Notre Dame football: Top 10 quarterbacks in program history

8. John Huarte (1962-64)

John Huarte would throw his first passes for the Irish as a sophomore in 1962 before earning his first start as a junior in 1963. Huarte threw for a combined 283 yards and one touchdown in his first two years as an Irish quarterback, but truly came into his own as a senior. Huarte saw much success in his final year with Notre Dame, throwing for 2,062 yards, 16 scores, and 11 interceptions.

Huarte’s improvements over the course of his senior year did enough to earn him All-American and Heisman honors. Notre Dame would finish with a 9-1 record under Huarte in 1964, also finishing third in both points per game and the final AP poll. In fact, many polls held the Irish as 1964 national champions despite Alabama being dubbed the victors by the AP.

In addition to winning the Heisman in 1964, Huarte was inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame in 2005. Despite being one of many Notre Dame quarterbacks inducted into the CFHOF, Huarte remains one of only three who have played within the last 62 years (Theismann, Hornung). Huarte would proceed to be drafted by both the NFL and AFL, serving primarily as a backup.