10 College Football Transfers That Won The Heisman Trophy

The transfer portal has created a sense of yearly free agency in college football. It now seems a rarity to see players stick with one program throughout the entirety of their NCAA careers.

Each season, players can test the NIL waters to see what other suitors might be willing to offer. That hasn’t always been the case.

At one point, transferring schools came with a penalty. Those that switched teams could be at risk of missing a year of play.

New rules have allowed for more movement. In some ways, it’s been beneficial to both players and programs. It’s also stripped college football of school loyalty.

Regardless of stance, it’s made for offseason drama. Often, we see the sport’s top stars hopping in the portal in hopes of a major payday. That’s been demonstrated in looking at the latest Heisman trophy winners.

10 Transfers That Won The Heisman Trophy

From 2017-2024, six transfers won the Heisman trophy. That’s more than the combined total of every other year in the award’s existence.

Here, we’ll look at those college football stars dating back to the first Heisman winning transfer from 1945.

Doc Blanchard

Blanchard was a transfer before it was the norm. Circumstance led to his leaving North Carolina.

The running back joined the Tar Heels in 1943. At the time, freshmen did not compete on the varsity squads. Before being able to showcase his abilities as a sophomore in Chapel Hill, he left.

World War II played a role in that decision as he transferred to Army. He enrolled at West Point ahead of the 1944 season and spent three years with the program.

Blanchard was the third-place vote getter in ’44 before winning the award in ’45. He scored 17 offensive touchdowns in nine games to help the Black Knights secure a national championship.

OJ Simpson

Simpson became the second Heisman winning transfer in 1968, though his path was a bit different. The running back attended junior college prior to enrolling at USC.

Simpson spent two seasons in Los Angeles, both of which earned him some sort of hardware.

In 1967, the Trojans went 10-1 and won the Rose Bowl to secure a national title. Simpson finished second in the Heisman voting thanks to a 1,415-yard season.

The following year, he bested that total with 1,709 yards on the ground and an NCAA-leading 22 scores. He earned the 1968 Heisman trophy as a result.

Mike Rozier

Rozier was another JUCO transfer that made his name at Nebraska. The lightly recruited running back spent his freshman year at Coffeyville in Kansas.

As a sophomore, he signed with the Cornhuskers but spent his first season as a reserve. Rozier got his opportunity to start as a junior and didn’t disappoint.

The ball carrier scored 15 times to lead the Big 8. He followed it up with a 29-touchdown senior year that won him the 1983 Heisman trophy.

Cam Newton

Newton has the unique status as being both a JUCO and D1 transfer. The quarterback started his career at Florida before leaving the team as a sophomore.

He landed at Blinn College, where he earned All-America honors and won a national title before transferring to Auburn for his final season.

In that lone campaign, he posted arguably the most dominant single-season performance in college football history. Newton threw for 2,854 yards and 30 scores while adding an SEC leading 1,473 rushing yards and 20 more touchdowns.

He was named the Heisman winner in 2010 after winning another national championship.

Baker Mayfield

Mayfield was a walk-on at Texas Tech and only entered the starting lineup due to injury as a freshman. He then transferred to Oklahoma ahead of his sophomore year.

With the Sooners, he shined across three seasons. Due to eligibility rules, he was forced to sit out the 2014 campaign. He returned in ’15 to lead the Big 12 in touchdown passes.

The success continued into his junior year when he finished third in the Heisman voting, but he saved his best season for last in 2017.

Mayfield racked up 4,627 passing yards and a career-high 43 touchdowns to lead the Sooners to the College Football Playoff. He was rewarded with a Heisman trophy honor.

Kyler Murray

Murray became the second straight Oklahoma Sooner to win a Heisman in 2018. He was also the second consecutive transfer.

The quarterback began his career at Texas A&M before moving onto OU in 2017. After sitting behind Baker Mayfield for one season, he took over the offense in ’18.

Murray picked up where Mayfield left off, throwing for 4,361 yards and 42 scores to lead the Sooners to the Orange Bowl. Like his predecessor, he would go onto become the No. 1 overall NFL Draft pick.

Joe Burrow

Burrow won the 2019 Heisman trophy a year after transferring to LSU. The passer started his career with a two-year stint at Ohio State before making the move to the SEC.

With the Tigers, he led maybe the most productive offense in college football history as a senior. Alongside Ja’Marr Chase and Justin Jefferson, he threw for 5,671 yards and 60 touchdowns to lead LSU to a national title.

Both rank Top 5 all-time. By winning the Heisman trophy, he prevented a third straight Oklahoma transfer (Jalen Hurts) from nabbing the award.

Caleb Williams

Williams, unlike previously mentioned Mayfield and Murray, started his career at Oklahoma only to transfer out. The quarterback followed head coach Lincoln Riley to USC.

As a sophomore in 2022, he threw for 42 touchdowns to lead the PAC 12. He also posted his lone 4,000-yard season. It resulted in a 2022 Heisman trophy honor.

While he posted a strong junior season in Los Angeles, he was unable to match success of the previous year. He then left the Trojans to become a No. 1 overall draft pick.

Jayden Daniels

Daniels is the second LSU transfer to make this list, winning the award in 2023. His two-year stint in Baton Rouge followed a three-year run at Arizona State.

The quarterback was a solid contributor with the Sun Devils, but not many predicted the season he’d have before ending his college career.

As a senior, he threw for 3,812 yards and 40 scores. He added 1,134 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns on the ground.

Travis Hunter

In 2024, Hunter became the first player with a significant role on defense to win the Heisman trophy since Charles Woodson. He played both sides of the ball for Colorado, leading his team in receiving and interceptions.

Hunter started his career at Jackson State. He followed head coach Deion Sanders to Boulder in 2023.

His second season with the Buffaloes was his best. He led the Big 12 in catches and touchdowns as a receiver while picking off four passes on defense.

After winning the 2024 Heisman trophy, he’d go onto become the No. 2 overall pick in the NFL Draft.