Vince Young, Colt McCoy make ESPN's list of the top quarterbacks of the 2000s
From 2003 to 2009, Texas enjoyed play at the quarterback position that few programs can claim to rival. Vince Young and Colt McCoy led the Longhorns to a national championship, two Big 12 titles, two BCS bowl wins, all while accumulating gaudy statistics that earned national award recognition.
[Get SIX MONTHS of Inside Texas Plus for only $29.99!]
Those two were ranked within Bill Connelly’s list of the top 75 quarterbacks of the 2000s, released Monday by ESPN. McCoy was ranked a fitting No. 12, while Young was ranked as the third-best signal-caller of the century so far.
Young was behind Auburn’s Cam Newton at No. 2 and Oklahoma’s Baker Mayfield at No. 1.
Maybe the single most amazing thing about Young’s career: Halfway through, it was a disappointment. He was a terrifying runner from the get-go, but his passing wasn’t coming along, and he was briefly benched midway through 2004.
Then he flipped the switch. UT averaged 38 points per game and rolled to a Rose Bowl win to finish 2004, then fielded one of the best teams of our lifetime in 2005, going 13-0 while Young threw for 3,036 yards and rushed for 1,050. The last eight of those rushing yards gave the Horns a last-second win over Matt Leinart and USC in the greatest national title game ever played.
-Bill Connelly
Young, one of the most heralded prospects in the 2000s out of Houston (Texas) Madison, totaled 6040 passing yards with a 62 percent completion rate in two-plus years as the starter. He tallied 44 touchdowns through the air while also scoring 37 on the ground, none more important than the game-winning rush in the 2006 Rose Bowl versus USC.
A true dual-threat, Young ranks seventh in Texas history in rushing yards with 3127 and is the only quarterback in the top 10 of Texas’ leaderboard. Young led Texas to back-to-back Rose Bowl wins, the program’s fourth national championship, and a Big 12 title.
Top 10
- 1
Underranked SEC
Lane Kiffin protests CFP rankings
- 2New
Saban chirped
Big 12 comes after GOAT
- 3
DJ Lagway
Fan flashes Florida QB to Pope
- 4Hot
Strength of Schedule
CFP Top 25 SOS ranking
- 5
Alabama needs a prayer
Tide can make the CFP but needs help
He won the 2005 Maxwell Award and was a consensus All-American in 2005.
McCoy’s 76.7% completion rate in 2008 stood as FBS’ highest ever for 12 years until Mac Jones narrowly topped it last year. He finished in the Heisman top three twice (2008, 2009), and his legacy was on the verge of perfect completion until he left 2009’s BCS Championship with injury on the Horns’ first possession. Forty-five career wins and one giant what-if.
-Bill Connelly
McCoy set a number of school records while tallying 45 career wins. No Longhorn has more completions, passing yards, touchdowns, or a better completion percentage than the Tuscola (Texas) Jim Ned legend. He was 1157-for-1645 in his career, good for a 70.3 percent mark. He tallied 13253 yards and 112 touchdowns over 45 interceptions. McCoy also ran for 20 touchdowns.
He led Texas to one of three Big 12 titles in program history, won one BCS bowl and appeared in the 2010 national championship game. McCoy was a two-time first-team All-American, won the Maxwell Award in 2009, and had his No. 12 jersey retired at Texas.
[Subscribe to the ON TEXAS FOOTBALL YouTube channel for daily videos from Inside Texas!]
Other Big 12 quarterbacks to make the list included Mayfield, Kyler Murray, Robert Griffin III, Sam Bradford, Jalen Hurts, Jason White, Graham Harrell, Chase Daniel, Landry Jones, Collin Klein, Eric Crouch, Mason Rudolph, Patrick Mahomes, Todd Reesing, Max Duggan, Brad Smith, Geno Smith, and Brandon Weeden.
