Ranking the 12 best individual seasons of the College Football Playoff era

Since the inception of the College Football Playoff in 2014, we’ve seen some downright remarkable runs. With an opportunity to play for a national championship expanded beyond just 2 teams, the closing stretch of the season has become a mad dash for Playoff spots and drama has never been higher.

Time and time again, we’ve seen players rise to the occasion and deliver masterpieces.

But who has been the best of the Playoff era? Who has had the greatest season? The most magical run?

Below, you’ll find a ranking of the 12 best individual seasons by an FBS player since 2014. These players broke records, won Heismans, led their team to trophies, and, in most cases, led Playoff pushes. Just so we can get this out of the way ahead of time: Cam Newton isn’t on the list, and neither is Tim Tebow or Reggie Bush. They were pre-Playoff. We’re only looking at players since the start of the 2014 season. Let’s dive in.

12. Dwayne Haskins’ 2018 season for Ohio State

What he did: 373-for-533 passing, 70.0% completion, 4,831 passing yards, 50 passing touchdowns, 8 interceptions, 79 rushing attempts, 108 rushing yards, 4 rushing touchdowns

Why it was special: Dwayne Haskins played 171 snaps on offense entering the 2018 season. He had thrown 57 pass attempts. Absolutely no one expected what was about to happen in his first stint as the full-time starter. JT Barrett left, Joe Burrow transferred, and Haskins took over. Ohio State went 13-1, winning a second consecutive Big Ten title and a Rose Bowl. Along the way, Haskins set 28 Ohio State records and seven additional Big Ten records, including single-season passing yards (4,831), touchdown passes (50), and total offensive yards (4,939). He tossed 5 touchdowns in his first start. He led a come-from-behind 27-26 win over Penn State on the road. He scored 3 fourth-quarter touchdowns in an overtime win over Maryland. He threw for 6 touchdowns on Michigan and then, a week later, dropped 5 tuddies to win MVP of the Big Ten Championship. Eight quarterbacks in FBS history have thrown at least 50 touchdowns in a season. Haskins is one of them.

11. Derrick Henry’s 2015 season for Alabama

What he did: 395 rushing attempts, 2,219 rushing yards, 5.6 yards per run, 28 rushing touchdowns, 11 receptions, 91 receiving yards

Why it was special: The list of running backs you don’t want to see coming through the hole starts with Derrick Henry. He was 6-foot-3, 240 pounds as a recruit. Nick Saban knew he had a monster and rode him until the wheels came off. Unfortunately for the rest of the FBS, the wheels never came off. Alabama went 14-1 to win a national title in 2015. Henry’s 395 rushing attempts are the fourth-most by a player in FBS history, and he had less than 20 rushing attempts in 3 of Alabama’s first 4 games. Over his final 11 games, Henry averaged 29.8 attempts. He ran 46 times for 271 yards in a win at Auburn. He ran 44 times for 189 yards and a score in a win over Florida in the SEC title game. He ran 36 times for 158 yards and 3 scores in the national title win over Clemson. Only 6 players in FBS history have ever run for more yards in a season, and only 10 FBS players have run for more touchdowns. The workload was massive, and you can use that as a way to diminish the counting stats. But how many other players could take the abuse Henry took as an SEC runner and still produce elite numbers? 

10. Bryce Young’s 2021 season for Alabama

What he did: 366-for-547 passing, 66.9% completion, 4,872 passing yards, 47 passing touchdowns, 7 interceptions, 49 rushing attempts, 185 rushing yards, 4 rushing touchdowns

Why it was special: In Bryce Young’s first season as a full-time starter, he set Alabama program records for passing yards in a season and passing touchdowns in a season. He won the Heisman Trophy, the Maxwell Award, and the Davey O’Brien Award. Yes, the numbers were exceptional, but Young’s 2021 season was a damn movie in terms of narrative. The Tide were coming off an unbeaten, 13-0 season in 2020 that culminated with a national championship. Najee Harris left the backfield. DeVonta Smith and Jaylen Waddle left the receiver room. Three linemen were drafted. And Steve Sarkisian left to take over at Texas. Alabama was not supposed to sustain anywhere close to the same kind of offensive output. Yet it went 13-2 and went back to the national championship game because Young was that spectacular. Brian Robinson Jr. was fine in the ground game, but he wasn’t Harris. The receiver room battled injuries and spotted availability all year. Young’s 98.8 EPA that season, according to ESPN, was the sixth-most by an SEC quarterback since tracking began in 2004. 

9. Ashton Jeanty’s 2024 season for Boise State

What he did: 374 rushing attempts, 2,601 rushing yards, 7.0 yards per run, 29 rushing touchdowns, 23 receptions, 138 receiving yards, 1 receiving touchdown

Why it was special: According to Game on Paper, Ashton Jeanty’s 94.0 EPA as a runner during the 2024 season were the most by any single FBS player since 2016, and the most by an FBS running back since at least 2014 (as far back as data goes). Boise State almost beat Oregon in Eugene in Week 2 because Jeanty ran for 192 yards and 3 touchdowns on the eventual Big Ten champions. Boise State won the Mountain West to secure its place in the College Football Playoff because Jeanty ran for 209 yards and a score. The Broncos were in the Playoff because not a single person who shared a field with Jeanty last season knew how to tackle him on their own. Jeanty’s 152 missed tackles forced were a PFF record. Just his rushing total after first contact (1,970 yards) would have been the best season by an FBS runner since 2019. He finished 27 yards shy of a record many deemed untouchable. 

8. Will Anderson Jr.’s 2021 season for Alabama

What he did: 102 tackles, 35 tackles for loss, 17.5 sacks, 3 pass breakups

Why it was special: Will Anderson Jr. led all FBS players in 2020 with 60 quarterback pressures. He followed that up in 2021 with a season for the ages. Anderson’s 82 quarterback pressures in 2021 are the third-most by an FBS player in PFF history. The outlet began tracking in 2014. His 17.5 sacks still stand as the fourth-most in a season in FBS history. His 35 tackles for loss are the most in a season in FBS history. When Ndamukong Suh was passed over for the Heisman Trophy in 2009, it pretty well ensured a defense-only player wouldn’t win the award, but Anderson has had the best case of anyone since. That even includes Michigan’s Aidan Hutchinson, who finished second in voting that year. Anderson was a 1-man wrecking ball for opposing game plans.

7. Melvin Gordon’s 2014 season for Wisconsin

What he did: 343 rushing attempts, 2,587 rushing yards, 7.5 yards per run, 29 rushing touchdowns, 19 receptions, 153 receiving yards, 3 receiving touchdowns

Why it was special: Melvin Gordon was not the “run through you” player Jeanty was. Only half of his nearly 2,600 rushing yards came after contact. He “only” forced 74 missed tackles — which still tied for the second-most in the FBS that season. Gordon simply couldn’t be touched. He opened the season with 140 yards and a score on 16 carries against LSU. Then he exploded for 253 yards and 5 scores on 13 carries against Bowling Green and it was off to the races. Gordon topped 200 yards on the ground 5 more times during the 2014 season. He set what was then an FBS record with 408 rushing yards and 4 scores on 25 carries in a 59-24 win over Nebraska. Husker fans still have nightmares about Gordon torching the vaunted Blackshirts. He averaged 16.3 yards a touch that day. He capped the season with 251 yards and 3 scores in an overtime bowl victory over Auburn. Any other year and Gordon might have won the Heisman for his efforts. Until Jeanty, his 2014 campaign was the closest anyone had ever come to touching Barry Sanders’ 1988 rushing record. And, unlike Jeanty, Gordon did it in one of the toughest conferences in the sport. (That sounds like a knock against Jeanty. It’s not, rather a nod to how ridiculous Gordon’s season was.) A Wisconsin team quarterbacked by Joel Stave played for a Big Ten title. The Badgers got obliterated in that game, but the point is that Gordon dragged them there with one of the best rushing seasons we’ll ever see.

6. Kyler Murray’s 2018 season for Oklahoma

What he did: 260-for-377 passing, 69.0% completion, 4,361 passing yards, 42 passing touchdowns, 7 interceptions, 140 rushing attempts, 1,001 rushing yards, 12 rushing touchdowns

Why it was special: According to Game on Paper, Murray posted a ridiculous 213.4 EPA as a passer and 56.2 EPA as a rusher during his Heisman Trophy-winning season in 2018. He stepped in to replace one of the Oklahoma football program’s most beloved figures in history — a guy who won a Heisman, led the Sooners to the CFP, and then went first overall in the NFL Draft — and just copied Baker Mayfield. At a diminutive 5-foot-10, Murray won a Heisman, led the Sooners to the CFP, and then went first overall in the NFL Draft. His 2018 Oklahoma team wasn’t as good as Mayfield’s 2017 Oklahoma team, particularly on defense. OU gave up 33.3 points per game during the 2018 season. But the Sooners also scored 48 a game as Murray defied defenses up and down the field. Murray became the first player in FBS history to average at least 300 yards passing and 60 yards rushing in a single season, and he became just the second in FBS history to have 4,000 total passing and 1,000 total rushing yards in a season. He set an FBS record for yards per pass attempt in a single season (11.6, since broken) and broke the record for passer efficiency in a single season (199.2, also since broken). 

5. DeVonta Smith’s 2020 season for Alabama

What he did: 117 receptions, 1,856 receiving yards, 15.9 yards per reception, 23 receiving touchdowns, 4 rushing attempts, 6 rushing yards, 1 rushing touchdown

Why it was special: DeVonta Smith’s 2020 campaign — which ended in him becoming the first receiver to ever win the AP Player of the Year award and the first since 1991 to win the Heisman Trophy — was one of the greatest receiving seasons we’ve ever seen at the major college football level. His yardage stands as the seventh-most in a single season in FBS history. His 23 touchdowns are the fifth-most in a single season in FBS history. He was the go-to target on a title team, he was the top name on scouting reports, and yet he went above and beyond in every major moment. In a 63-48 barnburner at Ole Miss, Smith caught 13 balls for 164 yards. A week later against Georgia, he caught 11 balls for 167 yards and 2 scores. He went for 171 and 2 scores in the Iron Bowl. He reauxsted LSU for 231 yards and 3 scores. He went for 184 and 2 scores in the SEC title game, 130 and 3 scores in the CFP semis, and then 215 and 3 scores in the national title. Smith set records for title game catches (12) and touchdown receptions despite leaving early in the third quarter with a hand injury. He only had 3 drops on 145 targets, and he did his damage in the middle of a pandemic. Had COVID not shortened Alabama’s season, Smith probably breaks the record for single-season receiving yardage. 

4. Baker Mayfield’s 2017 season for Oklahoma

What he did: 285-for-404 passing, 70.5% completion, 4,627 passing yards, 43 passing touchdowns, 6 interceptions, 97 rushing attempts, 311 rushing yards, 5 rushing touchdowns

Why it was special: Baker Mayfield planted a flag in Columbus long before lawmakers tried to ban it. Mayfield was benched and stripped of his captaincy before a game against West Virginia after emasculating Kansas and its fans. Mayfield was an unabashed, cocky, brilliant quarterback who was the heart and soul of a Big 12 champion Oklahoma team. He ran away with the Heisman Trophy that season. He demolished TCU in the Big 12 title game. He did everything possible to will OU to a CFP semifinal win over Georgia in the Rose Bowl, though to no avail. Mayfield was a 3-time top-4 finisher for the Heisman and, when he finally won it, he broke his own FBS single-season record for passer efficiency. OU’s only regular-season loss in 2018 came against Iowa State at home, 38-31. In that game, Mayfield went 24-for-33 with 306 yards and 2 touchdowns while rushing 11 times for 57 yards and another score without giving the football away. He capped one of the best careers in college football history with a truly dominant season. Blame the lack of overall team success on someone else. Call it the Muleshoe Special. 

3. Jayden Daniels’ 2023 season for LSU

What he did: 236-for-327 passing, 72.2% completion, 3,812 passing yards, 40 passing touchdowns, 4 interceptions, 135 rushing attempts, 1,134 rushing yards, 10 rushing touchdowns

Why it was special: Maybe it’s recency bias, but it’s hard to look past just how special Jayden Daniels was in 2023. Actually, you know what? It is not recency bias. Even though LSU’s 2023 season ended without a conference title or a Playoff appearance, that wasn’t because of Daniels. Daniels is the only player in FBS history to rush for 200 yards and pass for 350 yards in a single game. He joined Joe Burrow, Cam Newton, Tim Tebow, and Bryce Young as the only SEC players to ever produce 50 total touchdowns in a season. And he joined Johnny Manziel as the only SEC players to throw for 3,500 yards and run for 1,000 yards in a season. He broke the FBS record for passer rating and took home the Heisman. Daniels’s story was one of growth. His final year at Arizona State, he averaged 7.9 yards per pass and had just as many interceptions (10) as touchdown throws. He was an accomplished runner, but his ability to break down a defense with his arm was a question mark when he transferred to LSU in 2022. Now, he’s one of the brightest young quarterbacks in the NFL. Trace the takeoff back to the offseason before 2023. 

2. Marcus Mariota’s 2014 season for Oregon

What he did: 304-for-445 passing, 68.3% completion, 4,454 passing yards, 42 passing touchdowns, 4 interceptions, 135 rushing attempts, 770 rushing yards, 15 rushing touchdowns

Why it was special: It didn’t work quite the way anyone thought it would in the NFL for Marcus Mariota, but make no mistake, he was one of the hottest players in the history of modern college football. Oregon was a legitimate national title contender in 2014 because of the Honolulu native. He became the program’s first-ever Heisman Trophy winner and its second-ever unanimous All-American. He threw a touchdown pass in every game he played in during his career and would become the school’s all-time leader in passing yards and touchdowns. In 2014, Mariota set program records for attempts, completions, passing yards, and passing touchdowns. (All of those have since been broken by Bo Nix.) He still holds the school record for 300-yard passing games in a season (8), rushing yards by a quarterback in a season, and rushing touchdowns by a quarterback in a season. Mariota’s numbers set against today’s backdrop look like a fine season but context is important. He was the only power conference quarterback to clear 4,000 passing yards in 2014. He went for at least 300 yards in each of his final 5 games as Oregon won a Pac-12 title, won a Playoff semifinal game over Florida State, and played in the national championship. In the win over Florida State, Mariota threw for 338 yards, ran for 62, and scored 3 touchdowns. He was the preseason favorite to win the Heisman that year and received the second-highest percentage of possible points in voting history to that point, all while the runner-up nearly broke the rushing record. Forget CFP era, Mariota’s 2014 season was one of the best we’ve ever seen from a quarterback. 

1. Joe Burrow’s 2019 season for LSU 

What he did: 402-for-527 passing, 76.3% completion, 5,671 passing yards, 60 passing touchdowns, 6 interceptions, 115 rushing attempts, 368 rushing yards, 5 rushing touchdowns

Why it was special: Do I actually need to write anything here? Did you expect anyone else? There’s a gap between No. 1 and No. 2 on this list that is comically large. When I set out to do this, I put Joe Burrow’s 2019 season at No. 1 before looking at anything else. He threw 60 touchdowns, a single-season FBS record at that point. (Western Kentucky’s Bailey Zappe threw 62 2 years later, albeit with 160 more passing attempts.) His 5,671 yards are the fourth-most in a season in FBS history. He set FBS single-season records for total offense and touchdowns responsible for, and he set SEC records for passing yards and completion percentage. LSU went 15-0 to win a national title, spending the final 8 weeks of the season atop the AP poll all while beating 7 teams that ranked in the AP Top 10 at the time of the game. The magic was in the unexpected. Burrow was a backup at Ohio State before transferring to LSU in 2018. When he left the Buckeyes, former Nebraska coach Scott Frost famously questioned if Burrow was better than the quarterback Nebraska had at that time. When Burrow started for the Tigers in 2018, he was a sub-60% passer with just 16 touchdowns and 5 picks. Seemingly overnight, Burrow went from fine player to “My God, how do we stop this onslaught?” He cleaned up on the awards circuit, went first overall in the NFL Draft, and has proven thus far that the explosive 2019 season wasn’t a flash in the pan but the start of something incredible. 

Derek Peterson does a bit of everything, not unlike Taysom Hill. He has covered Oklahoma, Nebraska, the Pac-12, and now delivers CFB-wide content.