Over the last century, there have been several unforgettable quarterbacks who had spectacular collegiate careers.
While some of college football’s top signal callers had a single-season explosion, others competed at a high level for a five-year career. ESPN recently ranked the top 60 quarterbacks of the 2000s (link requires paid subscription) and two former Longhorns appeared on the list.
It’s no surprise that Colt McCoy and Vince Young were two of the best players to ever grace the Forty Acres and should certainly be included on a list of this nature.
However, they may not be as high as you’d expect.
ESPN staff writer Bill Connelly listed McCoy at No. 12 overall. It’s quite fitting considering that was his jersey number, but you could make a solid case that he deserves to be higher on the list.
McCoy finished his collegiate career at Texas with 13,253 passing yards, 70% completion rate, 112 touchdowns, 45 interceptions, 1,571 rushing yards and 20 rushing touchdowns.
McCoy’s 76.7% completion rate in 2008 stood as FBS’ highest ever for 12 years until Mac Jones narrowly topped it last year. He finished in the Heisman top three twice (2008, 2009), and his legacy was on the verge of perfect completion until he left 2009’s BCS Championship with injury on the Horn’s first possession. Forty-five career wins and one giant what-if.”
Young landed No. 3 overall on the list. There’s a solid argument to be made that the former Texas star is one of the best collegiate quarterbacks to ever play the game, especially if they’re taking into consideration single-season performances.
He finished his collegiate career with 6,040 passing yards, 62% completion rate, 44 touchdowns, 28 interceptions, 3,127 rushing yards and 37 rushing touchdowns.
Maybe the single most amazing thing about Young’s career: halfway through, it was a disappointment. He was a terrifying runner from the get-go, but his passing wasn’t coming along, and he was briefly benched midway through 2004.
Then he flipped the switch. UT averaged 38 points per game and rolled to a Rose Bowl win to finish 2004, then fielded one of the best teams of our lifetime in 2005, going 13-0 while Young threw for 3,036 yards and rushed for 1,050. The last eight of those rushing yards gave the Horns a last-second win over Matt Leinart and USC in the greatest national title game ever played.
Cam Newton and Baker Mayfield were the only two signal callers listed ahead of Young on this particular list. Trevor Lawrence, Robert Griffin III, Marcus Mariota, Lamar Jackson, Kyler Murray, Deshaun Watson, Joe Burrow and Tim Tebow were listed ahead of McCoy.
Although each player that was mentioned among the top 60 quarterbacks of the last century is certainly deserving in their own right, it’s a tough pill to swallow for Texas fans to see that Baker Mayfield sits atop the rankings.