MAP: Which states have produced the most Heisman Trophy winners?

By Zack Poff Dec 12, 2025, 10:00am

Jeremiyah Love, Fernando Mendoza, Diego Pavia or Julian Sayin set to become next recipient of college football's highest honor.

Jeremiyah Love, Fernando Mendoza, Diego Pavia or Julian Sayin will become the 91st Heisman Trophy winner Saturday. 

Ohio State quarterback Sayin, a 2024 graduate of Carlsbad, could become the 17th player from California to win the Heisman, the most of any state. 

Marcus Allen, Reggie Bush, Jayden Daniels, Carson Palmer, O.J. Simpson, Ricky Williams and Bryce Young headline the list of winners from the Golden State. 

Palmer is one of two former Heisman Trophy winners that is currently a head coach in high school. He led Santa Margarita (Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif.) to its first section title since 2011 and is going for an Open Division state title Saturday against No. 15 De La Salle (Concord). The Eagles are ranked at No. 5 in the MaxPreps Top 25.



Ty Detmer, the 1990 Heisman winner at BYU, is currently the head coach at ALA-Gilbert North (Gilbert, Ariz.) and led the Eagles to an 11-2 record and Class 5A semifinal appearance in his second year. Detmer graduated from Southwest (San Antonio) in 1987 and one of 11 recipients of college football's highest honor from Texas. 

Mater Dei (Santa Ana, Calif.) is the only school that has produced three winners in John Huarte (1964), Matt Leinart (2004) and Young (2021).

The only other high school that has produced multiple Heisman winners is Woodrow Wilson (Dallas). Davey O'Brien won the award in 1938 and Tim Brown did 49 years later in 1987. 

Texas tied with Ohio for the second most Heisman winners with 11. 

Earl Campbell, Robert Griffin III, Johnny Manziel, Baker Mayfield, Kyler Murray and Doak Walker were some of the other notable winners from the Lone Star State.

Joe Burrow, Desmond Howard, Roger Staubach, Charles Woodson and the only two-time winner Archie Griffin headline the list of players from the Buckeye State.



In total, 26 different states along with Washington, D.C. have had at least one winner. 

If Pavia or Love win the Heisman Trophy they would become the first player from their respective state to do so. Pavia graduated from Volcano Vista (Albuquerque, N.M.) in 2020 and Love played at Christian Brothers (St. Louis, Mo.)

Mendoza would become the fifth player from Florida to claim the award joining Danny Wuerffel (1996), Tim Tebow (2007), Derrick Henry (2015) and Lamar Jackson (2016). He graduated from Columbus (Miami) in 2022.
Alabama — 3
Bo Jackson, McAdory (McCalla)
Jameis Winston, Hueytown

California — 16
Marcus Allen, Lincoln (San Diego)
Reggie Bush, Helix (La Mesa)
Jayden Daniels, Cajon (San Bernardino)
Glenn Davis, Bonita (La Verne)
John Huarte, Mater Dei (Santa Ana)
Matt Leinart, Mater Dei
Jim Plunkett, James Lick (San Jose)
Gino Torretta, Pinole Valley (Pinole)
Charles White, San Fernando
Ricky Williams, Patrick Henry (San Diego)
Bryce Young, Mater Dei

District of Columbia — 1
Caleb Williams, Gonzaga

Florida — 4
Derrick Henry, Yulee
Lamar Jackson, Boynton Beach
Danny Wuerffel, Fort Walton Beach



Georgia — 5
Travis Hunter, Collins Hill (Suwanee)
Cam Newton, Westlake (Atlanta)
George Rogers, Duluth

Hawaii — 1
Marcus Mariota, St. Louis (Honolulu)

Illinois — 2
Clint Frank, Evanston
Johnny Lattner, Fenwick (Oak Park)

Indiana — 1
Tom Harmon, Mann (Gary)

Iowa — 2
Jay Berwanger, Dubuque Senior (Dubuque)
Nile Kinnick, Adel

Kansas — 1
Barry Sanders, North (Wichita)



Kentucky — 1
Paul Hornung, Flaget (Louisville)

Louisiana — 3
Billy Cannon, Istrouma (Baton Rouge)
John David Crow, Springhill
DeVonta Smith, Amite

Massachusetts — 3
Joe Bellino, Winchester
Angelo Bertelli, Cathedral (Springfield)
Doug Flutie, Natick

Michigan — 2
Pete Dawkins, Canrbook Schools (Bloomfield Hills)

Minnesota — 2
Bruce Smith, Faribault

Mississippi — 1



Nebraska — 2
Eric Crouch, Millard North (Omaha)
Johnny Rodgers, Omaha Tech (Omaha)

New Jersey — 2

New York — 2
Ernie Davis, Elmira Free Academy (Elmira)
Vinny Testaverde, Sewanhaka (Floral Park)

Ohio — 11
Joe Burrow, Athens (The Plains)
Howard Cassady, Central (Columbus)
Archie Griffin, Eastmoor (Columbus)
Les Horvath, Rhodes (Cleveland)
Desmond Howard, St. Joseph (Cleveland)
Dick Kazmaier, Maumee
Vic Janowicz, Elyria
Frank Sinkwich, Chaney (Youngstown)
Charles Woodson, Ross (Fremont)

Oklahoma — 4
Steve Owens, Miami
Billy Vessels, Cleveland
Jason White, Tuttle

Oregon — 1
Terry Baker, Jefferson (Portland)



Pennsylvania — 5
Tony Dorsett, Hopewell (Aliquippa)
Leon Hart, Turtle Creek
Larry Kelley, Williamsport
Johnny Lujack, Connellsville

Tennessee — 1

Texas — 11
Earl Campbell, John Tyler (Tyler)
Robert Griffin III, Copperas Cove
Johnny Manziel, Tivy (Kerrville)
Baker Mayfield, Lake Travis (Austin)
Kyler Murray, Allen
Davey O'Brien, Woodrow Wilson
Billy Sims, Hooks
Andre Ward, Dickinson

Virginia — 1

Wisconsin — 1