| Awarded for | The most outstanding collegiate football player |
|---|---|
| Country | United States |
| Presented by | Associated Press |
| History | |
| First award | 1998 |
| Most recent | CB/WR Travis Hunter |
The AP College Football Player of the Year award has been awarded annually since 1998 to the most outstanding collegiate football player in the country. The winner is chosen by a vote of Associated Press (AP) sportswriters and editors. Since 2004, the award winner has gone on to win the Heisman Trophy during the same voting cycle in every year except 2009 (Ndamukong Suh) and 2015 (Christian McCaffrey).