There are many schools, and many fanbases who claim that their program is the rightful “Quarterback University.” Depending on the era that you’re talking about, a lot of different groups have a pretty good argument, too. When looking at the NFL landscape, there are a few schools that stand out apart from the rest when it comes to producing starting QBs at the professional level.
And as we continue into the future, this debate amongst college fans will rage on.
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In the new era of college football, with the transfer portal so prevalent, it’s become a bit more difficult to determine which school holds claim to a player. Take Bo Nix, for example. The former Oregon Duck started his career with the Auburn Tigers and spent more time in his home state than he did in Eugene. However, he became the QB that he is today and developed the most during his two years at Oregon. Duck fans certainly claim Nix, but there are certain Auburn fans who hold him dearly as well.
What about Jayden Daniels? Is he an Arizona State product or an LSU product? He spent more time with the Sun Devils, but won the Heisman with the Tigers.
There’s no perfect answer, which makes identifying the “QBU” a bit convoluted. At any rate, ESPN recently released their top-100 quarterbacks in college football since the turn of the century. We went through and identified which teams had the highest number of players on the list. It’s not a perfect depiction, as some guys — like Joe Burrow — get credit for playing at two schools, like Ohio State and LSU, though he really made his mark at the latter.
This may not definitely answer who the real “QBU” is, but it gives us a pretty good idea of which schools even have an argument as such.
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Honorable Mention Schools
Texas A&M Aggies: Johnny Maziel, Kyler Murray*
Texas Longhorns: Colt McCoy, Vince Young
LSU Tigers: Joe Burrow*, Jayden Daniels*
Michigan Wolverines: J.J. McCarthy, Denard Robinson
Auburn Tigers: Cam Newton, Bo Nix*
Washington Huskies: Michael Penix Jr.*, Jake Browning
Baylor Bears: Robert Griffin III, Bryce Petty
NC State Wolfpack: Russell Wilson*, Phillip Rivers
BYU Cougars: Max Hall, Zach Wilson
Louisville Cardinal: Lamar Jackson, Teddy Bridgewater
Indiana Hoosiers: Fernando Mendoza*, Kurtis Rourke*
Hawaii Rainbow Warriors: Timmy Chang, Colt Brennan
Oklahoma State Cowboys: Mason Rudolph, Brandon Weeden
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California Golden Bears: Aaron Rodgers, Fernando Mendoza*
Ole Miss Rebels: Eli Manning, Jaxson Dart*
West Virginia Mountaineers: Geno Smith, Pat White
7th Place — Five-Way Tie
September 5, 2008; Gainesville FL, USA; Florida Gators quarterback Tim Tebow (15) warms up during pre game against the Charleston Southern Buccaneers at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kim Klement-USA TODAY Sports
There was a five-way tie for the No. 7 spot on the QBU rankings list. These teams all had three quarterbacks listed inside ESPN’s Top 100 QBs of the 21st century:
Texas Tech Red Raiders
Miami Hurricanes
TCU Horned Frogs
6th Place — Oregon Ducks
January 1, 2015; Pasadena, CA, USA; Oregon Ducks quarterback Marcus Mariota (8) runs the ball against Florida State Seminoles defensive end DeMarcus Walker (44) in the 2015 Rose Bowl college football game at Rose Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-USA TODAY Sports
The Oregon Ducks come in at No. 6 on the QBU rankings list. The Ducks have a total of four QBs in ESPN’s Top-100 ranking for the 21st century, though many fans will take umbrage with the fact that Justin Herbert was not given a spot, leaving them out of a potential four-way tie for 3rd place. Here are the Oregon QBs who were mentioned:
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3rd Place — Three-Way Tie
Dec 29, 2018; Miami Gardens, FL, USA; Alabama Crimson Tide quarterback Tua Tagovailoa (13) reacts after a touchdown against the Oklahoma Sooners in the 2018 Orange Bowl college football playoff semifinal game at Hard Rock Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports
There was a three-way tie for the No. 3 spot on the QBU rankings list. These teams all had five quarterbacks listed inside ESPN’s Top 100 QBs of the 21st century:
2nd Place — Ohio State Buckeyes
Ohio State Buckeyes quarterback Justin Fields (1) throws the ball against Michigan Wolverines during the 1st quarter of their game at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor, Michigan on November 30, 2019.
The Ohio State Buckeyes come in at No. 2 on the QBU rankings list. The Buckeyes have a total of six QBs in ESPN’s Top-100 ranking for the 21st century. Here are the Ohio State QBs who were mentioned:
Dec 3, 2016; Norman, OK, USA; Oklahoma Sooners quarterback Baker Mayfield (6) throws during the game against the Oklahoma State Cowboys at Gaylord Family – Oklahoma Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports
The Oklahoma Sooners come in at No. 1 on the QBU rankings list. The Sooners have a total of eight QBs in ESPN’s Top-100 ranking for the 21st century, though some will disagree with their spot at the top, seeing as half of those passers either transferred to Oklahoma or transferred away from the Sooners and finished their careers elsewhere. Do the Sooners still have a claim to those players? That’s certainly up for debate. Either way, here are the Oklahoma QBs who were mentioned:
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This article originally appeared on Ducks Wire: Where Oregon Ducks stand in ESPN’s ‘QBU’ top-100 ranking
