indian Industrial School halfback who was named an All-American in 1911 and 1912.
187pts