The 30 best college football quarterbacks of the 21st century

• Heisman Trophy Runner-Up (2005)
• Consensus All-American (2005)
• Manning Award (2005), Maxwell Award (2005), Davey O’Brien Award (2005)
• BCS National Champion (2005)

When you think about college football in the 21st century, it doesn’t take long before former Texas Longhorns quarterback Vince Young comes to mind. In his three years seeing the field under Mack Brown, Young did nothing but rise to the occasion and leave his mark both on the program and the sport as a whole, in addition to putting up some phenomenal numbers.

Of course, Young’s redshirt freshman season was less than stellar in comparison to the rest of his career. He and Chance Mock split time for much of the 2003 season with the Longhorns and Young was primarily just a runner. His passing numbers were pedestrian with 1,155 yards, six touchdowns and seven interceptions but his rushing numbers wowed with 998 yards and 11 touchdowns on 135 carries.

After going 10-3 the previous season, Young took the sole starting job the following year and led the Longhorns to an 11-1 campaign, including a Rose Bowl win over Michigan. In that season, Young was again just okay as a passer with 1,849 yards, 12 touchdowns and 11 picks but again showed tremendous prowess as a runner with 1,079 yards and 14 touchdowns rushing.

Young’s redshirt junior and final season, though, were his best. Not only did he lead Texas to a 13-0 mark and a National Championship but he finished second in the Heisman voting (an award now vacated by then-winner Reggie Bush). Young was incredible as he threw for 3,036 yards, 26 touchdowns and 10 interceptions while rushing for 1,050 yards and 12 touchdowns.

Even without a Heisman to his credit, Young established himself as a dominant dual-threat quarterback and, quite frankly, an unforgettable figure in college football lore throughout his time at Texas.