Week 0 of college football is in full swing, and there’s no better time to look back at the biggest and brightest stars the game has had to offer over the years.
We could certainly rattle off great NCAA quarterbacks all day long, but which of those players has thrown the most touchdowns in FBS history?
FOX Sports Research compiled the list of young men who have done just that, etching their names in the record books.
10 QBs With The Most Career TD Passes in FBS History
Aaron Murray led the SEC with 3,893 passing yards in 2012. (Photo by Kevin C. Cox/Getty Images)
Murray was as good as any quarterback in the SEC across his four years under center at Georgia (2010-13). Leading the conference in passing touchdowns in both 2011 and 2012, Murray threw for 3,291.5 yards and 30.3 touchdowns per season over his collegiate career. What’s more, Georgia posted double-digit wins in 2011 and 2012.
T-10. Ty Detmer, BYU: 121
Ty Detmer was a two-time WAC Offensive Player of the Year Award winner. (Photo by John W. McDonough /Sports Illustrated via Getty Images)
The Cougars had a menace at quarterback from 1988-91. Over his last three collegiate seasons (1989-91), Detmer led the Western Athletic Conference in passing yards, passing touchdowns, passer rating and completion percentage. Moreover, he won the 1990 Heisman Trophy and was a finalist for the esteemed award in 1991, leading the nation in passing yards in both seasons; in 1990, Detmer threw for 5,188 yards.
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Landry Jones led the Big 12 in passing attempts in 2010 and 2012. (Photo by Jackson Laizure/Getty Images)
Jones slung the rock around. In his sophomore season (2010), Jones threw for a Big 12-high 4,718 yards and 38 touchdowns. The Sooners won double-digit games in each of Jones’ last three seasons with the program (2010-12), with him throwing for 4,161.5 and 30.8 touchdowns per season over his four-year collegiate career (2009-12).
Baker Mayfield was the No. 1 pick in the 2018 NFL Draft. (Photo by Sean M. Haffey/Getty Images)
After spending his freshman season at Texas Tech, Mayfield transferred to Oklahoma and was pound-for-pound as good as any quarterback in the nation from 2015-17 upon becoming the Sooners’ starter. The Sooners won double-digit games in each of those seasons, highlighted by an appearance in the College Football Playoff in the 2017 season. Mayfield won the 2017 Heisman Trophy, while leading the Big 12 in completion percentage three times, passer rating twice and passing touchdowns twice.
T-6. Rakeem Cato, Marshall: 131
Rakeem Cato was a two-time CUSA Offensive Player of the Year. (Photo by Justin K. Aller/Getty Images)
Cato was under center for one of the best Marshall runs in recent memory. Serving as the Thundering Herd’s primary quarterback from 2011-14, Cato led Conference USA with 4,201 passing yards, 37 passing touchdowns, a 147.1 passer rating and a 69.5% completion percentage in 2012. He helped Marshall post back-to-back double-digit-win seasons, highlighted by a 13-1 campaign in 2014. In 2014, Cato also rushed for 482 yards and eight touchdowns. Cato led the conference with passing touchdowns again in 2013 (39) and was a two-time CUSA Offensive Player of the Year.
T-6. Colt Brennan, Hawaii: 131
Colt Brennan led the WAC in passing yards in each of his three seasons as Hawaii’s starting quarterback. (Photo by Chris Graythen/Getty Images)
The WAC was Brennan’s world from 2005-07. In each of those three seasons, Brennan led the conference in passing yards, passing touchdowns, passer rating and completion percentage, helping him win WAC Offensive Player of the Year honors twice. Furthermore, Brennan led the nation in passing yards in 2005 and 2006 and helped the Rainbow Warriors post a 23-4 record from 2006-07.
Sam Hartman spent the first five seasons of his collegiate career at Wake Forest. (Photo by Thearon W. Henderson/Getty Images)
After flashing promise from 2018-20, Hartman came into his own in a big way for the Demon Deacons in 2021, throwing for 4,228 yards and 39 touchdowns and leading them to an 11-3 season. The ensuing season (2022), he led the ACC with 38 passing touchdowns. Hartman rounded out his career at Notre Dame in 2023, posting a career-best 159.5 passer rating and helping the Fighting Irish go 10-3.
T-4. Graham Harrell, Texas Tech: 134
Graham Harrell led the Big 12 in passing yards three times. (Photo by Wesley Hitt/Getty Images)
Not only did Harrell lead the Big 12 in passing yards in three consecutive seasons (2006-08), but he also led the conference in passing attempts in each of those three seasons. Harrell led the Big 12 in passing touchdowns in 2006 and 2007 and completion percentage in 2007, while leading the nation in passing yards in 2007 and 2008. In 2008, Harrell was a finalist for the Heisman Trophy and helped the Red Raiders post an 11-2 season.
Kellen Moore was a three-time Offensive Player of the Year in his conference. (Photo by Doug Pensinger/Getty Images)
Whether it was in the WAC or the Mountain West, the Broncos have been a dynasty in mountain country, and Moore was at the center of it from 2008-11. Leading both conferences (WAC from 2008-10, Mountain West in 2011) in passer rating and completion percentage in each of his four years at quarterback and passing yards and passing touchdowns three times apiece, Moore led Boise State to a 50-3 record from 2008-11. Moore finished top-10 in Heisman Trophy voting in four consecutive years and earned offensive player of the year honors three times.
Dillon Gabriel posted 3,000-plus passing yards in a single season at three different programs. (Photo by Dylan Buell/Getty Images)
Gabriel played a lot of college football — six seasons to be exact. Gabriel was a potent force at UCF from 2019-21, highlighted by leading the American Conference with 3,570 yards, 32 passing touchdowns and a 156.3 passer rating in 2020. Two years later, he transferred to Oklahoma, with whom he played for two seasons (2022-23). There, he led the Big 12 with 3,660 passing yards, 30 touchdowns and a 69.3% completion percentage in 2023. Gabriel transferred to Oregon for the 2024 season, helping the Ducks win the Big Ten in their first season in the conference, winning 2024 Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year honors and posting a 13-0 record before losing to Ohio State in the College Football Playoff. Gabriel finished third in the 2024 Heisman Trophy voting.
Case Keenum led the nation in passing yards twice. (Photo by Stephen Dunn/Getty Images)
Keenum holds two college football records: the most passing yards (19,217) and tied for the most passing touchdowns (155) in FBS history. The five-year signal-caller led CUSA in completion percentage four times, passing yards three times and passing touchdowns and passer rating twice apiece. In 2009 and 2011, Keenum’s passing yard totals led the entire sport. Keenum, who was the 2008 CUSA Offensive Player of the Year and finished in the top 10 in Heisman Trophy voting twice, led Houston to a 13-1 record in his final season on the scene (2011).
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