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College Football: 25 Greatest Quarterbacks of the 21st century

By John Scimeca

GAINESVILLE, FL - APRIL 9: Life-size statues of the Florida Gators three Heisman trophy winners - Tim Tebow, Danny Wuerffel and Steve Spurrier - are unveiled at halftime of the Orange and Blue spring football game April 9, 2011 Ben Hill Griffin Stadium at Gainesville, Florida. (Photo by Al Messerschmidt/Getty Images)
GAINESVILLE, FL - APRIL 9: Life-size statues of the Florida Gators three Heisman trophy winners - Tim Tebow, Danny Wuerffel and Steve Spurrier - are unveiled at halftime of the Orange and Blue spring football game April 9, 2011 Ben Hill Griffin Stadium at Gainesville, Florida. (Photo by Al Messerschmidt/Getty Images) /
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AJ McCarron takes the field prior to the Sugar Bowl. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images)
AJ McCarron takes the field prior to the Sugar Bowl. (Photo by Stacy Revere/Getty Images) /

AJ McCarron is easily included on this list because of his winning pedigree as the starting quarterback for Alabama. McCarron became the seventh quarterback in history to win back-to-back national titles (the first in the BCS era).

The Mobile, Ala. native completed his collegiate career by becoming Alabama’s all-time passing yards leader, despite only playing as the starter for three seasons. McCarron finished his Crimson Tide career with 9,019 passing yards, 77 touchdowns, and 15 interceptions. Alabama compiled a 36-4 win-loss record during his time as a starter.

In McCarron’s senior season, he broke another school record of passing yards in a single season (3,063) despite the fact that the Tide lost its last two games, against Auburn in the regular-season finale and against Oklahoma in the Sugar Bowl. In the 45-31 loss to OU, McCarron threw for 387 yards, two touchdowns, and two interceptions.

McCarron received the second-most votes for the Heisman Trophy, beating out players such as Texas A&M’s Johnny Manziel, but lost out for the award to Florida State’s Jameis Winston. McCarron threw 28 touchdowns and seven interceptions during his senior season.

While the overall numbers aren’t as gaudy as some of the other quarterbacks on this list, McCarron deserves his place because of his role on the biggest stage for the winningest dynasty in college football.

In the 2012 national championship game against Notre Dame, for example, he completed 20-of-28 passes for four touchdowns and zero interceptions in an easy 42-14 romp. The previous season, he had led Alabama to a 21-0 thrashing of LSU for a national title by completing 23-of-34 passes for 234 yards.

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