Stormin in Norman
Fansided

Oklahoma football: Ranking the Sooners quarterbacks since 2000

By Christopher Dukes

DALLAS, TX - OCTOBER 14: Baker Mayfield #6 of the Oklahoma Sooners wears the Golden Hat Trophy after the 29-24 win over the Texas Longhorns at Cotton Bowl on October 14, 2017 in Dallas, Texas. (Photo by Richard W. Rodriguez/Getty Images)
DALLAS, TX - OCTOBER 14: Baker Mayfield #6 of the Oklahoma Sooners wears the Golden Hat Trophy after the 29-24 win over the Texas Longhorns at Cotton Bowl on October 14, 2017 in Dallas, Texas. (Photo by Richard W. Rodriguez/Getty Images) /
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02 Dec 2000: Quarterback Josh Heupel#14  Credit: Brian Bahr/ALLSPORT
02 Dec 2000: Quarterback Josh Heupel#14  Credit: Brian Bahr/ALLSPORT /

4. Josh Heupel

The last man to win a national title at Oklahoma, Josh Heupel is the godfather to modern quarterback play in Norman.

His arrival in 1999 signified a revolution in the way offense is played not just at Oklahoma, but around the entire Big 12. Heupel lit up defenses and operated Mike Leach’s Air Raid scheme to perfection and rewrote the entire Oklahoma football record book in the process. Heupel completed 63.3 percent of his passes for 7,066 yards and 50 touchdowns during his time under center with the Sooners.

Sooner fans will tell you Heupel was ripped off when it came to the Heisman vote as he finished second to Florida State’s Chris Weinke, but the Sooners got the last laugh in that situation with a 13-2 victory over Weinke’s Seminoles in the 2000 BCS National Championship Game.

While Heupel doesn’t have the NFL caliber arm as some of the guys both above and below him on this list, his football IQ and leadership ability were as high as any of them as he has proven by going on to become a head coach at the next level.

Nearly every record Heupel set has fallen at the hands of one of his successors, but none of them managed to do the thing most Oklahoma fans consider Heupel’s most important accomplishment – win a national title for the Sooners. For that reason, he deserves a lofty spot on this list.

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