You’re at a sports bar with a group of friends when someone asks: who is the greatest college football player to ever wear No. 34?
How do you decide between six Hall of Fame running backs — all of whom topped 3,500 yards and 40 touchdowns during their college careers?
That’s the debate we faced when picking the greatest college football players by jersey number, from No. 1 to No. 99 (CFB players were first allowed to wear No. 0 starting in 2020). This list is based on how players performed during their college careers. Factors taken into consideration include prestigious accolades, like the Heisman Trophy and All-American selections, as well as statistics and winning percentage.
That said, here’s a look at the greatest players in college football history to wear Nos. 1-25.
No. 1: Anthony Carter, WR, Michigan
One of the most dynamic wide receivers in college football history, Carter was a three-time All-American at Michigan. He finished his historic college career with 161 receptions for 3,076 yards and 37 receiving touchdowns, all of which were program records when he graduated. Carter was named the Big Ten Conference MVP during his senior season and finished fourth in the Heisman Trophy race behind Herschel Walker, John Elway and Eric Dickerson.
Honorable mentions: Larry Fitzgerald (Pitt), Percy Harvin (Florida), Kyler Murray (Oklahoma)
No. 2: Charles Woodson, CB, Michigan
Selecting the greatest college player to wear No. 2 was no easy task. While Cam Newton (Auburn), Deion Sanders (Florida State) and Johnny Manziel (Texas A&M) all have legitimate cases, in the end, Woodson was simply too dominant not to hold the title of the best college player to don No. 2. The former Michigan standout was the first defensive player to win the Heisman Trophy after putting together one of the most impressive individual seasons in college football history in 1997. He also won the Thorpe Award, the Bednarik Award, and the Walter Camp Award after leading the Wolverines to an undefeated regular season and a win against Washington State in the Rose Bowl that earned the Wolverines a share of the national title.
Honorable mentions: Cam Newton (Auburn), Deion Sanders (Florida State), Johnny Manziel (Texas A&M)
Johnson put together one of the greatest two-year spans for a wide receiver in college football history. After beginning his career at West Los Angeles College, he transferred to USC and had back-to-back All-American campaigns for the Trojans. In just 31 career games, Johnson hauled in 168 catches for 2,796 yards and 16 receiving touchdowns. He was named the MVP of the 1995 Cotton Bowl and the MVP of the 1996 Rose Bowl Game before becoming the first overall pick in the 1996 NFL Draft. He was just the third wide receiver ever to be selected with the top pick in the draft.
Honorable mentions: Carson Palmer (USC), Joe Montana (Notre Dame)
Not only was Watson the best college football player to wear No. 4, but he also has a case as the greatest player to wear a Clemson jersey. In 35 career starts, Watson went 32-3, leading the Tigers to back-to-back 14-1 seasons in 2015 and 2016. He led Clemson to a victory over Alabama in the 2017 national championship, the program’s first national title since 1981. Watson finished his career at Clemson with 10,168 passing yards and 161 total touchdowns.
Honorable mentions: Brett Favre (Southern Miss), Terence Newman (Kansas State), Champ Bailey (Georgia)
No. 5: Reggie Bush, RB, USC
Arguably the most electric player in college football history, Bush tormented opposing defenses during his three seasons at USC from 2003-05. He was a two-time Pac-10 Offensive Player of the Year and consensus All-American, as well as the winner of the 2005 Heisman Trophy. Known as an elite rushing, receiving and special teams threat, Bush finished his college career with 6,551 yards and 42 total touchdowns.
Honorable mentions: Paul Hornung (Notre Dame), Darren McFadden (Arkansas), Jameis Winston (Florida State)
Oklahoma is one of the top programs in college football history, currently ranking No. 6 on the all-time wins list, but an argument can be made that Mayfield is the best of the best when it comes to the top players in program history. Not only was Mayfield a walk-on who threw for 12,000-plus yards in his three seasons as a starter, but Mayfield left Oklahoma with a 33-6 record as a starter en route to being named a three-time All-American and the winner of the 2017 Heisman Trophy, the first walk-on player to win the award.
Honorable mentions: Robbie Bosco (BYU), DeVonta Smith (Alabama)
No. 7: Danny Wuerffel, QB, Florida
Deciding on the best college player to wear No. 7 was no easy task, especially when the likes of John Elway, Michael Vick and Eric Crouch were all in the running. In the end, Wuerffel, who led the nation in touchdown passes in back-to-back seasons and was the recipient of the 1996 Heisman Trophy, stood out above the rest. Wuerffel was the face of a Florida football program that finished 45-6 in a four-year span with him under center. He finished his college career with 10,875 passing yards and 114 passing touchdowns while leading Florida to its first national title in 1996.
Honorable mentions: Eric Crouch (Nebraska), John Elway (Stanford), Michael Vick (Virginia Tech)
No. 8: Davey O’Brien, QB, TCU
When you are the namesake for the award given annually to the top quarterback in college football, you rightfully deserve a spot on this list. O’Brien starred at TCU from 1936-38, putting together one of the greatest seasons in the sport’s history at the time. He threw for 1,457 yards during the 1938 season, which was a Southwest Conference passing record, and led the Horned Frogs to an undefeated campaign and a national title. He became the first player in college football history to win both the Heisman Trophy and Maxwell Award during the same year.
Honorable mentions: Lamar Jackson (Louisville), Marcus Mariota (Oregon)
Burrow, who began his career at Ohio State, transferred to LSU ahead of the 2018 campaign and then proceeded to put together one of the greatest single-season performances by a quarterback in college football history. He finished the 2019 campaign with 5,671 passing yards and 65 total touchdowns, which was an FBS single-season record. But Burrow’s 2019 season went beyond the numbers he put up. The former LSU standout led the Tigers to a perfect 15-0 record and a dominant win over Clemson in the 2020 College Football Playoff National Championship.
Honorable mentions: Steve McNair (Alcorn State)
No. 10: Vince Young, QB, Texas
While an argument can be made that Burrow put together the single-greatest season in college football history, another argument can be made that Young had the greatest single game in the sport’s history. The former Texas standout put the Longhorns on his back during the memorable 2006 Rose Bowl game, accounting for an eye-popping 467 total yards and three touchdowns in a 41-38 victory over USC. Young finished his collegiate career with 6,040 passing yards and 44 passing touchdowns, in addition to 3,127 rushing yards and 37 scores on the ground. He was a consensus All-American during the 2005 season, taking home the Manning Award, Maxwell Award and Davey O’Brien Award, while, of course, leading the Longhorns to the BCS national title.
Honorable mentions: Robert Griffin III (Baylor), Troy Smith (Ohio State)
The two-time All-American and winner of the 2004 Heisman Trophy, Leinart was – simply put – a winner. He finished his career at USC with a 37-2 record as a starter while leading the Trojans to an undefeated season during his junior year and a national championship in 2004. Leinart finished his college career completing 64.8% of his passes for 10,693 yards and 99 touchdowns, leaving USC as the school’s all-time leader in career touchdown passes and completion percentage. His No. 11 is retired by the school, and he is a member of the College Football Hall of Fame.
Honorable mentions: LaVar Arrington (Penn State), Steve Spurrier (Florida), Andre Ware (Houston)
Choosing between Hunter, Roger Staubach and Andrew Luck for the greatest college football player to wear No. 12 was a tall task, but when taking into account what role Hunter had in revolutionizing the game and showing what can be done as a standout on both sides of the ball, he’s the pick here. Hunter, a two-time All-American and 2024 Heisman Trophy winner, recorded 98 receptions for 1,258 yards and 15 touchdowns on offense, in addition to recording 36 tackles and four interceptions on defense while locking down opposing No. 1 wide receivers. Hunter is the first player in college football history to win both the Bednarik Award (for the best defensive player in the country) and the Biletnikoff Award (for the best wide receiver of the year). He defines the term “generational talent.”
Honorable mentions: Andrew Luck (Stanford), Roger Staubach (Navy), Charles White (USC)
No. 13: Dan Marino, QB, Pitt
In addition to his elite arm talent and ability to perform his best in big games, Marino was a downright winner during his time at Pitt. He owned a 33-3 record as Pitt’s starting quarterback from 1979-1982 and threw for at least 1,600 yards and 10 touchdowns in four straight seasons. Marino finished his college career with more than 8,500 passing yards and 79 passing touchdowns. He was a first-team All-American and finished in the top 10 of the Heisman Trophy voting in both 1981 and 1982.
Honorable mentions: Gino Torretta (Miami), Tua Tagovailoa (Alabama), Caleb Williams (USC)
No. 14: Ty Detmer, QB, BYU
How special was Detmer during his time under center at BYU? Just take a look at the stats, and you’ll see that the former Cougar standout broke more than 50 NCAA passing records by the time his collegiate career was all said and done. Detmer finished his career with 15,301 passing yards, 121 touchdown passes and a 162.7 passer rating, all of which were NCAA records at the time. His 1990 campaign was considered one of the greatest individual seasons in the sport’s history. Detmer threw for 5,188 yards and 41 touchdowns that season en route to being named the Heisman Trophy winner.
Honorable mentions: Sam Bradford (Oklahoma)
No. 15: Tim Tebow, QB, Florida
One of the most accomplished players in college football history, Tebow enjoyed a standout career at Florida, helping lead the Gators to the 2006 and 2008 BCS national championships. He finished his college career with 9,286 passing yards and 88 passing touchdowns, in addition to 2,947 rushing yards and an additional 57 rushing scores. Tebow was a three-time All-American and the recipient of the 2007 Heisman Trophy, becoming the first player in college football history to win the award as a sophomore. He finished his career with a 35-6 record as a starter at Florida.
Honorable mentions: Tommie Frazier (Nebraska), Drew Brees (Purdue)
No. 16: Peyton Manning, QB, Tennessee
Manning starred at Tennessee from 1994-97 and is widely considered to be one of the greatest quarterbacks of all time. He holds multiple program records, including most passing yards, touchdowns and completions. Manning’s 1997 season was considered one of the greatest seasons in college football history, as the All-American QB threw for 3,819 yards and 36 touchdowns while leading the Volunteers to an 11-2 record. That season, Manning won the Maxwell Award and the Davey O’Brien Award, while also finishing runner-up to Woodson in the 1997 Heisman Trophy voting.
Honorable mentions: Jim Plunkett (Stanford), Chris Weinke (Florida State), Trevor Lawrence (Clemson)
Ward was an exceptional athlete, starring at quarterback for Florida State from 1990-93 while also playing for the Seminoles men’s basketball team. His best season came in 1993 when he threw for more than 3,000 yards and 27 touchdowns while leading FSU to its first national championship. Ward was named the recipient of the Heisman Trophy that season, winning by one of the largest margins in the history of Heisman balloting. Instead of taking his talents to the NFL, Ward opted to enter the 1994 NBA Draft, where he was a first-round pick of the New York Knicks and went on to enjoy a successful 10-year basketball career.
Honorable mentions: Philip Rivers (NC State), Bobby Dodd (Tennessee)
No. 18: Archie Manning, QB, Ole Miss
The second Manning to appear on this list, Archie Manning was a star at Ole Miss from 1968-70. A true dual-threat QB, Archie Manning threw for 4,752 yards and 31 touchdowns, while also adding 823 rushing yards and 25 rushing scores during his three years as a starter. He finished in the top four of Heisman Trophy voting in both 1969 and 1970. The speed limit on the University of Mississippi campus is 18 miles per hour in honor of Manning’s No. 18 jersey.
Honorable mentions: Jason White (Oklahoma), Roman Gabriel (NC State), Marvin Harrison Jr. (Ohio State)
No. 19: Eric Dickerson, RB, SMU
The face of the Pony Express, Dickerson ran all over opposing defenses during his time at SMU. He finished his career with 4,450 yards rushing on 790 carries, breaking the previous Southwest Conference record set by former Texas great Earl Campbell. Dickerson was a two-time All-American and finished third in the Heisman Trophy voting in his senior year behind Herschel Walker and Elway. His No. 19 was retired by SMU.
Honorable mentions: Rashaan Salaam (Colorado)
No. 20: Earl Campbell, RB, Texas
Considered one of the greatest running backs in college football history, Campbell left his mark at Texas, rushing for a jaw-dropping 4,443 yards and 40 touchdowns during his four seasons in Austin. A bruising running back, Campbell was considered one of the most feared backs in the sport’s history. He led the nation in rushing during his senior season, totaling an eye-popping 1,744 yards and 18 touchdowns en route to winning the 1977 Heisman Trophy, becoming the first Longhorn to win college football’s most prestigious award.
Honorable mentions: Johnny Rodgers (Nebraska), Billy Sims (Oklahoma), Ed Reed (Miami)
Sanders is widely considered one of the greatest running backs in college football history. His elusiveness and ability to evade tackles were simply unmatched. During his three years at Oklahoma State, Sanders totaled 3,556 rushing yards and 48 rushing touchdowns, but it was his junior season that stood out above the rest. He set more than 30 NCAA rushing records and still holds the mark for most rushing yards in a season (2,628), most rushing touchdowns in a season (37) and most games with 300-plus rushing yards in a season (four). Sanders was named the winner of the 1988 Heisman Trophy, and his No. 21 is retired by the school.
Honorable mentions: Desmond Howard (Michigan), Calvin Johnson (Georgia Tech)
No. 22: Mark Ingram, RB, Alabama
Ingram had an impressive three-year college career at Alabama, rushing for more than 3,300 yards and 42 touchdowns while helping lead the Crimson Tide to a combined 36-5 record from 2008-2010. His 2009 campaign was among the best in program history, rushing for 1,658 yards and 17 touchdowns while helping lead Alabama to a national championship. He was named the winner of the 2009 Heisman Trophy, becoming the first Alabama player to win the award.
Honorable mentions: Doug Flutie (Boston College), Emmitt Smith (Florida)
No. 23: Leroy Keyes, CB/RB, Purdue
Before Hunter, there was Keyes, a two-way standout at Purdue during the late 1960s. Keyes totaled more than 2,000 rushing yards, 1,204 receiving yards and 44 total touchdowns despite only starting for two years on offense after switching from the defensive side of the ball. He finished in the top three in Heisman voting in both his junior and senior seasons.
Honorable mentions: Jim Swink (TCU), Jonathan Taylor (Wisconsin)
No. 24: Nile Kinnick, HB, Iowa
Kinnick did a little bit of everything on the gridiron. Considered the greatest player to ever wear an Iowa jersey, Kinnick contributed as a quarterback, halfback, kicker, punter and defensive back for Iowa during the late 1930s. He remains the only player from Iowa to win the Heisman Trophy after putting together a memorable 1939 season where he contributed to nearly 70% of the Hawkeyes’ total offensive production. He helped lead Iowa to a 6-1-1 record during that season and was responsible for 16 of the team’s 19 touchdowns that season. Iowa’s stadium, Kinnick Stadium, is named after him to this day and is the only college football stadium named after a Heisman Trophy winner.
Honorable mentions: Pete Dawkins (Army), Kevin Smith (UCF), Joe Washington (Oklahoma)
No. 25: Fred Biletnikoff, WR, Florida State
The Fred Biletnikoff Award is presented annually to the most outstanding receiver in college football. With that, it’s only fitting that the former Florida State wide receiver standout holds a spot on this list. Biletnikoff wasn’t known as the fastest or biggest player on the field, but his ability to make outstanding catches was second-to-none. Not only did he shine on the offensive side of the ball, but Biletnikoff was a standout on defense as well during his junior season. The former Seminole led the nation in receiving yards (1,179) and receiving touchdowns (15) as a senior while earning consensus All-American honors, the first player in Florida State football history to do so.
Honorable mentions: Tommy McDonald (Oklahoma), Melvin Gordon (Wisconsin), Rocket Ismail (Notre Dame)
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