College football: 30 best college quarterbacks of all-time
874. . QB. Red Raiders . Graham Harrell. 6. player
30 best college football quarterbacks of all-time: 6. Graham Harrell, Texas Tech football
College stats:
- 15,793 passing yards
- 134 TDs
- 34 INTs
- 69.8 completion percentage
Graham Harrell’s production in college didn’t quite reach the level of Case Keenum but he was as close as you could get. Currently, Harrell ranks fourth all-time in passing yards with 15,793 passing yards. His 4,555 passing yards in 2006 was only an appetizer for what he was about to do in the next two years.
In 2007 and 2008, Harrell would throw for over 5,000 yards in each season, while throwing 48 and 45 touchdowns respectively. Accuracy wasn’t an issue as he completed over 70% for those seasons. Yet, whether it was a lack of talent or his failure to make the big play when it counted most, his Texas Tech teams didn’t crush the competition. In his first year as a full-time starter, they finished only 7-4. The following year, they ended their year with an 8-4 record.
Harrell would have more team success in his final year though, including a win over then, number one ranked Texas. He would win the AT&T All-America Player of the Year but would finish fourth in the Heisman voting, mostly due to, once again, his team’s lack of overall success. So while he has his name is littered all across the record books of the NCAA, including his 512 completed passes in his 2007 season, a number no one has come close to surpassing, it was ultimately his failure to win at the highest level that held him back.
With that said, few could match his individual numbers.