Mizzou has had some great quarterbacks come through the program over the years, leading to spurts of team greatness. Gary Pinkel took the Tigers to some of the highest points in Mizzou football history, but current coach Eli Drinkwitz has built momentum with back-to-back 10-win seasons.
The bulk of Mizzou’s great QB play has come since the turn of the century, though. The Tigers have churned out quality college QBs since 2000, and that’s the timeframe all 4 of our Mizzou QB Mount Rushmore selections come from.
Monday is Mizzou Takeover Day on the SEC Network, so we thought it’d be a great time to take a look at some of the greatest Tiger QBs of all-time.
Here’s a look back at all the QB Mount Rushmore pieces we’ve done so far as we inch closer and closer to the start of SEC Media Days on Monday, July 14:
Alabama Arkansas Auburn Florida Georgia Kentucky LSU Ole Miss Mississippi StateHere are our picks for Mizzou’s Mount Rushmore of QBs:
Chase Daniel (2005-08)
Daniel is the easiest choice for this list. He’s the Tigers’ all-time leader in career touchdown passes (101) and pass yards (12,515). He led the way for some of the most-memorable Mizzou teams ever, including the 2007 season, when the Tigers went 12-2, reached No. 1 in the AP Poll, finished No. 4 in the AP Poll and blew out Arkansas in the Cotton Bowl.
Daniel’s name is still all over the Mizzou record books. His time in Columbia saw the Tigers win 37 total games. He’s a legend in CoMo and deserves the first spot on the Mizzou QB Mount Rushmore.
Brad Smith (2002-05)
Smith was an elite dual-threat QB during his time in Columbia. He was the first player in FBS history to throw for 8,000+ yards and run for 4,000+ yards in his career. He was also the first player in FBS history to have 2 or more seasons with 2,000+ passing yards and 2 or more seasons with 1,000+ rushing yards in a career.
He helped dig the Mizzou program out of a run, leading the Tigers to their first bowl win in 7 years during the 2005 season. He helped coach Gary Pinkel set the stage for what would be an elite stretch under Chase Daniel, who took over the QB1 position after Smith was drafted into the NFL.
Smith was one of the most-exciting players to watch in Mizzou history, showcasing an elite athleticism that not many have been able to match at the QB position over the years in college football.
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Drew Lock (2015-18)
I personally loved watching Lock play more than any other Mizzou QB other than Daniel. Lock brought a gunslinger’s mentality to the position and threw the ball a ton during his time as the Tigers’ QB1.
Lock was also a study in development and perseverance. He was… not good… as a freshman in 2015, getting thrust into a less-than-ideal situation before he was ready to be a starter. But by 2017, he’d become much, much better. His 44 TD passes that year led the FBS ranks and his 3,964 pass yards were tops in the SEC.
Lock’s Tigers also improved alongside their QB. After going 5-7 in 2015 and 4-8 in 2016, Mizzou improved to 7-6 in 2017 and 8-5 in 2018. Lock is second all-time in Mizzou history with 12,193 pass yards and second with 99 passing TDs, behind only Daniel in both metrics. In SEC history, he has the third-most passing yards all time, behind Aaron Murray and Will Rogers. He’s also third all-time in SEC history in pass TDs, his 99 scores coming in behind Aaron Murray’s 121 and Danny Wuerffel’s 114.
James Franklin (2010-13)
Franklin deserves much more credit than he gets. He’s one of the most underrated players in Mizzou football history. He was a tough, hard-nosed dual-threat quarterback, overseeing the Tigers’ move from the Big 12 to the SEC.
The Tigers have finished in the top 5 of the final AP Poll only 3 times throughout their history. The first came in 1960, when a potential national title opportunity was stolen away from them when rival Kansas used an ineligible player. The second time was in the aforementioned 2007 season when Daniel led the Tigers to a 12-2 record and a Cotton Bowl win.
The third time came in 2013, when Franklin led Mizzou to an SEC East title and, like Daniel before him, a 12-2 overall record with a Cotton Bowl victory (this one against Oklahoma State).
Franklin’s steady leadership helped the Tigers prove they belonged in the SEC.
Honorable Mentions: Brady Cook, Corby Jones, Blaine Gabbert
Mizzou’s Mount Rushmore of QBs Saturday Down South.
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