ESPN's Bill Connelly ranked the top 100 quarterbacks of the 2000s - among those finds two former beloved Cowboys
ESPN’s comprehensive ranking of the top 100 college football quarterbacks of the 2000s sees two Oklahoma State Cowboys signal-callers make the cut: Brandon Weeden at No. 80 and Mason Rudolph at No. 65.
The list, which evaluates players solely on their 2000s performances and only includes those with completed careers, highlights the explosive eras of Big 12 offenses.
Weeden and Rudolph embody the high-powered passing attacks that defined Oklahoma State under coach Mike Gundy, but their placements could be debated amid a sea of other Big 12 quarterbacks who made the list.
Drawing from the article’s details, let’s break down their collegiate legacies, NFL trajectories, and how they stack up.
Starting with Weeden, ranked 80th, ESPN notes, “He was drafted by the New York Yankees in 2003, showed up in Stillwater at age 23 and waited three years to win the starting job. But when he did, he made up for lost time, eventually leading the Cowboys to the brink of the national title game.”
His stats from 2008-11 are those of a late blooming career. 9,260 passing yards, a 70% completion rate, 75 touchdowns, 27 interceptions, and just one rushing touchdown.
Weeden’s arm talent shone in 2011, when he threw for 4,727 yards and 37 TDs, guiding OSU to an 11-1 regular season and a Fiesta Bowl win over Stanford.
His maturity as an older player (he turned 28 during his senior year) helped stabilize an offense that averaged over 48 points per game that season.
Weeden’s NFL career, however, was a mixed bag.
Selected 22nd overall by the Cleveland Browns in the 2012 draft, the oldest first-round QB ever at 28, he started as a rookie but struggled, going 5-15 over two seasons with the Browns.
He bounced around as a backup for the Dallas Cowboys (2014-15), Houston Texans (2015-16 and 2018), and Tennessee Titans (2017), compiling a career 6-19 record as a starter, 6,462 passing yards, 31 TDs, and 30 INTs across 35 games.
Injuries and inconsistencies marked his pro tenure, leading to retirement in 2019 without recapturing any of his college magic.
Higher on the list at No. 65 is Rudolph, whom ESPN praises.
“Few quarterbacks have ever thrown a prettier deep ball. The Cowboys won 10 games and finished in the AP top 20 in all three of Rudolph’s seasons as a starter. They’ve averaged eight wins since he left.”
From 2014-17, he amassed 13,618 passing yards, a 63% completion rate, 92 touchdowns, 26 interceptions, and 17 rushing TDs. Rudolph’s consistency was key; he threw for over 4,000 yards in both 2016 and 2017, peaking with 4,904 yards and 37 TDs in his senior year, earning Big 12 Offensive Player of the Year honors.
Rudolph’s leadership elevated OSU to three straight 10-win seasons, including a Sugar Bowl appearance.
Rudolph’s NFL path has been that of a strong career backup. Drafted in the third round (76th overall) by the Pittsburgh Steelers in 2018, he spent six seasons there, starting sporadically (9-8-1 record) amid injuries to Ben Roethlisberger and others.
A highlight came in late 2023, when he led the Steelers to three straight wins to clinch a playoff spot, throwing for 719 yards and three TDs without an interception.
He signed with the Tennessee Titans in 2024, starting eight games (1,530 yards, nine TDs, nine INTs), before returning to Pittsburgh in 2025 for five appearances (310 yards, two TDs, two INTs).
Overall, in 34 games, he’s thrown for 4,925 yards, 30 TDs, and 22 INTs, proving reliable but not a star starter.
Relative to other Big 12 quarterbacks, Weeden and Rudolph sit in the middle-to-lower tier.
Standouts like Oklahoma’s Baker Mayfield (No. 1), Sam Bradford (No. 16), Jason White (No. 39), and Landry Jones (No. 46) dominate higher spots, reflecting OU’s championship pedigree.
Texas’ Colt McCoy ranks 12th, Baylor’s Robert Griffin III 10th, and Texas Tech’s Graham Harrell 41st, all above Rudolph.
Below them are peers like TCU’s Andy Dalton (73rd), Texas Tech’s Patrick Mahomes (66th, just behind Rudolph), TCU’s Max Duggan (71st), and Baylor’s Bryce Petty (99th).
This clustering shows the Big 12’s talent depth in quarterback talent during the spread-offense boom.
My thoughts?
Both are appropriately ranked, though Rudolph could arguably climb a few spots higher, perhaps into the 50s, given his volume stats and sustained winning compared to flashier one-year wonders like Mahomes (whose college record was very mid despite talent).
Weeden’s placement feels right and his peak was brilliant but brief, overshadowed by longer, more impactful careers (see Baker and others).
Ultimately, these rankings celebrate OSU’s contributions to the Big 12’s offensive renaissance, even if the Cowboys’ QBs didn’t reach the higher rankings.
I’m glad so many Big 12 quarterbacks made this list because it was truly a completely different world watching Big 12 potent offenses in this era.
That being said…Mestemaker and the potential for the Oklahoma State offense, under head coach Eric Morris, feels very reminiscent of the Weeden and Rudolph offenses, doesn’t it? 🤠