Trey Sanders, a 5-star running back and No. 5 overall prospect in the Class of 2019, made headlines Wednesday.

Not simply because he picked Alabama … doesn’t a blue-chip running back do that every year? No, that didn’t raise eyebrows. What he said after choosing the Crimson Tide sure did.

https://twitter.com/SDS/status/1075455044324077568

Former Tide intern Butch Jones might describe that as 5-star moxie — regardless of the fact no true freshman has won the award. Not even Herschel Walker.

However, Sanders does have an important attribute shared by Heisman housemates: his elite recruiting ranking.

Six of the past 15 Heisman Trophy winners arrived in college with a 5-star ranking.

Here’s the breakdown, by 247Sport.com’s star ranking:

5-stars

2018: Kyler Murray — Murray was the No. 1-rated dual-threat QB in the 2015 class when he signed with Texas A&M. He was the No. 34 recruit overall. He spent one season at Texas A&M and transferred to Oklahoma.

2015: Derrick Henry — Henry didn’t promise to win the Heisman as a freshman, but he did say he was “going come here and carry on the legacy.” Promise fulfilled. Henry was the No. 12 overall recruit in the 2013 class.

2013: Jameis Winston — Winston was the No. 1-rated dual-threat QB in the 2012 class and No. 12 ranked prospect overall. As 5-star QB recruits go, he more than fulfilled the hype, even though he redshirted his first year. Heck, the fact he didn’t transfer is almost newsworthy.

2010: Cam Newton — Newton was the No. 2-ranked dual-threat QB in the 2007 class, behind Tyrod Taylor, who also made it to the NFL. That’s where the comparisons begin and end, however. Newton signed with Florida, but his stay ended with an arrest. After a short stopover in JUCO, Newton turned in one of the greatest single seasons in SEC history in 2010, culminating with the Heisman and national championship.

2007: Tim Tebow — Alabama doesn’t miss on many, but they missed on Tebow. The top-ranked dual-threat QB in the 2006 class chose to stay home and play for the Gators. He helped them win a national title as a freshman, won the Heisman as a sophomore, and then took out Alabama en route to winning the 2008 national title. Expectations often are outrageous for recruits like Tebow, but nobody on this list accomplished as much.

2005: Reggie Bush — Henry and Bush are the examples to follow. Bush arrived at USC as the No. 3-ranked running back in the country, the No. 17 prospect overall in the 2003 class. The Heisman folks want you to forget he ever existed, but open field moves like his tend to leave a lasting impression.

4-stars

2011: Robert Griffin III — RG3 was the No. 6-ranked dual-threat QB in the 2008 class. Nobody above or below him did as much. No. 1 Terrelle Pryor and No. 2 EJ Manuel also were drafted, but Pryor changed positions in the NFL and Manuel didn’t last long.

2009: Mark Ingram — Even Alabama’s first Heisman Trophy winner wasn’t a Day 1 dominator. Ingram was the No. 10-ranked running back in the 2008 class, a list he no doubt would lead if revised today. After a successful freshman campaign, Ingram ran for a program-record 1,658 yards as a sophomore, winning the Heisman and leading Alabama to its first national title under Nick Saban.

2006: Troy Smith — Smith arrived as the No. 8-ranked dual-threat QB in the 2002 class headlined by Vince Young. Smith started slowly at Ohio State before winning as a 5th-year senior. His numbers weren’t overwhelming (2,542 yards, 30 TDs, 6 INTs), but he guided the Buckeyes to an undefeated regular season before falling to Florida in the BCS Championship Game.

2004: Matt Leinart — The 2001 pro-style QB rankings are a trip down memory lane. Brodie Croyle was No. 1, followed by Joe Mauer, who spurned FSU for baseball. Leinart was the No. 4 … and he led USC to shares of back-to-back national titles.

3-stars

2017: Baker Mayfield — Overlooked? Absolutely. Blame it on his size — he was a 6-1, 190-pound pocket passer. Or blame it on the analysts, who thought there were 159 players in Texas better than Mayfield, and more than 1,000 across the country in the 2013 class. Mayfield walked-on at Texas Tech before transferring to Oklahoma, winning the Heisman and becoming the No. 1 overall pick in the 2018 NFL Draft.

2016: Lamar Jackson — Back-to-back Heisman winners who arrived as 3-star recruits? Jackson was the 12th-ranked dual-threat QB in the 2015 class. Kyler Murray and Jarrett Stidham were Nos. 1 and 2. Sam Darnold was No. 5. Joe Burrow was No. 8.

2014: Marcus Mariota — Mariota no doubt opened doors for fellow Hawaiian quarterbacks, most notably Tua Tagovailoa, but he arrived at Oregon as the No. 491 prospect in the country in the 2011 class. This is one of the greatest do-over classes in recent memory. Jeff Driskel was the No. 1-rated dual-threat. Johnny Manziel was No. 13. Mariota was No. 18 and Dak Prescott was No. 20. Oops. Oops. And we’re sorry.

2012: Johnny Manziel — Sensing a trend? Mobile quarterbacks who don’t look like Dan Marino when they get off the bus? (For the millennials, Marino was a 6-4, 225-pound life-size poster of what a QB was supposed to look like.) Back to Manziel … Johnny Football looked more like Johnny JV when he arrived at College Station, listed a generous 6-foot, 195 pounds. He was the No. 62 player in Texas in 2011, No. 374 overall. He redshirted as a freshman at Texas A&M, then dominated the SEC for two years.

2008: Sam Bradford — Bradford wasn’t the No. 1-ranked pro-style QB in 2006, but there’s no shame there. Matthew Stafford was. Bradford came in at No. 12. He redshirted his freshman year at Oklahoma and won the award as a redshirt sophomore.