Former Heisman Winner Hailed for Best Passing Season in College Football History

In the modern era of the sport, a single season often defines a legacy. While many players find success through consistency, one specific quarterback trajectory shifted the entire landscape of what is possible in a single autumn.

Joe Burrow transformed from a quiet contributor into the most dominant force in the country while leading the LSU offense to new heights. Entering his final collegiate year, few predicted that an overlooked transfer would eventually dismantle every meaningful record in the books.

ESPN college football analyst Bill Connelly recently reflected on this historic run, ranking the Tigers' signal-caller as the fifth-best quarterback of the 2000s. Connelly noted that the 2019 performance was simply "the best passing season we've ever seen in college football."

ESPN rates Joe Burrow as one of the best college football passers of the 2000s

The 2019 campaign was defined by staggering efficiency. Finishing with 5,671 yards and 60 touchdowns, Burrow maintained a 69 percent completion rate with only 11 interceptions. This led to a perfect 15-0 record and a national title for a program that had spent years chasing a top-five finish.

The season was built on high-stakes performances that began early in the schedule. In a Week 2 victory over Texas, Burrow threw for 471 yards, signaling that something special was brewing in Baton Rouge. Later, against a formidable Florida defense, he completed all but three of his passes, proving that no secondary could slow the new LSU spread offense.

That squad was anchored by RB Clyde Edwards-Helaire and WRs Justin Jefferson, Ja'Marr Chase and Terrace Marshall Jr. The quartet combined for over 5,800 yards from scrimmage and 68 touchdowns.

Ed Orgeron and Joe Burrow hug after win against Alabama — LSU head coach Ed Orgeron hugs quarterback Joe Burrow (9) after defeating Alabama at Bryant-Denny Stadium. | Mickey Welsh / USA TODAY NETWORK

That grit carried over into a massive showdown with Alabama, where he threw for 393 yards to finally end a long losing streak against the Crimson Tide. By the time the SEC championship arrived, the Heisman race was essentially over.

Burrow dismantled Georgia with four touchdowns, prompting head coach Ed Orgeron to call him perhaps the greatest recruit in school history. The season culminated in a landslide Heisman victory where the quarterback earned a record 93.8 percent of the possible points.

Connelly closed his write-up by noting that "2019 was good enough to stand up next to Cam Newton's 2010," concluding that "there is no greater compliment than that."