Updated September 4, 2026.
Miami has two Heisman Trophy winners, both quarterbacks from the dynasty years: Vinny Testaverde in 1986 and Gino Torretta in 1992. Both won in runaway votes, both quarterbacked undefeated regular seasons, and both lost the bowl game that would have added a national title to the trophy. Ken Dorsey finished third and fourth in consecutive years, and Cam Ward gave the program its first top five finish in 22 years in 2024.
Vinny Testaverde, 1986
Testaverde waited two years behind Bernie Kosar, then threw for 26 touchdowns in 1986 as Miami went 11-0 in the regular season and outscored opponents 420-136. The signature game was the No. 1 versus No. 2 win over defending champion Oklahoma in September, four touchdown passes in a 28-16 win that moved Barry Switzer to say he had never seen a better quarterback. Testaverde won the Heisman by 1,541 points over Temple’s Paul Palmer, then the fifth largest margin in the award’s history, and added the Maxwell, Davey O’Brien and Walter Camp awards. The season ended with five interceptions in the 14-10 Fiesta Bowl loss to Penn State. Tampa Bay took him first overall in 1987 and he played 21 NFL seasons.
Gino Torretta, 1992
Torretta, a former backup who had started the 1989 Florida State game when Craig Erickson was hurt, quarterbacked the 1991 national champions and then an 11-0 regular season in 1992 against the second toughest schedule in the country, with wins over No. 3 Florida State in Wide Right II and No. 7 Penn State. He threw for 3,060 yards and 19 touchdowns and beat San Diego State’s Marshall Faulk for the Heisman, adding the Maxwell, O’Brien, Unitas and Walter Camp awards. The one loss of his career as a starter came in the Sugar Bowl, three interceptions in a 34-13 loss to Alabama. Miami retired his No. 13 in November 2023.
Finalists and Top Five Finishes
| Year | Player | Position | Finish | Winner |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1963 | George Mira | QB | 5th | Roger Staubach, Navy |
| 1984 | Bernie Kosar | QB | 4th | Doug Flutie, Boston College |
| 1988 | Steve Walsh | QB | 4th | Barry Sanders, Oklahoma State |
| 2001 | Ken Dorsey | QB | 3rd | Eric Crouch, Nebraska |
| 2002 | Ken Dorsey | QB | 4th | Carson Palmer, USC |
| 2002 | Willis McGahee | RB | 5th | Carson Palmer, USC |
| 2024 | Cam Ward | QB | 4th | Travis Hunter, Colorado |
Dorsey went 38-2 as a starter and won the 2001 Maxwell Award; he and McGahee were both finalists in 2002, when McGahee ran for 1,753 yards and a school record six touchdowns in one game against Virginia Tech. Ward threw for 4,313 yards and 39 touchdowns in 2024 and went first overall to Tennessee in the 2025 draft, Miami’s third No. 1 pick after Testaverde and Russell Maryland.
Other National Award Winners
Bryant McKinnie won the 2001 Outland Trophy without allowing a sack in his college career. Warren Sapp won the 1994 Lombardi and Nagurski, Ed Reed the 2001 Thorpe, Dan Morgan the 2000 Butkus, Bednarik and Nagurski, the only player to win all three in one season, and Andre Johnson, Devin Hester and Reggie Wayne were All Americans at receiver and returner.
Related Reading
Heisman Trophy winners by year, retired numbers and greatest players, national championships. Compare with Nebraska and Florida.