Texas Tech Red Raiders Well Represented In ESPN's All-Century College Football Quarterback Ranking
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Texas Tech might not be the very first Lone Star program synonymous with college football, but it's no secret the talent that has gone in and out of Lubbock throughout the years, especially at the quarterback position.
That proved all the more evident when ESPN's Bill Connelly released his take on the top 100 college football quarterbacks and spotted three Texas Tech signal callers on the list.
Graham Harrell came in at No. 41, Patrick Mahomes was No. 66, and B.J. Symons was seen at No. 96 on the list.
Trio of Texas Tech Starting Quarterbacks Named Amongst Best of the Century
Here is a further look at the three Red Raiders that were honored on the list, starting with the highest ranked one.
No. 41 - Graham Harrell
Under the tutelage of the late Mike Leach, Graham Harrell treated the Red Raiders with his passing from the 2005 season through 2008, forming a dangerous tandem with wide receiver Michael Crabtree that saw the two connect for 3,127 yards and 41 touchdowns in their two years together during the 2007 and 2008 seasons.
Their connection helped boost Tech as high as No. 2 in the AP Poll during their peak, with Harrell's passing volume seeing him average 55 attempts and 439 yards per game in 2007, a performance just about unheard of nowadays.
Harrell finished his tenure in Lubbock with 15,793 yards, 134 touchdowns, and 12 rushing touchdowns, and would go undrafted in the 2009 NFL draft, eventually landing with the Green Bay Packers and spending three years as a backup to Aaron Rodgers, winning Super Bowl XLV with the team when they defeated the Pittsburgh Steelers 31-25 in Harrell's first season.
No. 66 - Patrick Mahomes II
The Red Raiders didn't see as much success with the future two-time NFL MVP under center during his three years at Tech, but they did see some of the best passing performances in college football history.
Who can forget the offensive game of the century between Texas Tech and Oklahoma in 2016 that saw Mahomes throw for 734 yards and five touchdowns on 88 pass attempts while also running for 85 yards and an additional pair of scores?
Despite Mahomes' performance, Oklahoma quarterback Baker Mayfield threw a 545-yard, seven-touchdown gem, which led to 66-59 Sooners win in Lubbock, with both teams combining for over 1,700 yards of offense.
Mahomes' time with the Red Raiders saw him register 11,252 passing yards, 93 touchdowns (plus 22 rushing), and a 64 percent completion rate, and was recently added to the Texas Tech Ring of Honor this past season.
As for Mahomes now in the NFL, he's currently rehabbing a torn ACL, but other than that, some would say that he's done pretty good for himself with his three Super Bowls and certified spot in the Pro Football Hall of Fame when it's all said and done for the Kansas City Chief.
And if you're already drawing comparisons to Tom Brady within your first three years of starting, that's definitely a sign that you're doing something right.
No. 96 - B.J. Symons
Also under Leach's leadership, it was no surprise that Symons' 2003 line was what it was in his lone starting season for the Red Raiders, especially with wide receiver Wes Welker at his disposal.
Completing 470 passes for 5,833 yards and 52 touchdowns, Symons led Tech to an 8-5 season that ended with a 38-14 win over the Navy Midshipmen in the Houston Bowl.
Unfortunately, Symons didn't see the same professional success the other two quarterbacks did, spending the 2004 season with the Houston Texans and then a short time with the Chicago Bears in 2006 before spending a few years in the Arena Football League before retiring from the sport in 2009.
Here are the top 10 quarterbacks on the list, many which could have been guessed right off the bat, which those in bold denoting a Heisman Trophy winner.
1) Baker Mayfield, Oklahoma Sooners
2) Cam Newton, Auburn Tigers
3) Vince Young, Texas Longhorns
4) Tim Tebow, Florida Gators
5) Joe Burrow, LSU Tigers
6) Deshaun Watson, Clemson Tigers
7) Kyler Murray, Oklahoma Sooners
8) Lamar Jackson, Louisville Cardinals
9) Marcus Mariota, Oregon Ducks
10) Robert Griffin III, Baylor Bears
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Aaron Raley is a writer covering the Texas Tech On SI. Born and raised in Northeast Texas, Aaron earned a degree from Texas A&M University in journalism, with minors in history and sports management. Aaron’s writing abilities are driven by his love and passion for various sports, both at the collegiate and professional levels, as well as his experience in playing sports, especially baseball and football.
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