10 greatest college football QBs of the 21st century – NBC 5 Dallas-Fort Worth

College football has been blessed with quite the collection of star quarterbacks since the turn of the 21st century.

Not all star college signal callers replicate that level of success in the NFL, of course, but their years before they turn pro are remembered forever.

When Washington and Michigan take center stage in the upcoming national championship game, it’ll be Michael Penix Jr. versus J.J. McCarthy. Penix Jr. has the better chance to solidify himself as one of the elites, though two ACL tears hurt his overall college resume.

Still, even if Penix Jr. isn’t remembered as one of the college greats, he could add a national title to his name — along with being a Heisman finalist — as he seeks a lengthy NFL career.

But which college football quarterbacks should be remembered as one of the greats? Let’s look at 10 since the turn of the 21st century, in no particular order:

Lamar Jackson, Louisville (2015-2017)

Jackson’s viral high school clips foreshadowed what’d he bring to the table once he reached college. The Louisville Cardinal delivered elite dual-threat play en route to winning the Heisman Trophy in 2016, entering the Louisville Ring of Honor and having his No. 8 jersey retired by the program, among other accolades.

Jackson in three seasons threw for 9,043 yards on a 57% completion percentage, 69 touchdowns and 27 picks. He added 4,132 rushing yards on 655 attempts and 50 touchdowns. Defenses just couldn’t bring him down.

Current status: Starting quarterback for the Baltimore Ravens, one-time league MVP and potential 2023 winner.

Cam Newton, Auburn (2010)

Newton had a controversial exit from Florida after two seasons in 2007 and 2008. He transferred to Auburn ahead of the 2010 campaign and delivered one of the best seasons ever en route to becoming the No. 1 overall pick in the 2011 NFL Draft.

In 2010, Newton threw for 2,854 yards on a 66.1% completion percentage, 30 touchdowns and seven picks while adding 1,473 rushing yards on 264 attempts and 20 touchdowns. He led the Tigers to a win in the national championship game and won the Heisman Trophy, among a bevy of additional individual accolades.

Current status: The former MVP last played for the Carolina Panthers in 2021.

Joe Burrow, LSU (2018-2019)

Burrow was an Ohio State Buckeye from 2015 to 2017 but never got consistent playing time until he transferred to LSU in 2018. From there, it was history. He posted solid numbers in his first season as a Tiger but exploded in 2019, throwing for 5,671 yards on a 76.3% completion percentage, 60 touchdowns and just six picks. He wasn’t a running quarterback, adding just five scores on the ground.

But Burrow went on to win the national championship game, the Heisman Trophy and Lombardi Award, among several other individual accolades before being picked No. 1 overall in the 2020 NFL Draft.

Current status: The highest-paid player in NFL history with the Cincinnati Bengals.

Tim Tebow, Florida…