In the story of 21st century college football, great seasons often stand out. Joe Burrow, Cam Newton, Vince Young, and now Fernando Mendoza can claim impressive, dominant seasons (and all four can claim national titles). But the top passer of the century– at least according to ESPN— missed out on championships, but put up four great seasons.
The No. 1 QB of the Century
ESPN placed Oklahoma passer Baker Mayfield atop the list of 21st century quarterbacks. Mayfield, who played at Texas Tech and Oklahoma, had a surprising arc to national glory. As a high school recruit, Mayfield was ranked No. 1021 in the 2013 recruiting class by 247sports. Not only wasn’t Mayfield a five-star recruit, he may have barely been a three-star recruit. 247 notes his scholarship offers as Florida Atlantic, New Mexico, and Rice.
Mayfield’s Unusual Journey
Instead of following up on one of those offers, Mayfield walked on at Texas Tech, earned the starting job, got hurt, and transferred to Oklahoma– albeit not before he threw for 2,315 yards and 12 touchdowns in eight games in his freshman season.
After redshirting following his transfer, Mayfield took off, finishing in the top four for the Heisman Trophy in each of his last three seasons. Mayfield passed for 3,700 yards and 36 scores in 2015. He somehow improved to 3,965 yards and 40 touchdowns in 2016.
Then in 2017, Mayfield put together his best year yet, throwing for 4,627 yards and 43 scores while winning the Heisman Trophy, albeit while coming up short of the national championship game with Bob Stoops’s Sooners.
Bob Stoops teamed with Mayfield to have a successful Oklahoma run that came up shy of a national title. | Raymond Carlin III-Imagn Images
Mayfield’s career totals of 14,607 yards and 131 touchdowns place him in hallowed company. He’s now 11th all-time in passing yardage and tied for sixth in touchdown throws. “Newton, Young and Burrow had the best seasons,” writes ESPN’s Bill Connelly. “Mayfield had the best career.”
Pros and Legacy
Mayfield’s NFL career hasn’t been as successful. The top pick in the 2018 NFL Draft despite standing just 6’1″, he’s been a competent but not brilliant pro passer. So far, Mayfield has earned two Pro Bowl selections and has passed for 28,525 yards and 197 touchdowns.
But Mayfield’s college legacy remains strong. Part of an era of freewheeling Big 12 passers, he made Oklahoma relevant before it was a glint in the SEC’s eye. An underdog recruit who lit up the record book and claimed a Heisman Trophy, Mayfield earned the top spot of all 21st century passers from ESPN.
Mayfield has been immortalized in statue form outside Oklahoma’s stadium. | BRYAN TERRY/THE OKLAHOMAN / USA TODAY NETWORK