Two Cowboys Among ESPN's Top College Quarterbacks Since 2000

Oklahoma State has been blessed with some of the most talented arms in recent college football history.

When Mike Gundy arrived as head coach for the Cowboys, the program hadn’t seen much success. In his tenure, the Cowboys have had more 10-win seasons than they had before he was hired. With so much success over his first two decades as coach, that means he has also had the pleasure of coaching some of the best players in the country in that span.

On Friday, ESPN released an article ranking the top 90 quarterbacks of the 2000s. Unsurprisingly, there were a couple of OSU representatives on the list. 

The top-ranked Cowboy was Mason Rudolph, who came in at No. 63, one spot ahead of Patrick Mahomes. Rudolph was the starting quarterback for three 10-win seasons in Stillwater and formed a dynamic duo with favorite target James Washington.

Rudolph finished his career with 13,618 passing yards and 92 touchdowns. That included an FBS-leading 4,904 yards in his senior year in 2017.

Rudolph’s career is one that seems untouchable as far as OSU quarterbacks go. He still holds OSU’s career records for passing yards, touchdowns, completions, attempts, yards per attempt, yards per game and more. To say Rudolph’s career was elite would be an understatement. His inclusion on the list is warranted, but perhaps the No. 63 spot shows how underrated he was and still is.

Meanwhile, OSU’s other selection on the list came in at No. 78. Brandon Weeden was a star in Stillwater for two of the best seasons in team history, including the 2011 season, which is widely considered the best OSU team ever.

While some quarterbacks simply get to say they were on one of the best teams in the country, Weeden was a vital part of the Cowboys’ success, forming a superstar duo with wide receiver Justin Blackmon. In 2011, Weeden completed 409 passes for 4,727 yards and 37 touchdowns to lead OSU’s explosive air attack.

Weeden still owns the school record for completion percentage and owned numerous school records upon his departure, including passing yards, passing touchdowns and various other marks before most were broken by Rudolph.