Who is the best college football quarterback of the 21st century?
Let’s look at how the sport has evolved since the turn of the century. By the early 2000s, the game had moved past the wishbone and run-heavy offenses that dominated the 20th century and teams had settled into running more pro-style systems. The top college quarterbacks in 2000 were conventional pocketpassers like the University of Miami’s Ken Dorsey and Florida State’s Chris Weinke. Then things started to open up.
The dual threat quarterbacks of the 2000s such as Vince Young at Texas were equally adept at passing as they were at running with the football. Stars such as Robert Griffin III emerged. Johnny Football became a household name. Stephen A. Smith and Skip Bayless argued about Tim Tebow for years every morning on ESPN.
Coaches also stepped up. Schools started running the spread offense, the zone-read, and variations of the run n’ shoot. There was more improvisation than the pro game. More innovation. The college offense of the early 2010s soon found its way into the NFL, making it less complicated for college QBs transitioning to the pros.
The best college QBs posted record-breaking stats, collected Heisman Trophies, and, more than anything, won National Championships, all of which were put into consideration when finalizing the rankings.
These are the 25 Best College Football Quarterbacks of the 21st Century.
Jalen Hurts
Years: 2016-19
School(s): Alabama; Oklahoma
Pass Stats: 682-1046 65.2 CMP % 9,477 YDS 80 TD 20 TD 162.7 RTG
Rush Stats: 3,274 YDS 43 TD
Accolades: 2017 National Champion; 2016 SEC Offensive Player of the Year
Jalen Hurts had won 28 of 29 starts when Alabama head coach Nick Saban benched him at halftime of the 2017 National Championship Game in favor of Tua Tagovailoa (more on him later), who’d go on to lead Bama to its 5th national championship under Saban. Hurts lost the starting gig the next spring but stuck around and repaid the favor when he relieved an injured and ineffective Tua in Bama’s SEC Championship Game win over Georgia the following season. Recognizing that he couldn’t reclaim his starting spot, Hurts, a true dual threat with high character marks, transferred to Oklahoma in 2019 where he would enjoy his finest season and finish second in the Heisman balloting.—Thomas Golianopoulos
Colt McCoy
Years: 2006-09
School: Texas
Pass Stats: 1157-1645 70.3 CMP % 13,253 YDS 112 TD 45 INT 155 RTG
Rush Stats: 1,571 YDS 20 TD
Accolades: 2008 Consensus All-American, 2009 Consensus All-American (Unanimous), 2009 Maxwell Award, 2009 Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year
McCoy is one of the top players in Longhorns history. He holds school records in wins (45), completions, attempts, TD passes, passing yards, total offense (14,824), passer rating, and completion percentage. He has the third-highest career completion percentage in NCAA history. McCoy was 3-1 in Red River Rivalry games against Oklahoma. He led the Longhorns to an unforgettable 45-35 win over the then-No. 1 Sooners in October of 2008, completing 28-of-35 passes for 277 yards and 1 TD. He did not throw an interception. —Matt Burke
Pat White
Years: 2004-2008
School: West Virginia
Pass Stats: 507-783 64.8 CMP% 6,049 YDS 56 TD 23 INT 147.4 RTG
Rush Stats: 4,480 YDS, 47 TD
Accolades: 2x Big East Offensive Player of the Year; 3x First-Team All-Big East
White is widely regarded as the top player in West Virginia football history, as he amassed a 35-8 record as the Mountaineers’ starter. The Daphne, Alabama native was always a threat with his legs, in addition to his arm. In fact, he was the all-time leading rushing quarterback in NCAA history at the time his college career ended, with 4,480 career yards on the ground. White routinely came up big for the Mountaineers in the postseason, as he went 4-0 in bowl games. In WVU’s annual rivalry game against Pitt in 2006, White rushed for 220 yards and passed for 204 yards. He became just the eighth player in NCAA history to pass for more than 200 yards and rush for over 200 yards in a single game. —MB
Jayden Daniels
Years: 2019-2023
School(s): Arizona State, LSU
Pass Stats: 953-1,438 66.3 CMP % 12,749 YDS 89 TD 20 INT 158.4 RTG
Rush Stats: 3,307 YDS 34 TD
Accolades: 2023 Heisman, 2023 AP Player of the Year, 2023 Consensus All-American, 2023 SEC Offensive Player of the Year
Daniels put together an unreal 2023 season for LSU, as he compiled 4,946 total yards of offense (3,812 passing yards and 1,134 rushing yards). Oh, and 50 total touchdowns. It resulted in him winning that year’s Heisman Trophy.The performance that likely pushed Daniels over the top was the outing he turned in on November 11, 2023 against Florida. The San Bernardino, California native threw for 372 yards and 3 TDs against the Gators, and also rushed for an incredible 234 yards and 2 TDs. Prior to his two-year stint at LSU, Daniels played for Arizona State. He made his presence felt in Tempe immediately as he became the first Sun Devils quarterback to start the season-opener as a true freshman. That season was highlighted by a November 23, 2019 upset win over Justin Herbert and the No. 6 Oregon Ducks. Daniels outdueled Herbert, throwing for 408 yards and 3 TDs in a 31-28 ASU victory. —MB
JT Barrett
Years: 2014-17
School: Ohio State
Pass Stats: 769-1,211 63.5 CMP % 9,434 YDS 104 TD 30 INT 152.3 RTG
Rush Stats: 3,263 YDS 43 TD
Accolades: 2014 National Champion
Barrett is sometimes a forgotten man nowadays, but the Big Ten record books back up just how great of a collegiate quarterback he was. He owns the conference record for most career passing touchdowns (104) and total touchdowns (147). Barrett also holds the conference record for most career offensive yards with 12,697. That’s 882 yards ahead of the No. 2 guy on that list, some guy named Drew Brees. In addition, Barrett holds the distinction of being the only QB in the history of the Ohio State vs. Michigan rivalry to go a perfect 4-0 in “The Game.” One of the more memorable games in the rivalry came on November 26, 2016 in Columbus. Barrett threw for 124 yards and rushed for a whopping 125 yards and a TD in a thrilling 30-27 double-OT victory for the Buckeyes. —MB
Colt Brennan
Years: 2002-07
School: Colorado, Saddleback, Hawaii
Pass Stats: 1,115-1,584 70.4 CMP % 14,193 YDS 131 TD 42 INT 167.6 RTG
Rush Stats: 547 YDS 15 TD
Accolades: 2x WAC Offensive Player of the Year (2006-07)
Brennan took a circuitous route to college football stardom in the most unlikely of settings. A California native, Brennan was cut from the Colorado football team following an ugly incident that resulted in a felony burglary and trespassing conviction. He played one season at Saddleback, a small commuter school in Orange County, where he was spotted by University of Hawaii head coach June Jones. Brennan would go on to thrive in Jones’ Run N’ Shoot offense, setting records (his 58 touchdown passes were a single-season mark at the time), finishing sixth all time in touchdown passes, and being named a two-time Heisman finalist. Brennan had a quick release and a whole lot of moxie but lacked the arm strength to compete in the NFL. He died in 2021 from an accidental fentanyl overdose.—TG
Ken Dorsey
Years: 1999-2002
School: Miami
Pass Stats: 668-1,153 57.9 CMP% 9,565 YDS 86 TD 28 INT 147.4 RTG
Rush Stats: -79 YDS, 2 TD
Accolades: 2001 BCS National Champion; 2001 Maxwell Award; 2002 First-Team All-American; 2001 Second-Team All-American; 2x Big East Offensive Player of the Year
Miami has produced a lot of winners over the years, but no one in Hurricanes history won more than Dorsey. The QB compiled a record of 38-2 as Miami’s starting QB. That included a 34-game winning streak. Dorsey was the QB for Miami’s 2001 National Title team, which is considered one of the greatest teams in college football history. In Miami’s National Title clincher that season—a 37-14 win over Nebraska in the Rose Bowl—Dorsey completed 22-of-35 passes for 362 yards and 3 TDs. Dorsey was tremendous in the clutch in his Miami career, as he completed 205-of-333 (61.6%) passes for 2,531 yards, 25 TDs and just 4 INTs on third-down passes.—MB
Marcus Mariota
Years: 2011-2014
School: Oregon
Pass Stats: 779-1,167 66.8 CMP% 10,796 YDS 105 TD 14 INT 171.8 RTG
Rush Stats: 2,237 YDS, 29 TD
Accolades: 2014 Heisman; 2014 Davey O’Brien Award; 2014 Walter Camp; 2014 Maxwell Award; 2014 Unanimous All-American; 3x All-Pac-12 Conference First-Team; 2012 Pac-12 Freshman Offensive Player of the Year
Mariota is regarded as the best player in Oregon football history as he led the Ducks to 36 wins in his collegiate career. The definition of a dual-threat QB, Mariota rushed for 752 yards and 5 TDs in 2013, 715 yards and 9 TDs in 2013, and 770 yards and 15 TDs in 2014. He showcased his versatility and then some on October 18, 2012 against Arizona State when he passed for a TD, caught a scoring pass, and ran for an 86-yard touchdown.The Hawaii native was the Pac-12’s first three-time All-Conference First-Team quarterback. In his Heisman-winning season of 2014, Mariota led the country with a total quarterback rating of 90.9. Mariota led the 2014 Ducks to the National Title Game, where they fell to Ohio State, 42-20. —MB
Deshaun Watson
Years: 2014-16
School: Clemson
Pass Stats: 814-1,207 67.4 CMP % 10,163 YDS 90 TD 32 INT 157.5 RTG
Rush Stats: 1,934 YDS 26 TD
Accolades: 2016 National Champion, 2015 ACC Player of the Year, 2015 Consensus All-American
Watson was the leader of arguably the best era in Clemson football history as he guided the Tigers to back-to-back College Football Playoff berths, culminating with a National Title win in 2016. He was sensational in that season’s National Title game against No. 1 Alabama, as he completed 36-of-56 passes for 420 yards and 3 TDs. He did not throw a pick, and also rushed for 43 yards and a touchdown. The Gainsville, Georgia native posted a highly-impressive 32-3 record as a starting QB at Clemson. On any given Saturday, Watson was a threat to make the stat sheet explode. Against Pitt in 2016, he threw for a whopping 580 yards. He also had 6 TD pass days against North Carolina in 2014, and against South Carolina in 2016. —MB
Tua Tagovailoa
Years: 2017-19
School: Alabama
Pass Stats: 474-684 69.3 CMP% 7,442 YDS 87 TD 11 INT 199.4 RTG
Rush Stats: 340 YDS, 9 TD
Accolades: 2017 CFP National Champion; 2018 CFP National Championship Game Offensive MVP; 2018 Maxwell Award; 2018 Walter Camp Award; 2018 Consensus All-American; 2018 NCAA Passer Rating Leader; 2018 SEC Offensive Player of the Year; 2018 First-Team All-SEC; 2019 Second-Team All-SEC
Tagovailoa played sparingly during the regular season for Alabama in his freshman year as he served as a backup to Jalen Hurts. Tua’s first real test as a college QB? Try that season’s CFP National Championship game against Georgia. Tagovailoa replaced Hurts at halftime and turned in an incredible performance as he completed 14-of-24 passes for 166 yards and 3 TDs in a 26-23 overtime victory for the Crimson Tide. His game-winning 41-yard touchdown pass to DeVonta Smith will forever be remembered. The Hawaii native followed that up with two sensational seasons as ’Bama’s starter, throwing a combined 76 touchdowns with just 9 INTs in 2018 and 2019.—MB
Andrew Luck
Years: 2009-2011
School: Stanford
Pass Stats: 713-1,064 67 CMP % 9,430 YDS 82 TD 22 INT 162.8 RTG
Rush Stats: 957 YDS 7 TD
Accolades: 2011 Maxwell Award; 2x Pac 12 Offensive Player of the Year (2010-11)
The best NFL prospect since Peyton Manning never won a Heisman or a National Championship but managed to put Stanford football back on the map following a 30-year slumber. A big strong kid with a cannon for an arm, Luck dominated the Pac 10 under coaches Jim Harbaugh and David Shaw and led Stanford to a win in the 2011 Orange Bowl. —TG
Caleb Williams
Years: 2021-23
School(s): Oklahoma, USC
Pass Stats: 735-1,099 66.9 CMP % 10,082 YDS 93 TD 14 INT 169.3 RTG
Rush Stats: 966 YDS 27 TD
Accolades: 2022 Heisman, 2022 AP Player of the Year, 2022 Consensus All-American (Unanimous), 2022 Pac 10 Offensive Player of the Year, 2022 Maxwell Award
When Williams wrapped up his collegiate career, he was one of just 87 players in FBS history to record 100 touchdowns and 10,000 yards of offense while committing fewer than 20 turnovers (19). It was apparent early on that Williams had “it”, as he was thrust into action against Texas in his freshman season at Oklahoma. Down 35-17, Williams replaced starter Spencer Rattler. Williams led the Sooners to an improbable 55-48 comeback win, finishing with 212 passing yards, 2 passing TDs, 88 rushing yards, and 1 rushing TD. The Washington, D.C. native followed head coach Lincoln Riley from Oklahoma to USC, and played his last two collegiate seasons with the Trojans. Williams’ 2022 Heisman-winning season at USC was a thing of beauty as he threw for 4,537 yards, 42 TDs, and just 5 INTs. He was simply untouchable midway through that season, as he had a four-game stretch where he threw for 16 touchdowns with zero interceptions. —MB
Robert Griffin III
Years: 2008-2011
School: Baylor
Pass Stats: 800-1192 67.1 CMP % 10,366 YDS 78 TD 17 INT 158.9 RTG
Rush Stats: 2,254 YDS 33 TD
Accolades: 2011 Heisman; 2011 AP Player of the Year; 2011 Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year; 2011 Consensus All-American
The engine of Art Briles’ spread offense, RGIII piloted the 2011 Baylor offense to 45.3 points per game, good for fourth in FBS. Though others have thrived in the system, Griffin took it to another level. His mobility worked like a cheat code against defensive pressure. He was slippery in the pocket and stealth in the open field. Griffin was knocked for his supposed deficiencies as a pocket passer. Nonsense. He was also an incredibly accurate passer who threw a beautiful deep ball.—TG
Baker Mayfield
Years: 2013-2017
School(s): Texas Tech, Oklahoma
Pass Stats: 1,026-1,497 68.5 CMP% 14,607 YDS 131 TD 30 INT 175.4 RTG
Rush Stats: 1,083 YDS 21 TD
Accolades: 2017 Heisman; 2x First-Team All-American; 2x NCAA Passer Rating Leader; 2x NCAA Completion Percentage Leader; 2x Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year; 3x First-Team All-Big 12
Mayfield has made a career out of betting on himself. He turned down scholarship offers from schools like New Mexico and Florida Atlantic because he believed he could earn the starting job as a walk-on at a bigger school like Texas Tech. Texas Tech’s starter at the time, Michael Brewer, was injured, paving the way for Mayfield to start in the Red Raiders’ season opener against SMU. Mayfield absolutely torched the Mustangs in his first collegiate game, throwing for 413 yards and 4 TDs with zero picks. Mayfield’s best collegiate work came when he was the QB at Oklahoma. In his Heisman-winning season of 2017, the fiery Mayfield set the NCAA record for passing efficiency with a rating of 203.76.—MB
Fernando Mendoza
Years: 2022-2025
School(s): California, Indiana
Pass Stats: 691-1,008 68.6 CMP% 8,247 YDS 71 TD 22 INT 156.2 RTG
Rush Stats: 467 YDS 11 TD
Accolades: 2025 Heisman; 2025 CFP National Champion; 2025 CFP National Championship Game Offensive MVP; 2025 Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year; 2025 First-Team All-Big Ten; 2025 Walter Camp; 2025 Maxwell Award; 2025 Davey O’Brien Award
Mendoza is the most recent name on this list. While he is known now, first and foremost, as the man who led Indiana to an undefeated record and a National Title, Mendoza did have success in his first two seasons of college football at Cal as well. In 2023, he threw for 1,708 yards and 14 TDs for the Golden Bears. In 2024 at Berkeley, he threw for 3,004 yards and 16 TDs. Indiana coach Curt Cignetti then turned Mendoza into one of the most efficient passers in college football history. The insanely-accurate Mendoza had a completion percentage of 72.0 for the 2025 season. In three 2025 College Football Playoff games, Mendoza threw for a combined 8 touchdowns and did not throw an interception.—MB
Lamar Jackson
Years: 2015-2017
School: Louisville
Pass Stats: 619-1,086 57 CMP% 9,043 YDS 69 TD 27 INT 142.9 RTG
Rush Stats: 4,132 YDS 50 TD
Accolades: 2016 Heisman; 2x ACC Player of the Year; 2x ACC Offensive Player of the Year; 2016 Unanimous All-American; 2018 ACC Athlete of the Year
Jackson made his collegiate debut in September of 2015 and was thrilling from the start. Seeing some snaps at running back and quarterback, Jackson threw for 100 yards and rushed for 106 yards and a TD against No. 6 Auburn. “That freshman quarterback is electric,” then-Auburn head coach Gus Malzahn said of Jackson after the game. “He’s going to be tough to deal with.” Malzahn’s words were all too prophetic. Jackson became the first player in Louisville history to win the Heisman Trophy in 2016 and remains the youngest Heisman winner as he was just 19 years and 337 days old when he picked up the award. He racked up an incredible 51 total touchdowns in 2016, which remains an ACC single-season record. —MB
Sam Bradford
Years: 2007-09
School: Oklahoma
Pass Stats: 604-893 67.6 CMP % 8,403 YDS 88 TD 16 INT 175.6 RTG
Rush Stats: 36 YDS 5 TD
Accolades: 2008 Heisman, 2008 AP Player of the Year, 2008 Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year, 2008 Consensus All-American
Bradford looked like a future pro from the minute he took his first snaps at Oklahoma. As a 19-year-old redshirt freshman, he completed 69 percent of his passes and threw 36 touchdowns against 8 interceptions. In 2008, he produced even gaudier numbers ( 4,720 passing yards! 50 touchdowns!) and was rewarded with a Heisman. A shoulder injury then limited him to three games the next season—an omen for his pro career. —TG
Jameis Winston
Years: 2013-14
School: Florida State
Pass Stats: 562-851 66 CMP % 7,964 YDS 65 TD 28 INT 163.3 RTG
Rush Stats: 284 YDS 7 TD
Accolades: 2013 Heisman; 2013 National Champions; 2013 ACC Player of the Year; 2013 AP Player of the Year; 2013 Consensus All-American
Jameis Winston won the first 27 starts at FSU until a 59-20 loss to Oregon at the 2015 Rose Bowl. Until that point, Winston had been untouchable. He was a pure pocket passer who loved to push the ball down the field and take chances across the middle. In 2013, he threw 40 touchdown passes as FSU embarked on one of the most dominant seasons in FBS history: 14-0. A national championship. An FBS record 39.5 point average margin of victory. And Winston became the youngest Heisman winner in history. (As noted earlier, Lamar Jackson has since eclipsed his record.) Winston was college football’s ultimate escape artist the next season despite an uptick in turnovers. FSU won seven one-score games in 2014 but the high-wire act collapsed in the National Semifinal against Oregon. —TG
Vince Young
Years: 2002-2005
School: Texas
Pass Stats: 444-718 61.8 CMP % 6,040 YDS 44 TD 28 INT 144.9 RTG
Rush Stats: 3,127 YDS 37 TD
Accolades: 2005 BCS National Champion; 2005 First-Team All-Big 12; 2005 Maxwell Award; 2005 Davey O’Brien Award; 2005 Manning Award; 2005 Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year, 2003 Big 12 Offensive Freshman of the Year
College football has seen a lot of dual threat quarterbacks over the years, but none were as dangerous as Young. In his first season as the starter in Austin, Young threw for 1,849 yards and rushed for 1,079 yards. He had 12 TD passes and a whopping 14 TD runs. His second season as the main man for the Longhorns was unreal, as he threw for 3,063 yards and 26 TDs. Oh, and he rushed for 1,050 yards and 12 TDs. VY’s crowning achievement came in the 2006 Rose Bowl/BCS National Championship Game as he racked up 467 yards of total offense (267 yards passing, 200 yards rushing) in a 41-38 Texas win over USC. It is considered one of the greatest college football games of all-time.—MB
Trevor Lawrence
Years: 2018-2020
School: Clemson
Pass Stats: 758-1,138 66.6 CMP % 10,098 YDS 90 TD 17 INT 164.3 RTG
Rush Stats: 943 YDS 18 TD
Accolades: 2018 National Champion; 2020 ACC Player of the Year
Lawrence arrived at Clemson as one of the most decorated high school QBs of all time—52-2 as a four-year starter including a 41-game winning streak; two Georgia state titles; and a Georgia state record for career passing yards, surpassing fellow Tiger Deshaun Watson. Somehow, Lawrence lived up to the hype. He won a National Championship as a true freshman and won his first 29 starts until running into the LSU Tigers—one of the greatest teams in FBS history—in the 2019 National Championship Game. A generational prospect, Lawrence had the size, arm, athleticism, and the intangibles of a future No. 1 pick. —TG
Johnny Manziel
Years: 2012-13
School: Texas A&M
Pass Stats: 595-863 68.9 CMP% 7,820 YDS 63 TD 22 INT 164.1 RTG
Rush Stats: 2,169 YDS 30 TD
Accolades: 2012 Heisman Trophy; 2012 AP Player of the Year; 2012 SEC Offensive Player of the Year
Johnny Manziel is now a cautionary tale—one of money, fame, addiction, and hubris. But before he became the poster child for the arrogance of youth, Manziel was the most exciting player in college football. Manziel was “Steamin” Willie Beamon from Any Given Sunday come to life, an unbridled improvisational genius who made big plays with his arm and his legs, odds be damned. In an era before NILs, Manziel was a brand. He had his own trademarked celebration (Show me the money!) and was one of the most famous athletes on the planet. But none of that would have mattered if not for his performance on the field, which was exceptional while it lasted.—TG
Joe Burrow
Years: 2015-2019
School(s): Ohio State, LSU
Pass Stats: 650-945 68.8 CMP% 8,852 YDS 78 TD 11 INT 172.4 RTG
Rush Stats: 820 YDS, 13 TD
Accolades: 2019 Heisman; 2019 CFP National Champion, 2019 CFP National Championship Offensive MVP, 2019 NCAA Passing Yards Leader, 2019 NCAA Passing Touchdowns Leader
Ohio State is one of the top college football programs in the country, but the Buckeyes totally dropped the ball when it came to Burrow. Joe Cool played sparingly in three years for Ohio State, backing up the likes of JT Barrett and Dwayne Haskins. Burrow graduated from Ohio State in three years, and then transferred to LSU when he realized he wasn’t getting a starting gig in Columbus. He threw 16 TDs and 5 INTs in his first season in Baton Rouge in 2018, and followed that up with an unreal 60 TDs and just 6 INTs in his Heisman-winning season of 2019. Burrow had many dominant games at LSU, but his masterpiece came in the Chick-Fil-A Peach Bowl in 2019 when he threw for 493 yards, 7 TDs and 0 INTs in a 63-28 blasting of No. 4 Oklahoma.—MB
Cam Newton
Years: 2007-2008, 2010
School(s): Florida, Auburn
Pass Stats: 191-292 65.4 CMP % 2,908 YDS 30 TD 7 INT 178.2 RTG
Rush Stats: 1,586 YDS 24 TD
Accolades: 2010 Heisman Trophy; 2010 Maxwell Award; 2010 National Champion; 2010 AP Player of the Year; 2010 SEC Offensive Player of the Year; 2010 First-Team All-American
Earlier this year, when we spoke with Josh Pate, the creator and host of Josh Pate’s College Football Show, for the 2026 Sports Media Power List, we asked the ESPN contributor to name the best college quarterback of his lifetime. His answer: “Probably Cam Newton. I think what he did in 2010 was pretty otherworldly.” Cam Newton’s 2010 was out of this world. His 51 touchdowns (30 passing, 20 rushing, 1 receiving) led college football and behind him Auburn won their first consensus national championship since 1957. Newton was the most physically imposing quarterback of his era. Built like a linebacker (6-foot-5 245 lbs.) and faster than a fullback, he was unstoppable on both designed runs and scrambles and was an underrated passer.—TG
Matt Leinart
Years: 2001-2005
School: USC
Pass Stats: 807-1,245 64.8 CMP% 10,693 YDS 99 TD 23 INT 159.5 RTG
Rush Stats: -70 YDS, 9 TD
Accolades: 2004 Heisman; 2004 BCS National Champion, 2x AP National Champion, 2x Pac-10 Offensive Player of the Year, 2004 Consensus All-American, 2005 First-Team All-American
Leinart did nothing but win at USC as he compiled a remarkable 37-2 record as a starting collegiate quarterback. His career with the Trojans got off to a tremendous start on August 30, 2003 against Auburn as he threw a touchdown on his first career pass. It was a sign of things to come as the Santa Ana, California native led USC to back-to-back National Championships. Leinart almost always came up big in huge spots. His 61-yard strike to Dwayne Jarrett on 4th-and-9 against Notre Dame in 2005 with under 2 minutes left is one of the most memorable plays in Trojan history. Leinart was untouchable in the 2005 Orange Bowl against No. 2 Oklahoma as he threw for 332 yards and 5 touchdown passes in a 55-19 blowout victory over the Sooners.—MB
Tim Tebow
Years: 2006-2009
School: Florida
Pass Stats: 661-995 66.4 CMP % 9,285 YDS 88 TD 16 INT 170.8 RTG
Rush Stats: 2,947 YDS 57 TDS
Accolades: 2007 Heisman Trophy; 2x Maxwell Award (2007, 2008); 2x National Champion (2006, 2008) 2x SEC Offensive Player of the Year (2007, 2008); 2007 AP Player of the Year; 2007 Consensus All-American
For a moment there, Tim Tebow was one of the most discussed figures in all of sports—Skip Bayless is mostly to blame—but the attention was well-earned. Tebow was a high school star at Allen D Nease in Ponte Vedra, Florida before arriving at the University of Florida, where both of his parents had met as students. As a freshman, Tebow was a change of pace backup behind starter Chris Leak and ran for and threw for a touchdown in the Gators’ win over Ohio State in the National Championship game. Once anointed the starter, Tebow stormed the record books. In 2007, Tebow threw for 32 touchdowns, ran for another 23, and became the first underclassman to win the Heisman. He won another national championship the next season and came close again in 2009, a loss to eventual national champion Alabama in the SEC Championship Game was Florida’s lone blemish on its record. He was also a Heisman finalist in both seasons. Though he garnered headlines for his outspoken Christian faith, Tebow’s game was undeniable. He was a dual threat QB with a nose for the end zone and was an accurate passer despite the funky throwing mechanics that would sink his pro career. Add it all up and Tim Tebow is the best college football quarterback of the 21st century. —TG
