7. Adrian Peterson
Peterson is one of the greatest running backs in history and it is quite clear that all of this started with his freshman year at the University of Oklahoma. During this year, Peterson rushed for 1,925 yards and 15 TDs. His dominance on the field led to one of the highest finishes for a true freshman in Heisman history with a second-place finish.

He followed it up with a sophomore year where he rushed for 1,104 yards and 14 TDs through an injury-plagued season. His junior year, Peterson rushed for 1,012 yards and 12 TDs, adding a receiving TD on top of it. Yet again doing so through injuries. Adrian would be named a Unanimous All-American in 2004 but was named First-Team All-BIG 12 all three years he was at Oklahoma. Many believe Peterson deserved the 2004 Heisman, sadly, it was not to be.