ESPN sports writer Bill Connelly ranked the top 90 college football quarterbacks in the 21st century. Three Georgia Bulldogs quarterbacks made the list, but there was one major name snubbed from the rankings (but earning honorable mention recognition).
Honorable Mention: Matthew Stafford
Stafford didn’t make the list, probably due to lack of attempts at Georgia, but through three seasons, he totaled 7,731 yards. He had 51 touchdowns and 33 interceptions, but his raw arm talent was enough for him to be No. 1 overall pick in the draft. He’s the only Georgia quarterback to be selected No. 1. He is also the most successful pro quarterback from Georgia, winning a Super Bowl and earning the most guaranteed money through 2025 of any active NFL player.
No. 76: David Greene, 2001-04
David Greene was the quarterback during Mark Richt’s first four seasons, and he led Georgia to great heights. He won 42 games as Georgia’s starter, breaking NFL legend Peyton Manning’s record when he was in college.
He also totaled eight fourth-quarter comebacks, with the most memorable one being against Tennessee in the infamous “Hobnail Boot” game. Green led the Bulldogs to a 2002 SEC championship victory as well, something he has over the next Dawg in Connelly’s rankings.
No. 48: Aaron Murray, 2010-2013
David Greene broke several records as a starter for UGA, but Murray ended up breaking many of Greene’s records during his tenure as a Bulldog. Not only did he own Georgia records, he also has the SEC record for career passing yards and touchdowns. He is almost 1,000 passing yards over second place Will Rogers.
While not winning as much as Greene at Georgia, he led the Bulldogs to back-to-back SEC championship appearances in 2011 and 2012. Unfortunately, he lost both games to LSU and Alabama respectively. Once he ran out of eligibility in Georgia in 2013, he was drafted in the fifth-round of the NFL draft by the Kansas City Chiefs. While his NFL career was short, he has had a successful career as an analyst of college football.
No. 42: Stetson Bennett, 2020-2023
Stetson Bennett was a consummate winner at Georgia, but he was also a steady quarterback at Georgia. His story is the stuff of legends. As a walk-on, Bennett had to compete for the starting job and didn’t win it until 2021. After that, he led the greatest run in Bulldogs history, quarterback the Bulldogs to back-to-back championships in 2022 and 2023.
Bennett has the second best completion percentage of all Georgia quarterbacks and his 2.27% interception percentage is the third lowest out of any Georgia quarterbacks. He’s currently on the Los Angeles Rams in the NFL with Matthew Stafford.
#Georgia #football #major #snub #top #quarterbacks #21st #century
