Of the 20 Heisman winners in this century, 17 have been quarterbacks; curiously, the other three were Alabama’s only three recipients — Mark Ingram (running back) in 2009, Derrick Henry (running back) in 2015, and Devonta Smith (wide receiver) this past year.
Given this strong trend of awarding the trophy to the nation’s best quarterback, it’s not surprising that the only Ohio State player to win the Heisman since Eddie George in 1995 was quarterback Troy Smith, who took the honor in 2006. Smith remains only Ohio State’s second signal-caller to win the prize, following Les Horvath in 1944.