Putting together LSU‘s Mount Rushmore of QBs was no easy task. The Tigers have had so many great quarterbacks over the years that it’s difficult to narrow them down to just 4.
The greatness spans almost every era, too. There have been Heisman Trophy winners, No. 1 overall NFL Draft picks and national champions throughout LSU football history.
But we sifted through all the data and made our picks for LSU’s top foursome, coinciding with LSU Takeover Day on the SEC Network on July 4.
As you celebrate the Fourth of July with friends and family, here’s a look back at the other QB Mount Rushmores we’ve done thus far:
Now let’s break down LSU’s Mount Rushmore of QBs, shall we?
Joe Burrow (2018-19)
This was the easiest selection the list. Burrow’s 2019 season was perhaps the best individual season performance in college football history. He threw for 5,761 yards and 60 touchdowns. He completed 76.3% of his passes. He averaged 12.53 adjusted yards per pass attempt. He posted a 202.0 passing efficiency rating. Every number I just mentioned there led the FBS ranks.
He won the Heisman Trophy and led LSU to an undefeated national title season, garnering 841 of a possible 891 first-place Heisman votes. He went on to be the No. 1 overall NFL Draft pick in the 2020 draft, going to the Cincinnati Bengals.
Like Cam Newton at Auburn, Burrow’s single-season performance warrant his inclusion on the list. Unlike Newton at Auburn, Burrow was actually at LSU for 2 seasons, posting pretty decent numbers in 2018 as well. Joe “Burreaux” is always going to have his place in LSU lore.
Jayden Daniels (2022-23)
Jayden Daniels was another transfer. Burrow came from Ohio State and Daniels came over from Arizona State. Both stories ended up in the same place — New York City for the Heisman ceremony. Like Burrow before him, Daniels won college football’s greatest award.
Unlike Burrow, Daniels didn’t win a national championship or go on to be the No. 1 overall pick (he’ll have to settle for being the No. 2 pick in the 2024 NFL Draft). That doesn’t take away from how impressive his 2023 campaign was, though.
Daniels’ 2023 numbers would have been historic if not for the season Burrow put together in 2019. He threw for 3,812 yards and 40 touchdowns, along with only 4 interceptions. He completed 72.2% of his passes. He ran for 1,134 yards and 10 scores, making it a 50-touchdown season for him.
His dual-threat ability made preparing for him a nightmare for defensive coordinators, something that continued in 2024 as a rookie with the Washington Commanders.
Y.A. Tittle (1944-47)
Yelberton Abraham Tittle Jr. was one of the first great passing QBs in college football. He left LSU with the career passing yards record (2,517) and passing TDs record (21). He played in the iconic “Ice Bowl” game at the Cotton Bowl in 1946. LSU was 9-1 entering the game, but due to icy conditions, the game ended in a 0-0 tie.
It took until the 1970s when Bert Jones came onto the scene in Baton Rouge for Tittle’s records to be broken. Tittle was truly ahead of his time as a quarterback and that warrants a mention on LSU’s QB Mount Rushmore.
Tommy Hodson (1986-89)
Hodson received All-SEC honors (from at least 1 outlet) in each of his 4 seasons in Baton Rouge. That’s an incredible accomplishment. Even more impressive? Hodson’s 9,115 passing yards are still a career record for LSU.
Some of his other records have been passed (Joe Burrow threw for 76 touchdowns in 2 seasons while Hodson only had 69 TD passes in 4 seasons), but the passing yards number remains the best.
He was the first SEC QB to throw for more than 8,000 yards in his career. He also led LSU to 2 SEC championships, winning the conference titles in 1986 and 1988. Hodson led the Tigers to 31 wins over 4 years, including a 10-1-1 record in 1987.
There’s a good chance Garrett Nussmeier breaks Hodson’s career passing yards mark in 2025, but the fact that it will have stood for more than 35 years is impressive in this era of pass-happy offenses.
Honorable Mentions: Matt Flynn, Rohan Davey, JaMarcus Russell, Bert Jones
Adam is a daily fantasy sports (DFS) and sports betting expert. A 2012 graduate of the University of Missouri, Adam now covers all 16 SEC football teams. He is the director of DFS, evergreen and newsletter content across all Saturday Football brands.
