Quarterback is widely considered to be the most important position in all of sports, and if your team has a great one at the college level there is a chance that they carried you to a victory or two.
ESPN's Bill Connelly recently ranked the top 75 quarterbacks of the 2000s, and whether you agree with who is atop the list or not, there are a ton of legends on the list. Many of which, hailed from a Pac-12 program, with four of the top-25 quarterbacks coming from Pac-12 country.
Let's take a look at which quarterbacks from the Pac-12 made it, and where they ranked among the best signal callers of the 2000s.
61. Matt Barkley (USC)
Years Played: 2009-12
Stats: 12,327 passing yards, 64% completion rate, 116 TD, 48 INT, 6 rushing TD
At one point viewed as the perfect prospect, Barkley was able to will USC to 10 wins as a junior before returning for a final season that saw both he and the team struggle.
59. Aaron Rodgers (CAL)
Years: 2003-04
Stats: 5,469 passing yards, 64% completion rate, 43 TD, 13 INT, 8 rushing TD
Despite being one of the best pros to ever play the game, Rodgers was lightly recruited and started his career at a JUCO. Once he got to Cal, he was an instant success leading the Golden Bears to a 10 win season in 2004.
55. Joey Harrington (Oregon)
Years: 1998-01
Stats: 6,911 passing yards, 55% completion rate, 59 TD, 23 INT, 18 rushing TD
Before Harrington was the starter, the Ducks were habitually a middle of the pack team. When he took over, they went 21-3 in two years and finished 2001 No. 2.
40. Alex Smith (Utah)
Years: 2002-04
Stats: 5,203 passing yards, 66% completion rate, 47 TD, 8 INT, 1,072 rushing yards, 15 rushing TD
Alex Smith makes the list because Utah is a Pac-12 program now, but during his career they were in the Mountain West Conference. His 2004 season was electric, as he and Urban Meyer, led the Utes to an unbeaten season. He finished fourth in the Heisman race, and eventually was taken with the No. 1 overall pick.
23. Carson Palmer (USC)
Years: 1998-02
Stats: 11,818 passing yards, 59% completion rate, 72 TD, 49 INT, 9 rushing TD
After major expectations to start his college career, Carson Palmer exploded during his senior season. He started the Trojan dynasty while also winning the Heisman in 2002.
18. Andrew Luck (Stanford)
Years: 2009-11
Stats: 9,430 passing yards, 67% completion rate, 82 TD, 22 INT, 7 rushing TD
Andrew Luck led the Cardinal to 31 wins after multiple mediocre seasons by the program. His best season was when he led Stanford to a 12-1 record and an Orange Bowl victory in 2010.
17. Matt Leinart (USC)
Years: 2003-05
Stats: 10,693 passing yards, 65% completion rate, 99 TD, 23 INT, 9 rushing TD
Leinart took over for Carson Palmer and was able to build off of the foundation Palmer laid. He led USC to 37-2 over three seasons, while also winning shares of two national titles.
9. Marcus Mariota (Oregon)
Years: 2012-14
Stats: 10,796 passing yards, 67% completion rate, 105 TD, 14 INT, 2,237 rushing yards, 29 TD
Mariota took Oregon's program to new heights, and even won a Heisman along the way. If the ball was in his hands there was a general expectation that something magical was going to happen.
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