While sorting every projected starting quarterback in the Mountain West in 2025 into tiers this week, I ran across this website that lists every quarterback picked in the NFL draft (the first one was in 1936). That got me thinking about which MW schools had the most quarterbacks picked in the draft. I would not have guessed the top-two answers. Here’s the list:

Quarterbacks picked in NFL draft from MW schools

10 — Utah State: Jordan Love (2020); Brent Snyder (1989); Bob Gagliano (1981); Eric Hipple (1980); Craig Bradshaw (1980); Keith Myers (1978); Tony Adams (1973); Bill Munson (1964); Jim Turner (1963); Bob Winters (1957)

10 — San Diego State: Ryan Lindley (2012); Kevin O’Connell (2008); Dan McGwire (1991); Todd Santos (1988); Matt Kofler (1982); Craig Penrose (1976); Jesse Freitas (1974); Brian Sipe (1972); Dennis Shaw (1970); Don Horn (1967)

8 — Fresno State: Jake Haener (2023); Derek Carr (2014); Tom Brandstater (2009); David Carr (2002); Trent Dilfer (1994); Mark Barsotti (1992); Kevin Sweeney (1987); John Anabo (1962)

8 — Colorado State: Garrett Grayson (2015); Bradlee Van Pelt (2004); Moses Moreno (1998); Kelly Stouffer (1987); Terry Nugent (1984); Mark Driscoll (1976); John Graham (1975); Gary Glick (1956)

6 — San Jose State: David Fales (2014); Mike Perez (1988); Ed Luther (1980); Steve DeBerg (1977); Danny Holman (1968); Mike Jones (1961)

5 — Nevada: Colin Kaepernick (2011); Jeff Rowe (2007); John Dutton (1998); Stan Heath (1948 and 1949); Bill Mackrides (1947)

5 — New Mexico: Stoney Case (1995); Buddy Funck (1985); Brad Wright (1981); Steve Myer (1976); Ben Monroe (1967)

4 — Wyoming: Josh Allen (2018); Casey Bramlet (2004); Rick Egloff (1967); Jim Waldon (1960)

3 — Hawaii: Cole McDonald (2020); Colt Brennan (2008); Larry Arnold (1970)

2 — Boise State: Jim McMillan (1975); Eric Guthrie (1972)

2 — UNLV: Randall Cunningham (1985); Glenn Carano (1977)

0 — Air Force

That’s 63 quarterbacks from current MW schools selected in the NFL draft. Of course, not every quarterback is built equally. Of those 63, only 12 have started at least 30 games, or what I’d call multi-year starters in the NFL. Here’s the list of those quarterbacks sorted by their number of starts in the NFL. That list doesn’t include undrafted players such as San Jose State’s Jeff Garcia, who started 116 games in the NFL.

Most NFL starts by QBs from MW schools

1. Derek Carr (Fresno State, 169)

2. Steve DeBerg (SJSU, 140)

3. Randall Cunningham (UNLV, 135)

4. Trent Dilfer (Fresno State, 113)

5. Brian Sipe (SDSU, 112)

6. Josh Allen (Wyoming, 110)

7. David Carr (Fresno State, 79)

8. Bill Munson (Utah State, 66)

9. Colin Kaepernick (Nevada, 58)

10. Eric Hipple (Utah State, 57)

11. Dennis Shaw (SDSU, 37)

12. Jordan Love (Utah State, 33)

The recently retired Carr tops the list, although he should eventually be caught by Allen, who has started 110 straight regular-season games, tops in the NFL among active quarterbacks. He’s roughly 3.5 years shy of passing Carr. Given the two lists above, we’d have to call Fresno State the top MW school at producing NFL quarterbacks with eight players drafted from the position and three starting at least 75 games in the league. But Utah State and San Diego State leading the MW with 10 quarterbacks drafted each is not something I would have guessed, and the Aggies have three quarterbacks with at least 30 starts in the NFL.