Ranking the Top 10 Greatest College Football Quarterbacks of the 2010s

The 2010s produced some of college football’s greatest legends. As the format shifted from BCS to the initial four-team CFP, the stars shone brighter across the nation. 

From the early 2010s, when teams like Auburn and Stanford were led by dominant quarterback play, to the late 2010s, where we saw Clemson and LSU overtake the college football landscape behind their stars, there really is no wrong way to rank these players.

These ten quarterbacks left their mark on the game and will forever go down as legends within both their school and college football history. While not all won the Heisman Trophy, most did, and those that did not did have seasons that would have won it in less competitive years.

10.) Robert Griffin III, Baylor

The 2011 Heisman Trophy winner excelled in his senior season at Baylor. Robert Griffin III threw for 4,293 yards, 37 touchdowns, and six interceptions while rushing for 699 yards and 10 touchdowns. Griffin led the Bears to an Alamo Bowl win and a 10-3 record while winning the Heisman and being selected second overall in the NFL Draft.

#CFB returns in 10 days

Robert Griffin III - Baylor pic.twitter.com/BkYVA7Qd1i

— NCAAF Nation (@NCAAFNation247) August 16, 2023

9.) Jameis Winston, Florida State

Before he tore up the NFL with the famed 30-30 season, Jameis Winston was one of the best quarterbacks in Florida State history. Winston won both the Heisman and the National Championship as a freshman. While he regressed as a sophomore with 18 interceptions and a first-round playoff exit against Oregon, Winston’s freshman season was one of the best in college football history.

8.) Deshaun Watson, Clemson

We can all make fun of the Browns for the historic blunder in trading for Deshaun Watson, but prior to his arrival in Cleveland, he was one of the best quarterbacks to step foot on a college campus in the 2010s. Watson became a starter as a true freshman, made the National Championship as a sophomore, and won the National Championship as a junior. Watson never won the Heisman but was a finalist as both a sophomore and a junior.

7.) Lamar Jackson, Louisville

Lamar Jackson became a starter at Louisville as a true freshman. He then won the Heisman as a sophomore, with a 63-20 beatdown against second-ranked Florida State helping pave the path. Jackson fell short of the Heisman as a junior, finishing third in the voting, but he stands as the greatest quarterback in Louisville history.

6.) Johnny Manziel, Texas A&M

“Money Manziel” took the world by storm in the 2012 season as a redshirt freshman, taking over the starting job after Ryan Tannehill left Texas A&M for the NFL. Manziel tore up college football and became the first ever freshman winner of the Heisman Trophy. Controversy surrounded his sophomore season, but he still managed to throw for 4,114 yards and 37 touchdowns while finishing fifth in Heisman voting.

Johnny Manziel was unstoppable at Texas A&M🔥🔥 pic.twitter.com/siI23kqvRW

— Ryan (@Ryanmcc_9) February 9, 2019

5.) Baker Mayfield, Oklahoma

Before his rollercoaster of an NFL career, Baker Mayfield’s hardnosed playing style took over the college fields by storm. From being the first-ever walk-on true freshman quarterback to start an FBS game in 2013 at Texas Tech to winning the Heisman Trophy in 2017 after finishing as a finalist in 2015 and 2016, Mayfield threw for 14,607 yards and 131 touchdowns in his collegiate career.

4.) Trevor Lawrence, Clemson

After joining Clemson as a five-star recruit, it took just four games for Trevor Lawrence to win the starting quarterback job. Lawrence won the National Championship as a true freshman, beating Nick Saban’s Alabama team 44-16.

The first loss of his career came in the National Championship the following season against Joe Burrow’s famed LSU team. He fell to Ohio State in the playoffs the following season, finishing his college career with a 34-2 record.

3.) Cam Newton, Auburn

After facing academic issues at Florida, Cam Newton wound up at Auburn for the 2010 season and the rest is history. He won the Heisman Trophy and the National Championship, threw for 2,854 yards and 30 touchdowns, and rushed for 1,473 yards and 20 touchdowns. Newton was then selected first overall in the NFL Draft by the Carolina Panthers, where he was the franchise quarterback for eight seasons.

Auburn Cam Newton was a freak pic.twitter.com/17bRsfaGSN

— Pace N Space (@PaceNSpace2) January 24, 2025

2.) Andrew Luck, Stanford

Regarded as one of the best quarterback prospects of all time, Andrew Luck was a phenom on the field at Stanford. Despite being a Heisman finalist in 2010 and 2011, Luck never won the award. After his 2010 season, he was projected as the first overall pick in the draft but elected to return to Stanford to complete his degree. He finished his collegiate career with 9,430 passing yards, 82 touchdowns, and 22 interceptions.

Tired: “Andrew Luck is a Stanford Hall of Fame QB”

Wired: “Andrew Luck is a Stanford Hall of Fame two-way player” 😏

Never forget when #12 did THIS: pic.twitter.com/EkNYqyf5bK

— Stanford Football (@StanfordFball) September 28, 2023

1.) Joe Burrow, LSU

Joe Burrow may have been a one-hit wonder as a college quarterback, but he gave us the best season we’ve ever seen at the college level. In 2019 when he won the Heisman and the National Championship, Burrow passed for a record-breaking 60 touchdowns, 5,671 yards, and completed 76% of his passes. Not only was he the greatest college quarterback of the 2010s, but of all time as well.

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