The 30 best college football quarterbacks of the 21st century

• Heisman Trophy winner (2011)
• Consensus All-American (2011)
• Manning Award (2011), Davey O’Brien Award (2011)

There was no denying the athletic prowess of Robert Griffin III from the moment he arrived on campus to play for the Baylor Bears. A track star that won the 400m hurdles as a freshman, RG3 earned the starting quarterback job for the Bears as a true freshman and showed that he was a rare talent from the start.

Though Baylor went just 4-8 on the season, Griffin still showed tremendous promise. In 12 games as just a true freshman, he threw for 2,091 yards on just 267 attempts with 15 touchdowns and only three interceptions while also rushing for 843 yards and 13 touchdowns. Big things were then expected in 2009 but Griffin tore his ACL early in that season and redshirted as a result.

Returning from the injury in 2010 for his redshirt sophomore season, Griffin showed that he was back in a big way, ready to break out as a dual-threat star. Leading Baylor to a winning season (7-6 record), he threw for 3,501 yards, 22 touchdowns and eight picks along with running for 635 yards and eight touchdowns on the year.

Griffin’s redshirt junior year, however, was his shining moment. Helping the Bears to a 10-3 record, the quarterback was unstoppable as he threw for 4,293 yards, 37 touchdowns and six interceptions on the year to go with 699 rushing yards and 10 additional scores. That production and success earned him the 2011 Heisman Trophy.

Though his team’s success was isolated to that final year, Griffin’s dual-threat production was unreal. On top of that, the way he played on film is unforgettable, bringing him just outside the top 10 on this list.