Top College QBs by team

[Atlas]

Historical Debate ... Quarterback U.
The top ten quarterback schools of all-time - Fiu version


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By Pete Fiutak | Richard Cirminiello version of Quarterback U.

Unlike Richard Cirminiello, I don't care a lick about pro production when it comes to schools producing great quarterbacks. Is UL Lafayette suddenly a great quarterback school because Jake Delhomme went there? All I care about is college production in college careers.

Also forget about NFL-type talent and go by what actually happened on the field. Go back to 1970 and knowing what you know now, which schools had the best quarterback production at the highest level?

John Elway might be the greatest quarterback of all-time, but he never led Stanford to a bowl game. Johnny Unitas is one of the all-time legends, but was average at best at Louisville. On the flip side, Eric Crouch won a Heisman and led Nebraska to a national title game, but Canton isn't going to be calling anytime soon.

So without further ado, here are the 20 schools that produced the best college quarterbacks since around 1970 along with the five greatest quarterbacks for each team. Once again, this is based on production and not just talent. Only college players from, roughly, the past 35 years have been considered.

1. Miami
No school had more big-time performers play better in the biggest games and produce at a higher level. Year after year after year the Canes fielded the quarterbacks that led the way to one of the most impressive two decade runs in college football history. Interestingly enough, the two Heisman winners, Vinny Testaverde and Gino Torretta, had some of the most painful performances in national title games.

Miami's five greatest quarterbacks
1) Ken Dorsey - Miami has had more talented quarterbacks, but none of them won like Dorsey did and few had his flair for the dramatic. He was the quarterback for the return of Miami football to elite status.
2) Steve Wash - Don't forget that Miami was seen as a bit of a choker program under Jimmy Johnson until Walsh led the Canes to a title. He was a mysterious Cleveland Gary fumble against Notre Dame away from going 24-0 and winning two straight national titles. He was the most clutch of all the Cane QBs.
3) Vinny Testaverde - He might have been the greatest Cane QB had he won a national title and not struggled in two stunning bowl losses.
4) Bernie Kosar - Watch the first half of the 1984 Orange Bowl classic against Nebraska and try and find a quarterback that showed more pinpoint accuracy in a big game.
5) Jim Kelly - It's hard to keep Craig Erickson and Heisman-winner Gino Torretta off the list, but Kelly was the one that started the unbelievable run of great players..


2. Florida State
Overshadowed by Miami's quarterback success, Florida State hasn't quite gotten the credit it deserves as a quarterback factory. The Noles have cranked out two Heisman winners and several great field generals. Quick, name the great NFL receivers from Florida State before Peter Warrick, Laveraneues Coles, Javon Walker and the recent flurry of great players. These guys have gotten the job done in the biggest games with a bull's-eye squarely on their backs over the last two decades.

Florida State's five greatest quarterbacks
1) Charlie Ward - The perfect college quarterback, he was a great player on and off the field winning the Heisman and getting Bobby Bowden his elusive national title.
2) Chris Weinke - Had he not gotten hurt in 1998 he would have been been the starter in three national title games. He never got his just due as one of the all-time greats because of his age.
3) Thad Busby - Completely forgotten about by most college football fans, Busby threw for 3,317 yards and 25 touchdowns. He was two losses to Florida away from being unbeaten and winning two national titles.
4) Danny McManus - He was the leader at the beginning of the epic FSU run of top four finishes. If the Noles hadn't screwed up on special teams against Miami, McManus would have been the quarterback of the 1987 national champions.
5) Danny Kanell - His 57 career touchdown passes weren't bad. He'll always be remembered as the quarterback in the classic loss to Virginia and the one who engineered the comeback in the 31-31 tie against Florida in 1996.

3. BYU
The roll call of great quarterbacks is mesmerizing. Everyone knows about legends like Ty Detmer and Jim McMahon, but lesser known playmakers like Brandon Doman and Jon Walsh put up impressive seasons that kept the tradition rolling. BYU didn't face the killer schedules that other great teams played, and there's a thought that the system rolled up mega-numbers game-in-and-game-out against average teams. Who cares? These guys were really, really good always in the Heisman mix from the mid-1970s until 1991.

BYU's five greatest quarterbacks
1) Ty Detmer - He set the bar high for future quarterbacks to shoot for with his passing records. He left as the NCAA's all-time passing leader and won the Heisman with a magical 1990 season highlighted by his nationally televised 28-21 win over Miami.
2) Jim McMahon - There were other great BYU quarterbacks before him, but he was the one who gave the docile BYU program a corky attitude when it came to the passing attack while setting a ton of records.
3) Robbie Bosco - While many college football fans still have issues with BYU's 1984 national title season, you have to give credit where credit is due; Robbie Bosco won a national title. His stats weren't too shabby either throwing 63 touchdown passes and for 8,148 yards in two years.
4) Steve Young - One of the best all-around quarterbacks of all-time, Young threw 51 touchdown passes and 7,002 yards in two years.
5) Gifford Nielson - Gary Sheide had some big years before Nielson, but Nielson was the one who put the BYU passing game on the map making it nationally known.

4. Nebraska
It's hard for some to get past the thought that a quarterback is only a quarterback if he throws the ball. Leadership, winning, effectiveness and decision making are every bit as important. Bottom line for a quarterback: Did he win? Nebraska quarterbacks were some of the most devastating offensive weapons in college football history as the leaders of some of the greatest teams. Tommie Frazier was the greatest quarterback to never win a Heisman, Scott Frost was one of the best unsung quarterbacks ever, and Eric Crouch won the Heisman and got Nebraska to a national title game. Others like Steve Taylor, Turner Gill, David Humm and Jerry Tagge were among the best quarterbacks in the game during their time.

Nebraska's five greatest quarterbacks
1) Tommie Frazier - Arguably the greatest college quarterback of all-time, he was a missed field goal away from winning three national championships and was the leader of the 1995 team which was, arguably, the best team of all-time.
2) Eric Crouch - The three-year starter fought off an early quarterback controversy to win the Heisman and lead the Huskers to the BCS championship game. In that 2001 Heisman winning year he ran for 1,115 rushing yards to go along with his 1,510 passing yards.
3) Jerry Tagge - From 1969 to 1971 he cranked out 5,283 total yards of offense leading the Huskers to two national titles.
4) Scott Frost - One of the most under-appreciated quarterbacks of all-time, Frost led the Huskers to a piece of a national championship with a tremendous 1997 season rushing for 1,095 yards and throwing for 1,237. He was the first Husker to run and throw for 1,000 yards in a season.
5) Turner Gill - Possibly the most talented all-around Husker quarterback, Gill was the ultimate field general to go along with his passing efficiency.


5. Florida
This might seem too low considering all the high-octane performers under Steve Spurrier, but take Danny Wuerffel out of the mix and too many of the stars came up short in the biggest of the big games. Other than BYU, the schools ahead of Florida had quarterbacks in national title games. Florida had Wuerffel. This study goes back to roughly 1970, but I'm still including Spurrier since he's still such a relevant figure.

Florida's five greatest quarterbacks
1) Danny Wuerffel - Arguably one of the five greatest college quarterbacks ever, Wuerffel was the one who ran Spurrier's offense better than anyone else with two national title appearances and the Ball Coach's lone championship.
2) Steve Spurrier - Yeah he played before 1970, but the future Ball Coach won the Heisman and is still the most popular of all the Gator quarterbacks.
3) Rex Grossman - Can we do a recount and give him the 2001 Heisman? He threw for 77 career touchdowns and 9,164 yards, but his legacy is a bit tainted by the loss to Tennessee in 2001 that would have propelled the Gators to the SEC title game and with a win, a showdown with Miami for the national title.
4) Shane Matthews - The first great Spurrier quarterback led the SEC in passing for three straight years and threw 74 touchdown passes and 9,287 passing yards.
5) Kerwin Bell - Bell threw 56 touchdown passes, the best in SEC history. With Florida on probation in 1984 and 1985, his tremendous seasons fell by the wayside. His production fell off in 1986 and 1987 on teams that weren't nearly as strong, but he still remained a fan favorite.


6. Oklahoma
There's no greater gap in styles than there is in the Oklahoma quarterbacks. You have some of the greatest option runners of all-time mixed in with Heisman-caliber passer. If nothing else, OU might have the most fun-to-watch quarterbacks of all-time whether it's J.C. Watts flinging a pitch to a streaking Billy Sims, Jamelle Holieway juking and cutting up the field or Jason White letting it fly deep.

Oklahoma's five greatest quarterbacks
1) Jamelle Holieway - He never made an All-America team and wasn't in the Heisman mix. However, he is generally considered the greatest option quarterback of all-time and led the Sooners to the 1985 national title. Always a top runner, leading the team in rushing in his sophomore and junior seasons, he became an improved passer by his senior year with a 161.73 efficiency rating.
2) Josh Heupel - The quarterback in the resurgence of Sooner football, he was the steady leader that brought OU the 2000 national title and was the runner-up in the Heisman race with a 33 touchdown, 3,850-yard season. His threw for 7,456 yards in two seasons.
3) J.C. Watts - The best option quarterback ever until Holieway came along, Watts led the Sooners to two Big 8 championships and two Orange Bowl wins.
4) Jason White - Move the 2003 Heisman Trophy winner up to number one if he comes close to having a repeat season and if he leads the Sooners close to another national title.
5) Jack Mildren - A three-year starter, Mildren suffered from being the quarterback of some monster OU teams at the same time Nebraska was at the height of its power. He had a passer efficiency rating of 199.52 in 1971.




7. Purdue
Purdue has cranked out a stunning array of great passing quarterbacks. While this exercise only looks at the last 35 years or so, an exception is being made here for Bob Griese, who played from 1964 to 1966. If I'm going to include Steve Spurrier for Florida, I have to put the still-prominent Griese on the list. Few schools were as consistent with its great players as there was a succession of top players starting with Len Dawson in the 1950s to Griese and Mike Phipps in the 1960s to Gary Danielson and Mark Hermann in the 1970s to Scott Campbell and Jim Everett in the 1980s to Drew Bress in the 1990s.

Purdue's five greatest quarterbacks
1) Drew Brees - Bob Griese was great, but Brees put up such astronomical numbers with 11,792 career yards and 90 touchdowns that it's too hard not to make him number one. That he took the Boilermakers to the Rose Bowl in 2000 seals it.
2) Bob Griese - He threw more career interceptions than touchdowns, but he was a two-time All-American who led Purdue to a Rose Bowl win in 1968. He was a Heisman runner-up.
3) Mark Herrmann - A four-year starter, Herrmann was the first high-octane passer in Boilermaker history throwing for 9,946 yards and 71 touchdowns.
4) Scott Campbell - Good enough to keep Jim Everett on the bench for two years, Campbell took over for Mark Herrmann and kept the passing attack flying throwing for 7,636 yards and 45 touchdowns starting for three seasons.
5) Jim Everett - He had a phenomenal final two years of a great career throwing for 6,907 yards with 41 touchdown passes.


8. USC
Known for being Tailback U., USC has been almost as impressive with its quarterbacks. Heisman winner Carson Palmer helped boost the overall stock of USC as a quarterback school, and Matt Leinart kept it there leading the Trojans to a national title. The sheer number of great quarterbacks has helped with stars like Rodney Peete, Pat Haden and Paul McDonald the leaders of some of the best teams over the last 35 years.

USC's five greatest quarterbacks
1) Carson Palmer - Palmer came to USC as the golden boy, can't-miss recruit. He fell short of expectations for three years, and then put it all together under the tutelage of Norm Chow winning the Heisman with a 3,942-yard, 33 touchdown season bringing USC football back to prominence.
2) Paul McDonald - Overshadowed by the great Charles White, McDonald still put up great stats and led the Trojans to the 1978 national title. Remembering that White put up over 3,909 rushing yards in 1978 and 1979, McDonald threw for 3,913 yards during those two years with 37 touchdowns. He completed 62% of his throws in 1979.
3) Rodney Peete - A great three-year starter who was slightly overshadowed by playing in the same town as UCLA's Troy Aikman.
4) Rob Johnson - His three-year numbers were outstanding throwing 56 touchdown passes from 1992 to 1994 completing 65% of his throws.
5) Matt Leinart - He already has one national title to his credit. Move him up to number one if he wins another.


9. Michigan
Considering it's always thought of as a tough, grind-it-out Big Ten running team, Michigan has put up an impressive array of great passers over the years. There hasn't been too many Heisman-caliber, everyone's-All-America superstars, but there have been plenty fantastic passers that won big games, championships and in the case of Brian Griese, a national title. There are few more demanding places to play as the starter not only has to deal with 100,000+ fans, he has to deal with playing against defenses that crank their gameplans up an extra notch during Michigan-week.

Michigan's five greatest quarterbacks
1) Rick Leach - The most decorated of all the recent Wolverine quarterbacks, Leach was a three-time All-Big Ten selection who finished third in the Heisman in 1978, was in the running in 1976 and got some votes in the Big Ten title winning 1977 season. He set the NCAA record for the most touchdowns accounted for (82) and broke the Big Ten records for total offense, total plays and touchdown passes.
2) Jim Harbaugh - He finished third in the 1985 Heisman voting and set many of the school's passing records. He went 23-3-1 in his final two seasons finishing with a 1986 Big Ten title.
3) Elvis Grbac - A four-year starter, Grbac took Michigan to three Rose Bowls while setting the record for most touchdown passes in a season with 25 in 1991. He finished his career with 71 touchdown passes and 6,460 yards.
4) John Navarre - He never, ever got the respect he deserved. His numbers are kinder to him than the fans ever were finishing his career as Michigan's all-time leading passer throwing for 9,254 yards and 72 touchdowns culminating with a Big Ten title in 2003.
5) Brian Griese - It's all about the championships, and Griese finally got the program over the national title hump in 1997. He was coldly efficient always coming up with the key third down pass needed to keep drives, and the season, alive completing 63% of his passes.

10. Tennessee
Tennessee has had a fantastic mix of superstars and steady role players over the years. Obviously Peyton Manning is the superstar of the bunch, but there were other great quarterbacks that somehow have been forgotten about by most college football fans. Tee Martin won a national title, Casey Clausen was a great four-year rock of a starter, and Heath Shuler was one of the school's most dynamic players.

Tennessee's five greatest quarterbacks
1) Peyton Manning - The standard for all SEC quarterbacks, Manning finished his career with 11,201 yards and 89 touchdowns and a second-place finish in the 1997 Heisman. However, he'll also always be remembered for not beating Florida and only winning one SEC title with some of the most talented teams in college football.
2) Tee Martin - It was his steady leadership and clutch play that led the Vols to the 1998 national title. His stats weren't bad finishing his career with 4,592 yards and 32 touchdowns.
3) Casey Clausen - The Iceman had one of the better unheralded careers in recent college football history starting for four years finishing with 9,707 yards and 75 touchdown passes.
4) Andy Kelly - He was a strong passer for three years setting most of the Tennessee passing records until Manning came in and blew them all away. He led the Vols to a tremendous 11-1 season in 1989.
5) Heath Shuler - The Tennessee golden boy before Peyton Manning arrived, Shuler put up two fantastic years in 1992 and 1993 before making the mistake of jumping early for the NFL.

Honorable U.
The next ten greatest quarterback schools over the last 35 years (remember, based on college production)...
11. Notre Dame - the main man: Joe Montana
12. Washington - the main man: Warren Moon
13. Penn State - the main man: Todd Blackledge
14. Washington State - the main man: Ryan Leaf
15. Syracuse - the main man: Donovan McNabb
16. Stanford - the main man: Jim Plunkett
17. Marshall - the main man: Chad Pennington
18. Kansas State - the main man: Michael Bishop
19. Houston - the main man: Andre Ware
20. California - the main man: Steve Bartkowski

[Bronco LB 59]

Originally Posted by Atlas

16. Stanford - the main man: Jim Plunkett

Thanks for sharing Atlas. Great article.

I know Jim Plunkett won the Heisman Trophy and led Stanford to the Rose Bowl with John Ralston, but most college football experts would probably rank Elway higher as a collegiate player anyway. Elway finished runner up in the Heisman to argubly the best college football player of all-time (Herschel Walker). Herschel Walker would have beat out pretty much every Heisman Trophy winner in history with the exception of Barry Sanders.

[Atlas]

Originally Posted by Bronco LB 52

Thanks for sharing Atlas. Great article.

I know Jim Plunkett won the Heisman Trophy and led Stanford to the Rose Bowl with John Ralston, but most college football experts would probably rank Elway higher as a collegiate player anyway. Elway finished runner up in the Heisman to argubly the best college football player of all-time (Herschel Walker). Herschel Walker would have beat out pretty much every Heisman Trophy winner in history with the exception of Barry Sanders.

How can you have Brees over Bob Griese??

How can you have Mark Herman over Jim Everett??

[Florida_Bronco]

Originally Posted by Atlas

4. Nebraska
1) Tommie Frazier - Arguably the greatest college quarterback of all-time, he was a missed field goal away from winning three national championships and was the leader of the 1995 team which was, arguably, the best team of all-time.

Amen. I loved watching him and the entire 1995 team play. Nothing made me happier than seeing them finally get Osborne a National Title.

I think Brook Berringer should get an honorable mention though. Had Frazier not been there, Brook would have been starting and probably be the first NU quarterback to have a sucessful career in the NFL since Vince Ferragamo. Berringer was a great kid who saved out bacon by playing well when Frazier went down in 95.

[Kaylore]

Oh BYU...how far you have fallen...

[FADERPROOF]

QB, the one position where OSU has never been all that great at. Off the top of my head we have Joe Germaine, Cornellius Greene, Kirk Herbstreit, and Craig Krenzel of guys that have all been productive at the college level, toss in Jim Karsatos as well.

Plus I'm so sick of hearing that USC is "tailback U.", for Christ sakes Georgia has produced better than USC has, not to mention a host of others, which includes Ohio State.

[Evenrude]

Originally Posted by Florida_Bronco

I think Brook Berringer should get an honorable mention though. Had Frazier not been there, Brook would have been starting and probably be the first NU quarterback to have a sucessful career in the NFL since Vince Ferragamo. Berringer was a great kid who saved out bacon by playing well when Frazier went down in 95.

Amen. Brook was all class on the field and off. Denver was one of the teams looking at drafting him too....... what a shame.

[2KBack]

This might be outta left field, but Andrew Walter is pretty high up there statistically. He just never got that much Press playing out of ASU. He break a certain special somebody's PAC-10 TD record.

[FADERPROOF]

Originally Posted by 2KBack

This might be outta left field, but Andrew Walter is pretty high up there statistically. He just never got that much Press playing out of ASU. He break a certain special somebody's PAC-10 TD record.

ASU has Walter and Plummer, I'm unfamiliar with other ASU QB's though, so it might be why they didn't make the list.

[2KBack]

Originally Posted by FADERPROOF

ASU has Walter and Plummer, I'm unfamiliar with other ASU QB's though, so it might be why they didn't make the list.

Honestly, I wouldn't have thought of them either, but I just finished my 1st year at ASU, and he was the talk of the town. While Plummer is revered by ASU fans and hated by all 7 Cardinal fans

[TheManeMan]

Originally Posted by Atlas

Honorable U.
The next ten greatest quarterback schools over the last 35 years (remember, based on college production)...
11. Notre Dame - the main man: Joe Montana
12. Washington - the main man: Warren Moon
13. Penn State - the main man: Todd Blackledge
14. Washington State - the main man: Ryan Leaf
15. Syracuse - the main man: Donovan McNabb
16. Stanford - the main man: Jim Plunkett
17. Marshall - the main man: Chad Pennington
18. Kansas State - the main man: Michael Bishop
19. Houston - the main man: Andre Ware
20. California - the main man: Steve Bartkowski

Honorable mention Fresno St. last 10 years??

Trent Dilfer
David Carr
Paul Pinnegar

[Northman]

What? no mention of my boy Brooks from N.Orleans?

[Breck Bronc]

Atlas, what publication is this from? I highly doubt it's from collegefootballnews.com; that place wouldn't rank Miami first in a list of college football teams named Hurricanes.

We've had some great ones since Kelly chose to play QB at Miami instead of LB at Penn State. The Brock Berlin experiment was a big mistake and made me appreciate good QB play that much more.

I think Kyle Wright will be on that list some day.

[Nuggets4]

Tommie Frazier was a beast.

[Atlas]

Originally Posted by Breck Bronc

Atlas, what publication is this from? I highly doubt it's from collegefootballnews.com; that place wouldn't rank Miami first in a list of college football teams named Hurricanes.

We've had some great ones since Kelly chose to play QB at Miami instead of LB at Penn State. The Brock Berlin experiment was a big mistake and made me appreciate good QB play that much more.

I think Kyle Wright will be on that list some day.

Here is the link and you are wrong.

http://www.collegefootballnews.com/2...ate_QBUFIU.htm

[Breck Bronc]

CU's best quarterbacks since 1970:

1. Darian Hagan
2. Kordell Stewart
3. John Hessler
4. Koy Detmer
5. David Williams

CU didn't have a 1st team all-Big 8 QB until Hagan in 1989. Hagan and Stewart are head and shoulders above the rest of the list.

It's a shame what happened to Hessler. His recovery from the accident has been great. Hit-and-run drivers should be shot.

[Breck Bronc]

Originally Posted by Atlas

Here is the link and you are wrong.

http://www.collegefootballnews.com/2...ate_QBUFIU.htm

Wow, I'm completely shocked.

Checking out that link, there are two guys who made lists. The other list has Miami at the top as well. I can't believe it.



By Richard Cirminiello | Fiu version of Quarterback U.

Quarterback U. The oft-used term conjures up images of a long lineage of deft passers, all of whom proudly wore the same school colors, sang the same school songs and accepted the torch when their time arrived. Over the years, they’ve collectively formed a mini-farm system for the National Football League, a quarterback factory, if you will.

Give some programs two reliable signal-callers in a five-year period and they’re ready to stake claim to the mythical moniker. On the contrary, Quarterback U. is not about brief spurts of excellence. It’s about sustained consistency to go along with those brief spurts of excellence. Earn the name and your school has participated in a marathon, not a sprint. Quality and quantity are prerequisites, and it can certainly help if your big men on campus went on to command big paychecks in the pros.


For this highly subjective exercise, only college players from the past 35 years have been considered. Keep that in mind while you’re feverishly searching for Johnny Unitas or John Brodie. The timeframe could have easily been, oh, 30 or 40 years, but either way, the objective was to draw a distinct line of demarcation between the modern era of college football and a time when the game, the players and the schools were dramatically different than they are today. Something about apples and oranges comes to mind. Go deep enough into the annals and you might be compelled to champion schools, which are no longer relevant to this conversation. Raise your hand if you’re ready to debate the virtues of quarterbacks such as Sid Luckman, Stan Heath or Adrian Burk, former first half of the century first round draft choices from Columbia, Nevada and Baylor, respectively.

While the emphasis here is on collegiate results, pro performance has clearly been factored into the inexact equation. As it should be. Joe Montana’s career didn’t end in South Bend. For that matter, neither did Rick Mirer’s. Both must be judged accordingly.

Like most opinion-based responses, there is no right answer to the question of who truly deserves to be dubbed Quarterback U. Just plenty of different answers, which makes the subject so deliciously appealing.

1. Miami
The Flag-Bearer – Jim Kelly
The Ensemble – Bernie Kosar, Vinny Testaverde, Gino Torretta, Craig Erickson, Ken Dorsey and Steve Walsh
Throughout the past quarter-century, ’Cane coaches have accumulated plenty of frequent-flyer miles assembling college football’s premier quarterback alumni. Kelly from Pennsylvania. Kosar from Ohio. Testaverde from New York. Dorsey, Torretta and current freshman hopeful Kyle Wright from California. Walsh from Minnesota. And this year’s starter, Brock Berlin, from Louisiana.

It all began with Kelly, one of the sport’s all-time greatest passers, who helped ignite the school’s football resurgence in the early 1980s. Testaverde and Torretta copped the program’s only two Heisman Trophies, while Dorsey completely rewrote the team’s record book during his four-year stint as the starter. Four Hurricanes have been named All-American since 1986 and all but two from the above list have been fitted for national championship rings.

Like none other, the quarterback position has defined Miami’s excellence since the program awoke from its deep slumber of the 1970s.


2. BYU
The Flag-Bearer – Steve Young
The Ensemble – Jim McMahon, Ty Detmer, Marc Wilson, Robbie Bosco, Gifford Nielsen, Steve Sarkisian, Gary Sheide, John Walsh, Brandon Doman and Kevin Feterik
No university was more synonymous with prolific passing attacks in the 1970s and 1980s than BYU. Under the innovative eyes of LaVell Edwards and Norm Chow, the Cougars rose to national prominence and cranked out All-American quarterbacks like a Pez dispenser. Nielsen, Wilson, Young, McMahon, Bosco and Detmer all ascended to the height of the sport, bagging a heap of records along the way. Cougar quarterbacks finished in the top 10 of the Heisman vote an unthinkable 11 times between 1974 and 1991.

While the drop-off at the position has been steep since Detmer became the NCAA’s all-time leading passer in 1991, BYU was still home to Walsh, Sarkisian, Feterik and Doman, each of whom threw for more than 3,500 yards at least once over the past decade.



3. Washington
The Flag-Bearer – Warren Moon
The Ensemble – Mark Brunell, Chris Chandler, Marques Tuiasosopo, Sonny Sixkiller, Brock Huard, Cody Pickett, Steve Pelluer, Hugh Millen, Billy Joe Hobert, Cary Conklin and Damon Huard
Amid little fanfare, Seattle has been an NFL pipeline for quarterbacks the past three decades. Washington holds the distinction of having six alums on NFL rosters during the 1999 season.

Moon was a star wherever he laced up his cleats. The 1977 Pac-10 Player of the Year is the NFL’s No. 3 all-time passer and a member of the CFL Hall of Fame. Brunell and Chandler have had long and very productive pro careers, while Tuiasososopo is the best all-around quarterback the school has ever had. He’s the only man in NCAA history to pass for 300 yards and rush for 200 more in the same game. Hobert never lost a college game he played in and helped lead the school to its only national championship in 1991. Sixkiller had more than just the coolest best name in college football history. En route to becoming a local folk hero, he led the country in passing in 1972.

4. Florida State
The Flag-Bearer – Charlie Ward
The Ensemble – Chris Weinke, Brad Johnson, Danny Kanell, Casey Weldon, Thad Busby, Bill Cappleman, Chris Rix, Gary Huff, Peter Tom Willis and Danny McManus
When the topic is Florida State quarterbacks, it has to begin with Ward, one of the most decorated players in school history and the 1993 Heisman winner. The veteran NBA point also led the program to its first national championship. Seven years later, Weinke duplicated Ward’s feats, when he, too, won the Heisman and a national crown.

Throughout much of the 1980s and 1990s, the program had a time-tested system for their quarterbacks. Let them sit and absorb for two years, and then turn them loose in an offense loaded with talent at the skill positions. Rarely did it sputter. However, Johnson aside, former ‘Noles have been washouts once they’ve left that system. Not one has been a first round selection, and, amazingly, Huff and Cappleman, pre-Bowden products, are the highest drafted quarterbacks to play in Tallahassee.



5. USC
The Flag-Bearer – Carson Palmer
The Ensemble – Rodney Peete, Rob Johnson, Pat Haden, Vince Evans, Paul McDonald, Matt Leinart, Todd Marinovich, Brad Otton and Sean Salisbury

If it’s June of 2002, USC probably trades places with Purdue. That’s an indication of how terrific Palmer and Leinart were the past two seasons, winning a Heisman and a national championship, respectively, while tossing a combined 71 touchdowns to just 19 interceptions. Not coincidentally, the same Norm Chow, who tutored all those BYU quarterbacks for years, joined Pete Carroll’s staff in 2001.

In a program built on Student Body Left and Student Body Right for so many years, the quarterback wasn’t always the focal point of the Trojan offense. Still, people are quick to forget that McDonald and Peete were All-Americans and Johnson was near flawless his final two years in Los Angeles. Evans, Peete, Johnson, McDonald and Haden all played at least five seasons in the NFL.



6. Florida
The Flag-Bearer – Danny Wuerffel
The Ensemble – Rex Grossman, Shane Matthews, John Reaves, Doug Johnson, Kerwin Bell, Wayne Peace, Chris Leak and Jesse Palmer

For all the success Gator quarterbacks enjoyed as amateurs, they’ve been collectively awful in the NFL, feeding the notion they’re products of a pass-happy system. Grossman and Leak will have a chance to change that trend over the next five to ten years.

That said, it’d be foolish to diminish the impact of Florida quarterbacks on the college game, particularly after Steve Spurrier brought the Fun ‘n Gun to Gainesville in 1990. On most autumn weekends, you could count on plenty of fireworks and a great show whenever the Gators were playing. Wuerffel is the standard by which all of the program’s quarterbacks are judged. The two-time All-American led the country in touchdowns in 1996, the same year he won the Heisman Trophy and guided the school to its only national championship. He, Reaves and Bell completed their careers as the SEC’s all-time leading passer.


7. Notre Dame
The Flag-Bearer – Joe Montana
The Ensemble – Joe Theismann, Steve Beuerlein, Rick Mirer, Tony Rice, Terry Hanratty, Tom Clements, Jarrious Jackson, Ron Powlus

Stop snickering, and take a long look at the Irish’s body of work. Montana is one of the best quarterbacks in the history of the sport. Both he and Theismann own Super Bowl rings. In Montana’s case, four of them. Beuerlein, who had a brilliant Pro Bowl campaign in 1999, is a 15-year NFL veteran. Before crapping out in the pros, Hanratty and Mirer were high draft choices, who’d gotten All-American recognition. Clements, Montana and Rice each won a national championship. And while Powlus never approached his lofty expectations, he did author many school records, including career touchdowns and passing yards.

Notre Dame quarterbacks will never make a cameo in a June Jones fantasy. Gaudy passing numbers just doesn’t fit their style. Collectively, however, they’ve achieved and won more than enough since 1969 to warrant a Top 10 ranking.


8. Nebraska
The Flag-Bearer – Tommie Frazier
The Ensemble – Eric Crouch, Turner Gill, Vince Ferragamo, Scott Frost, Jerry Tagge, David Humm, Steve Taylor and Jammal Lord

No program was tougher to size up than Nebraska, a school that’s produced many terrific quarterbacks, but only a few capable of transitioning from an option-oriented offense to the pros. Tagge was a first-round draft choice of the Packers. Humm was a 10-year journeyman, mostly with the Raiders. And Ferragamo was best known for leading the Rams to the 1979 Super Bowl.

The Huskers’ candidacy is built on some of the best dual-threats college football has ever seen, beginning with Frazier. Beyond all the school records, he’s better known for being just one of two 20th century quarterbacks to win back-to-back national championships. Frost replaced Frazier admirably, becoming the first Nebraska player to rush and pass for 1,000 yards in a season and leading the school to a 1997 co-national championship. Gill finished fourth in the 1983 Heisman vote and then coached Crouch to the award in 2001.



9. Michigan
The Flag-Bearer – Tom Brady
The Ensemble – Elvis Grbac, Jim Harbaugh, John Navarre, Brian Griese, Todd Collins, Drew Henson, Rick Leach and Steve Smith

Two decades ago, this looks like a misprint. Michigan still favors the running game, but the offense has been far more balanced the past 15 years than the one Bo Schembechler used to employ. The result? Every Michigan starter since Elvis Grbac in 1989 has at least made an NFL roster. Navarre, the school’s all-time leading passer, could make it seven pro quarterbacks in the past dozen years.

Wolverine quarterbacks are typically big and bright and are good leaders. They don’t make scouts fawn. They just win lots of games. That’s never been more evident than with Brady, the former sixth-round draft choice, who’s already won two Super Bowls in just four seasons. Or Griese, who was under center for a share of Michigan’s first national titles in 50 years. Grbac and Harbaugh both made the Pro Bowl and enjoyed very productive NFL careers. Now that he’s finally hung up his mitt, Henson has the tools to be a future star.


10. Oregon
The Flag-Bearer – Dan Fouts
The Ensemble – Chris Miller, Bill Musgrave, Joey Harrington, Akili Smith, Danny O’Neil, Tony Graziani, Kellen Clemens and A.J. Feeley

Like much of the Pac-10, Oregon has never had trouble developing quality quarterbacks. It all began with Fouts, the All-Pac 8 player, who went on to a Hall of Fame career with the San Diego Chargers. Miller, Harrington and Smith each had all-conference seasons prior to getting selected in the first round of the NFL draft. Smith bombed, but Miller threw 123 touchdown passes in an injury-plagued career and Harrington shows potential as the Detroit starter.

Musgrave may be the most underrated of the prominent Oregon quarterbacks. He was a four-year starter and three-year captain of the Ducks. He closed his career as the program’s all-time leading passer, while setting 15 school records. At the time of his graduation, Musgrave’s 60 touchdown passes ranked him No. 2 in Pac-10 history behind John Elway.



Honorable U.


Purdue
The Flag-Bearer – Jim Everett
The Ensemble – Drew Brees, Mike Phipps, Gary Danielson, Mark Herrmann, Scott Campbell and Kyle Orton
Boilers get burned by the 35-year cut-off. Had it been 40 years, instead, Bob Griese would have been pulled into the mix and Purdue would have slipped into the Top 10.


Stanford
The Flag-Bearer – John Elway
The Ensemble – Jim Plunkett, Steve Stenstrom, Guy Benjamin, Todd Husak, John Paye and Turk Schonert
Cardinal start well with Elway and Plunkett, but the drop-off is pretty steep after those two.


California
The Flag-Bearer – Steve Bartkowski
The Ensemble – Kyle Boller, Joe Roth, Aaron Rodgers, Rich Campbell, Gale Gilbert, Troy Taylor, Mike Pawlawski, Dave Barr and Pat Barnes
Seven Bear quarterbacks have been drafted since 1975. Had Roth not succumbed to cancer in 1977, that number would have been eight.


Washington State
The Flag-Bearer – Drew Bledsoe
The Ensemble – Ryan Leaf, Mark Rypien, Jason Gesser, Jack Thompson and Timm Rosenbach
Some very talented quarterbacks have come out of the Palouse, but Cougars suffer from Leaf, Thompson and Rosenbach all being first-round flops.


Oklahoma
The Flag-Bearer – Jamelle Holieway
The Ensemble – Josh Heupel, Jason White, J.C. Watts, Jack Mildren, Charles Thompson, Thomas Lott, Cale Gundy and Nate Hybl
No offense was more fun to watch than the ‘bone, but when was the last time a Sooner quarterback threw a touchdown pass in the pros? Better yet, has a Sooner quarterback ever thrown a touchdown pass in the pros?

[Atlas]

Originally Posted by Breck Bronc

CU's best quarterbacks since 1970:

1. Darian Hagan
2. Kordell Stewart
3. John Hessler
4. Koy Detmer
5. David Williams

CU didn't have a 1st team all-Big 8 QB until Hagan in 1989. Hagan and Stewart are head and shoulders above the rest of the list.

It's a shame what happened to Hessler. His recovery from the accident has been great. Hit-and-run drivers should be shot.

You think Hagen was better than Stewart

[RhymesayersDU]

Originally Posted by Atlas

Florida State's five greatest quarterbacks
1) Charlie Ward - The perfect college quarterback, he was a great player on and off the field winning the Heisman and getting Bobby Bowden his elusive national title.
2) Chris Weinke - Had he not gotten hurt in 1998 he would have been been the starter in three national title games. He never got his just due as one of the all-time greats because of his age.
3) Thad Busby - Completely forgotten about by most college football fans, Busby threw for 3,317 yards and 25 touchdowns. He was two losses to Florida away from being unbeaten and winning two national titles.
4) Danny McManus - He was the leader at the beginning of the epic FSU run of top four finishes. If the Noles hadn't screwed up on special teams against Miami, McManus would have been the quarterback of the 1987 national champions.
5) Danny Kanell - His 57 career touchdown passes weren't bad. He'll always be remembered as the quarterback in the classic loss to Virginia and the one who engineered the comeback in the 31-31 tie against Florida in 1996.

@ Danny Kanell being on ANY "Best" list.

[Breck Bronc]

Originally Posted by Atlas

You think Hagen was better than Stewart

Not as a passer, but I'll take his overall career at CU over Stewart. He beat Nebraska twice, led them to two national championship games and one MNC (with help from Charles S. Johnson in the 1991 Orange Bowl Classic). If Kordell played better against Nebraska I'd rank him number 1, plus he'd probably have the 1994 national championship if he did beat Nebraska.

Hagan combined for 54 touchdowns, Stewart 48. Hagan had only 6 less touchdown passes than Kordell and threw the ball much fewer times.

Anyway, as I said, those two are head and shoulders above the rest of CU's quarterbacks since 1970.

[FADERPROOF]

Originally Posted by Breck Bronc

Atlas, what publication is this from? I highly doubt it's from collegefootballnews.com; that place wouldn't rank Miami first in a list of college football teams named Hurricanes.

Everybody knows that the Tulsa Golden Hurricanes ranks first

Seriously, how does a team from Oklahoma get a damn Hurricane nickname? Did they forget for a minute that what natural disaster they get are called Tornadoes instead of Hurricanes or soemthing?

[Florida_Bronco]

Originally Posted by Evenrude

Amen. Brook was all class on the field and off. Denver was one of the teams looking at drafting him too....... what a shame.

Not only was Denver interested in drafting him, but Gary Kubiak was the one who got him on track to be a QB. When Brook was young, he attended a football clinic of some sort that the Broncos held, and that's when he got into the QB thing. You are absolutely correct too when you say he was all class on and off field. That boy had one of the most caring hearts imaginable.

Have you read the book about him, called One Final Pass. It's a great book and I highly recommend it. I also have the song that Sawyer Brown wrote about him after he died.

Man, I still get sad when I think about Brook

[Breck Bronc]

Originally Posted by FADERPROOF

Everybody knows that the Tulsa Golden Hurricanes ranks first

Seriously, how does a team from Oklahoma get a damn Hurricane nickname? Did they forget for a minute that what natural disaster they get are called Tornadoes instead of Hurricanes or soemthing?

I guess it's better than the Golden Showers.

The history of the Golden Hurricane nickname is pretty flimsy, IMO. I've never been to Tulsa, maybe there's nothing historic or significant to name a team after.

Why they're called the Golden Hurricane

[FADERPROOF]

Originally Posted by Breck Bronc

I guess it's better than the Golden Showers.

The history of the Golden Hurricane nickname is pretty flimsy, IMO. I've never been to Tulsa, maybe there's nothing historic or significant to name a team after.

Why they're called the Golden Hurricane

Tulsa also has the ugliest jerseys in college football next to the Oregon Ducks, I hate that team just for that.