College football: Ranking every Heisman Trophy winner

16. Ranking every Heisman Trophy Winner: Ty Detmer, BYU Cougars football

Though not necessarily considered a football school, Brigham Young University has produced a couple of legends when it comes to the quarterback position at the collegiate level. Of course, Steve Young played for BYU and would go on to have a Hall of Fame career in the NFL, and Jim McMahon won a Super Bowl as the quarterback of the Chicago Bears, but it is Ty Detmer who will go down as the best quarterback in school history.

To look at Detmer’s career statistics at BYU is almost unbelievable, as he threw for so many yards and touchdowns, that you would think he would have won multiple Heisman Trophies. While he does just have the one, it does not diminish the records that Detmer was able to break during his time with the Cougars, 59 in total, and he became the last player from a non-major conference to take home the Heisman.

Detmer burst onto the scene as a freshman for the Cougars, coming off the bench to win the Freedom Bowl, and would go on to throw for over 4,500 yards as a sophomore the following season. However, it was his junior year that really stood out, as he beat No. 1 Miami early in the season, setting the stage for what would be a runaway win when it came time to hand out the Heisman Trophy.

In total, Detmer threw for over 5,000 yards as a junior, connecting on 41 touchdowns. While the season ended poorly, with a loss in the regular-season finale and in their bowl game, Detmer was the consensus best player in the country. He set over 40 NCAA records that season and took home nearly every award he was eligible for.