| Year | Winner (School) |
| 2000 | Chris Weinke (Florida State) |
| 1999 | Ron Dayne (Wisconsin) |
| 1998 | Ricky Williams (Texas) |
| 1997 | Charles Woodson (Michigan) |
| 1996 | Danny Wuerffel (Florida) |
| 1995 | Eddie George (Ohio State) |
| 1994 | Rashaan Salaam (Colorado) |
| 1993 | Charlie Ward (Florida State) |
| 1992 | Gino Torretta (Miami) |
| 1991 | Desmond Howard (Michigan) |
| 1990 | Ty Detmer (Brigham Young) |
| 1989 | Andre Ware (Houston) |
| 1988 | Barry Sanders (Oklahoma State) |
| 1987 | Tim Brown (Notre Dame) |
| 1986 | Vinny Testaverde (Miami) |
| 1985 | Bo Jackson (Auburn) |
| 1984 | Doug Flutie (Boston College) |
| 1983 | Mike Rozier (Nebraska) |
| 1982 | Herschel Walker (Georgia) |
| 1981 | Marcus Allen (Southern California) |
| 1980 | George Rogers (South Carolina) |
| 1979 | Charles White (Southern California) |
| 1978 | Billy Sims (Oklahoma) |
| 1977 | Earl Campbell (Texas) |
| 1976 | Tony Dorsett (Pittsburgh) |
| 1975 | Archie Griffin (Ohio State) |
| 1974 | Archie Griffin (Ohio State) |
| 1973 | John Cappelletti (Penn State) |
| 1972 | Johnny Rodgers (Nebraska) |
| 1971 | Pat Sullivan (Auburn) |
| 1970 | Jim Plunkett (Stanford) |
| 1969 | Steve Owens (Oklahoma) |
| 1968 | O.J. Simpson (Southern California) |
| 1967 | Gary Beban (UCLA) |
| 1966 | Steve Spurrier (Florida) |
| 1965 | Mike Garrett (Southern California) |
| 1964 | John Huarte (Notre Dame) |
| 1963 | Roger Staubach (Navy) |
| 1962 | Terry Baker (Oregon State) |
| 1961 | Ernie Davis (Syracuse) |
| 1960 | Joe Bellino (Navy) |
| 1959 | Billy Cannon (LSU) |
| 1958 | Peter Dawkins (Army) |
| 1957 | John David Crow (Texas A&M) |
| 1956 | Paul Hornung (Notre Dame) |
| 1955 | Howard Cassady (Ohio State) |
| 1954 | Alan Ameche (Wisconsin) |
| 1953 | John Lattner (Notre Dame) |
| 1952 | Billy Vessels (Okahoma) |
| 1951 | Dick Kazmaier (Princeton) |
| 1950 | Vic Janowicz (Ohio State) |
| 1949 | Leon Hart (Notre Dame) |
| 1948 | Doak Walker (Southern Methodist) |
| 1947 | John Lujack (Notre Dame) |
| 1946 | Glenn Davis (Army) |
| 1945 | Felix Blanchard (Army) |
| 1944 | Les Horvath (Ohio State) |
| 1943 | Angelo Bertelli (Notre Dame) |
| 1942 | Frank Sinkwich (Georgia) |
| 1941 | Bruce Smith (Minnesota) |
| 1940 | Tom Harmon (Michigan) |
| 1939 | Nile Kinnick (Iowa) |
| 1938 | Davey O'Brien (Texas Christian) |
| 1937 | Clint Frank (Yale) |
| 1936 | Larry Kelley (Yale) |
| 1935 | Jay Berwanger (Chicago) |
