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College Football: 10 greatest players to never win the Heisman Trophy

By Dante Pryor

MADISON, WISCONSIN - NOVEMBER 09: Jonathan Taylor #23 of the Wisconsin Badgers runs with the football in the second half against the Iowa Hawkeyes at Camp Randall Stadium on November 09, 2019 in Madison, Wisconsin. (Photo by Quinn Harris/Getty Images)
MADISON, WISCONSIN - NOVEMBER 09: Jonathan Taylor #23 of the Wisconsin Badgers runs with the football in the second half against the Iowa Hawkeyes at Camp Randall Stadium on November 09, 2019 in Madison, Wisconsin. (Photo by Quinn Harris/Getty Images) /
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INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA – DECEMBER 07: Jonathan Taylor #23 of the Wisconsin Badgers runs the ball in the Big Ten Championship game against the Ohio State Buckeyes at Lucas Oil Stadium on December 07, 2019, in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Justin Casterline/Getty Images)
INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA – DECEMBER 07: Jonathan Taylor #23 of the Wisconsin Badgers runs the ball in the Big Ten Championship game against the Ohio State Buckeyes at Lucas Oil Stadium on December 07, 2019, in Indianapolis, Indiana. (Photo by Justin Casterline/Getty Images) /

In his three years at Wisconsin, Jonathan Taylor had three straight seasons where he rushed for over 1,900 yards. In two of those three years, Taylor rushed for over 2,000 yards. His career rushing yards put him sixth all-time in a shortened career.

Not only does Taylor not have a Heisman, but he’s also never finished higher than fifth in the voting. He ran for over 2,100 yards as a sophomore and finished ninth in the voting. Of the running backs ahead of him, only Donnell Pumphrey does not have a Heisman Trophy. So why hasn’t Taylor at least finished in the top three?

Taylor is a throwback in an era of spread offenses and the age of the quarterback. From 2010-2020 the only running back to win the Heisman is Derrick Henry of Alabama in 2015. Even if you go back another 10 years (2000-2020) the only other running back to win the Heisman is Mark Ingram also of Alabama.

The game has changed so much in such a short amount of time that quarterbacks put up astronomical numbers and make the running back — even one as impressive as Taylor — seem antiquated.

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