The quarterback position in college football holds immense significance, and the University of Georgia has witnessed its fair share of talented signal-callers.
Recently, ESPN unveiled its ranking of the top-75 college football quarterbacks of the 2000s, presenting an opportunity to reflect on the achievements of several Georgia players who made the list.
Notably, the rankings included Stetson Bennett, Aaron Murray, and David Greene, while leaving off former No. 1 overall pick Matthew Stafford.
The order for Georgia quarterbacks is:
37. Stetson Bennett
43. Aaron Murray
69. David Greene
On Bennett, ESPN wrote:
He won the starting job in 2020 and 2021 only because others got injured, but damned if he didn’t make the most of his opportunities. In 2021-22, he produced the second-best Total QBR, completed 67% of his passes and, oh yeah, won a pair of national titles. In four career CFP games, he threw for 1,239 yards and 12 TDs. Not bad for a former walk-on.
But is No. 37 too low? I definitely think so. In my mind, and maybe I’m biased, Bennett is a top-ten quarterback. Maybe he was not as electric as a Lamar Jackson or a Burrow, but the dude won two national titles.
Regarding Murray, ESPN wrote:
Murray resurrected the Mark Richt era in Athens, leading the Dawgs to within seconds of the BCS Championship game in 2012 and not only finishing with the most passing yards in the history of the SEC, but finishing nearly 1,000 yards ahead of second-place Drew Lock and nearly 2,000 yards ahead of third-place David Greene.
Murray holds nearly all of the Georgia and SEC passing records. Throughout his four season as the Georgia starter, he led the team to a 36-18 record. But for Murray, it was all about his outstanding numbers. In his career, he had 921 completions on 1,478 attempts (62.3%) for 13,166 yards, and 121 touchdowns, all of which are Georgia records.
And lastly, ESPN had this to say of Greene:
The starter for Mark Richt’s first four years in Athens, Greene produced consistent numbers and finished his career with a then-record 42 wins, topping Peyton Manning’s record.
Greene started all four of his seasons at UGA and had a total record of 42-10 (80.77 win %) throughout his entire career. He put up amazing stats, including 849/1440 (59%), 11,528 passing yards, 72 touchdowns, and 32 interceptions.
The top-five are:
- Baker Mayfield, Oklahoma
- Cam Newton, Auburn
- Vince Young, Texas
- Tim Tebow, Florida
- Joe Burrow, LSU
