Dak Prescott and the 10 most underrated college football quarterbacks of all time
By Ethan Lee
No. 4: Underrated college football quarterbacks – Rakeem Cato, Marshall
From 2011-2014, Rakeem Cato proved to be a remarkable, productive quarterback for the Marshall Thundering Herd. He was so productive that he currently tied for the fourth-most touchdown passes thrown in a career (alongside Baker Mayfield and Brennan) with 131 and has the 10th most passing yards thrown in a career with 14,079.
Cato’s first season at Marshall was relatively uneventful. In 2011, he managed to throw for a meager 2,059 yards and 15 touchdowns while the Thundering Herd won just 7 games.
During Cato’s sophomore season, the young quarterback improved considerably, but his team took a step back. He would complete 69.5 percent of his passes in 2012, throwing for 4,201 yards and 37 touchdowns, but his team regressed and won five games.
In 2013, Marshall took a huge step forward and made the most of Cato’s incredibly proficient play, winning 10 games, including a win in the Military Bowl against Maryland. Cato continued to prove himself to be a reliable and effective quarterback throughout the year, throwing for 3,916 yards and 39 touchdowns.
While 2013 saw Marshall take strides forward, 2014 was even better for the Thundering Herd.
Marshall averaged 45.6 points per game (third-best in the country) and Cato was a huge reason for that success on offense. As a senior, Cato threw for 3,903 yards and a career-high 40 touchdowns as Marshall’s magnificent offense was a huge reason in the Thundering Herd going 13-1 in 2014. Along the way, Cato broke Russell Wilson’s record for consecutive games with a touchdown pass, extending it all the way to 46 straight games.
By the time his senior season had wrapped up, Cato and the Thundering Herd had claimed a conference title, won a bowl game, and finished the season ranked, a fairly rare feat for Marshall. As Cato’s career came to a close, he made his mark on the NCAA FBS record books as a passer and helped turn Marshall into a solid winner again.