The LSU Tigers took the college football scene by storm in 2019. Led by Joe Burrow, a former Ohio State transfer, the Tigers went 15-0 and won the National Championship against Clemson. Burrow cemented his name in LSU football history that season, but who are the other LSU QBs that have dazzled in the purple and gold?

History of LSU Quarterbacks

The Tigers have won four championships, and have two Heisman Trophy winners in the school's history. The second of the two was Burrow, who played for the Tigers for two seasons in 2018 and 2019.

The list of LSU quarterbacks throughout their history is diverse and intriguing. The great 70s talent of Bert Jones, as well as some of the best signal callers of the 2000s such as JaMarcus Russell and Zack Mettenberger, feature on today's list.

Active LSU Players In The NFL

According to Spotrac, the LSU Tigers had 56 players on active NFL rosters at the beginning of the 2022 NFL season. Practically the entire LSU football roster from their phenomenal 2019 season made it onto an NFL roster. Burrow leads the way, along with Justin Jefferson and Ja’Marr Chase, who formed one of the greatest college football wide receiver duos in the modern era. Clyde Edwards-Helaire was the Tigers running back at the time, while players such as Grant Delpit and Derek Stingley Jr. featured for the defense.

There are many other LSU football players who are currently playing in the NFL. Patrick Peterson wore the team's legendary No. 7, as did Leonard Fournette and DJ Chark. Wide receivers Jarvis Landry and Odell Beckham both wore the purple and gold, and while Odell is not currently active, he is likely to be scooped up before the NFL playoffs.

La’el Collins, Deion Jones, Jamal Adams, Devin White, Tyrann Mathieu and Danielle Hunter are all LSU alumni. The Tigers list of pro talent is one of the most impressive in all of college football right now.

Ranking the 10 Greatest LSU Quarterbacks of All Time

Let’s look at all the former LSU quarterbacks that have brought the most success to the Tigers program. From the 1940s all the way through to the 2020s, this list spans LSU football history.

10. Herb Tyler (1995-1998)

Hometown - New Orleans, Louisiana

In 1995, freshman Herb Tyler came in late in the season to replace the injured Jamie Howard. Tyler took over as the team's starting quarterback, a dual-threat athlete that could take off for major gains at any moment.

Tyler helped the Tigers rock the No. 1-ranked Florida Gators during the 1997 season, marking one of the greatest upsets in the schools history. He ran for two touchdowns on the night including a fourth-quarter rush that would put the Tigers out of reach.

Herb Tyler left LSU with 63 total touchdowns, 23 of coming on the ground with 40 coming through the air, which ranks him third amongst LSU quarterbacks.

9. Y.A. Tittle (1944-1947)

Hometown - Marshall, Texas

Texas native Yelberton Abraham Tittle quarterbacked the LSU Tigers for four seasons between 1944 and 1947. He is remembered most notably as a Tiger for the 1947 Cotton Bowl classic against Arkansas, also known as the ‘Ice Bowl’. The game ended in a scoreless tie, but Tittle was recognised as the MVP of the game, with a gutsy performance in a heavy snowstorm.

Tittle went on to have plenty of success in the NFL, including four Pro Bowls and a Player of the Year award in 1957. He spent the majority of his career with the San Francisco 49ers, and was the very first professional football talent to be featured on the cover of Sports Illustrated magazine.

Tittle moved on to the New York Giants at the age of 34, with many writing him off as having had his better days. He silenced all of the critics, winning various individual accolades, including leading the league in passing touchdowns in two separate seasons. Tittle led the Giants to three straight Championship games, where they would unfortunately fall short each time. He was one of the early greats of the professional football leagues, and passed away at the age of 90 back in 2017.

8. Rohan Davey (1998-2001)

Hometown - Clarendon, Jamaica

Jamaican-born quarterback Rohan Davey was a basketball and football star in high school, and chose the LSU Tigers to pursue his football career. He had just one season as the sole LSU quarterback. Prior to that he had wait patiently, having shared the position with Josh Booty throughout his first two seasons.

When Davey took over, he was electric. He became the first LSU quarterback in the school's history to pass for over 3,000 yards in a single season, including a 528-yard performance against LSU rivals Alabama.

LSU fans will remember Davey passing to wide receiver Josh Reed fondly, as they were one of the best duos the school has ever seen. Davey went on to be drafted by the New England Patriots in the 2002 NFL draft, and was a member of the team when they won two Super Bowls in the early 2000s. Davey never started a game in the NFL, but did find success in NFL Europe, winning the World Bowl with the Berlin Thunder.

7. JaMarcus Russell (2004-2006)

Hometown - Mobile, Alabama

JaMarcus Russell was one of the greatest pure-talent quarterbacks college football has ever seen. He was largely considered a five-star prospect coming out of high school, and committed to the Tigers.

After redshirting his freshman year, Russell took over as the quarterback for the Tigers and led the team to a 10-1 record. He had looked very promising, completing 60 per cent of his passes and throwing 15 touchdowns, including great performances in comeback victories over Arizona State and Alabama.

Russell had his best year in 2006, throwing an LSU record-tying 28 touchdowns during the season. He threw for over 3,000 yards that year and ended the season as the Sugar Bowl MVP with a big performance against Notre Dame resulting in a 41-14 victory.

He would go on to be the No. 1 pick in the draft, selected by the Oakland Raiders, where he would sadly disappoint and ultimately end up as one of the biggest busts in NFL history. His work ethic let him down, and he lasted just three seasons in the league.

6. Matt Mauck (2001-2003)

Hometown - Jasper, Indiana

Matt Mauck was thrown in the deep end at the start of his LSU Tigers career. Rohan Davey had gone down injured in the SEC Championship game in 2001, and Mauck had to come into the game. The Tigers were heavy underdogs against the No. 2-ranked Tennessee Volunteers, but Mauck would lead the team to a come-from-behind victory with two of his own rushing touchdowns.

He was named the starter in 2002, but after a 5-1 start was sidelined with a broken foot. He returned in 2003 to have a great season, throwing for almost 3,000 yards and 28 touchdowns, setting the passing touchdown record that JaMarcus Russell would later match.

Mauck went on to win the SEC Championship again with the Tigers in 2003, overwhelming the Georgia Bulldogs 34-13, which led to their spot in the BCS National Championship. While it wasn’t Maucks best game, the Tigers won the title, and Matt Mauck had been instrumental in getting them there.

5. Matt Flynn (2004-2007)

Hometown - Tyler, Texas

Matt Flynn backed up JaMarcus Russell for two seasons before he got his shot at the starting role for the Tigers. He had appeared multiple times in relief of Russell, but the 2007 season was the year he got his shot, and he took it.

As calm and collected as any quarterback you’re likely to see, Flynn looked comfortable all season long. He led a fourth-quarter comeback against Alabama that year, and the Tigers made it to the SEC Championship. Flynn was injured for the game, but the Tigers won, and the victory won them a spot in the BCS National Championship.

Flynn returned, threw for four touchdowns, and led the Tigers to a 38-24 victory over Ohio State. He was named the Offensive MVP of the game, and the Tigers would end the season as the No. 1-ranked team in the country, according to the AP poll.

Post Tigers career, Flynn went on to spend eight seasons in the NFL. Despite being a seventh-round selection, Flynn served as the backup for Aaron Rodgers in Green Bay for multiple years, starting two games. After a brief spell with the Seattle Seahawks and one start for the Oakland Raiders, Flynn returned to Green Bay, starting another four games. He threw 17 NFL touchdowns and 11 interceptions in eight career starts.

4. Jeff Wickersham (1982-1985)

Hometown - Merritt Island, Florida

Jeff Wickersham was a highly recruited and very talented quarterback from the state of Florida. He became the first LSU quarterback in history to throw for over 5,000 career passing yards. He was also the first to throw for over 2,000 passing yards in three separate seasons, and the first to throw for over 350 yards in a game.

While these numbers might not look too out of the ordinary these days, Wickersham was playing in the 80s. He remains third all time in LSU's passing yard record books with 6,921, fourth in the schools single-season passing yard total, and his 35 passing touchdowns ranks him sixth in that category.

Wickersham was one of the first true passing talents to play for LSU, leading the way for those who would follow in his footsteps.

3. Bert Jones (1970-1972)

Hometown - Ruston, Louisiana

Hometown kid Bert Jones wouldn’t take over as the starter for the LSU Tigers until his senior season, but he quickly became one of the most popular LSU quarterbacks of all time. He was tough, and a beautiful passer, and the fans loved him.

Jones led the LSU Tigers to a successful season, where they ranked in the top 10 in the AP Poll all year. He would lead the Tigers to a last-second win over Ole Miss that year, throwing a touchdown to running back Brad Davis as the clock expired, resulting in a 17-16 win. He was the very first quarterback in school history to be voted a consensus All-American and finished fourth in the Heisman Trophy voting that year.

Bert is a fan favorite, and went on to have a successful career in the NFL. He was drafted by the Baltimore Colts with the second pick in the 1972 NFL Draft, and would go on to be crowned the MVP of the league in 1976, where he was also named to the Pro Bowl, and as a First Team All Pro.

Bert Jones has received high praise from many throughout the game, including legendary Head Coach Bill Belichick, who labeled him as the best ‘pure passer’ he had ever seen.

2. Tommy Hodson (1986-1989)

Hometown - Mathews, Louisiana

Tommy Hodson led the LSU Tigers to two SEC Championships, including one as a freshman. He is the all-time passing yard leader for the Tigers, having thrown for 9,115 yards during his tenure as the team's quarterback. He also threw 69 career touchdowns, which is second all time, was named SEC Freshman of the Year, and was named a four-time First Team All-SEC member.

The Louisiana native is one of the greatest to ever don the LSU purple and gold. He was consistent, throwing for over 2,000 passing yards in all four seasons, and becoming the first quarterback in SEC history to surpass 8,000 yards. He started 44 regular season games for the Tigers.

Hodson went on to play in 36 NFL games, throwing seven touchdowns. He remains close to football and close to the LSU Tigers.

1. Joe Burrow (2018-2019)

Hometown - Ames, Iowa

Bert Jones and Tommy Hodson were the Mt. Rushmore of LSU quarterbacks until Ohio State transfer Joe Burrow appeared. His transfer was fairly regular - he was a quarterback out of favor who had lost the starting job and decided to look elsewhere, just as many others do.

However, the storm of success that followed took the entire college football world by surprise, and he just kept getting better. Burrow was the starter for the Tigers in 2018, leading them to a 10-3 record, throwing 16 touchdowns and five interceptions. Heading into 2019, Burrow was not ranked as one of the country's top quarterbacks, as his 2018 campaign was fairly regular.

What took place in 2019 was quite unbelievable. Joe Burrow and the LSU Tigers offense put together the perfect season. They beat four top 10-ranked opponents in Auburn, Florida, Texas and Alabama. The Tigers went 15-0, winning the National Championship over Clemson, and are considered one of the very best, if not the best college football team of all time.

The Tigers had a tough schedule, but Burrow was flawless. He threw 60 touchdowns that year, a crazy total that broke the NCAA record, as did his 202 passer rating.

He went on to win the Heisman Trophy by the largest margin ever in the history of the award, and was named the AP College Football Player of the Year. Not to mention the Maxwell Award, Walter Camp Award, Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award, Davey O’Brien Award, Manning Award and Lombardi Award.

He was drafted No. 1 overall by the Cincinnati Bengals, who he has since led to a Super Bowl appearance, despite only having been there two seasons so far, and missing time in his first year to a gruesome season-ending knee injury. This has cemented Burrow as one of the best LSU quarterbacks ever.

Joe Burrows' 2019 season at LSU could very well be the best of any player in the history of college football, so yes, he ranks No. 1 on this list, and pretty much every other list too.

Parameters for Rankings

These LSU quarterbacks have been ranked based on their achievements during their tenure with the LSU Tigers, and without consideration of their achievements as a pro or in the NFL. Individual accolades, team records and playoff wins/titles while playing for the Tigers have all been taken into consideration when ranking the best LSU quarterbacks of all time.

Related:

Bet on College Football Odds at Betway

Find season-long college football odds on the Betway sportsbook. You'll find all the latest spreads, totals, moneylines, and college football futures. Or call it how you see it with our live betting in-play. All your NCAAF betting needs are covered at our online sportsbook. Visit 

Betway’s college football picks page for picks and predictions throughout the season.