The state of Mississippi has an illustrious football history, and its football future looks just as bright now that the state’s top collegiate — Dak Prescott — has officially announced he’ll be returning for his senior season at Mississippi State in 2015.

This got us thinking: Who are the best quarterbacks in Magnolia State history? The No. 1 answer is obvious, but there are more names to consider than you’d think.

Here’s our list:

1. Archie Manning (Ole Miss): You’d be hard-pressed to find any Mississippian that wouldn’t agree Manning is the greatest quarterback in the state’s history. Although Ole Miss did not have much talent to surround him during his three years as the starter from 1968-1970, he still managed to lead the Rebels to a 22-10-1 record in that time. He threw for 436 yards and three touchdowns and ran for 104 yards in the first primetime nationally televised college football game, and the streets of Oxford all maintain a speed limit of 18 — Manning’s jersey number at Ole Miss.

2. Steve McNair (Alcorn State): McNair is best remembered for leading the Tennessee Titans to an appearance in Super Bowl XXXIV and for winning an NFL MVP award in 2003, but some of his best football was played at little-known Alcorn State. In 1994, McNair threw for more than 4,800 yards, ran for more than 900 and threw for 44 touchdowns. He set an NCAA record for total offense in a single season and actually finished third in that year’s Heisman voting.

3. Eli Manning (Ole Miss): Archie’s youngest son, Eli followed in his dad’s footsteps and quarterbacked Ole Miss to its last 10-win season in 2003 before becoming the first overall pick in the 2004 NFL Draft. Manning set a number of school records during his college career, and lived up to the legacy the Manning family had established in Oxford.

4. Charlie Conerly (Ole Miss): Conerly is among the greatest college football players in Mississippi history, returning from fighting in World War II to lead Ole Miss to an SEC championship in 1947. He led the nation in completions that season and amassed 27 passing and rushing touchdowns. The Conerly Trophy, named in his honor, is awarded each year to the best college football player in the state of Mississippi.

5. Brett Favre (Southern Miss): Favre’s gun-slinging days date all the way back to his four-year career at Southern Miss from 1987-1990, where he threw 52 touchdowns but also 34 interceptions. He went on to break Dan Marino’s NFL career passing touchdowns record (Peyton Manning has since passed Favre’s mark) and won a Super Bowl and a league MVP during his career.

6. Reggie Collier (Southern Miss): Collier quarterbacked Southern Miss in the early 1980s, and in 1981 became the first quarterback in NCAA history to throw and run for at least 1,000 yards in the same season. In three years as a starter he threw for 16 touchdowns and ran for 26, and he actually led all of college football with 12 rushing touchdowns in that magical 1981 season.

7. Dak Prescott (Mississippi State): Prescott just completed the greatest single season by a quarterback in Mississippi State history, throwing for more than 3,000 yards, rushing for more than 900 and amassing 41 total touchdowns. He led Mississippi State to a 10-win season in arguably the toughest edition of the SEC West since the conference split into two divisions, and he is MSU’s highest-finishing Heisman contender ever (8th).

8. Jimmy Lear (Ole Miss): Lear quarterbacked Ole Miss in the early 1950s, and is remembered as the heroic figure in then-No. 11 Ole Miss’ comeback win over No. 3 Maryland in 1952. Many consider that win to be a turning point for the Ole Miss program, leading to its success throughout the ’50s all the way up to an undefeated season in 1962. He went on to be selected in the 1953 NFL Draft, and sadly passed away on Monday evening at the age of 82.

9. Austin Davis (Southern Miss): In 2008, Davis was named the first freshman quarterback to start for Southern Miss in 17 years, but it was obvious he deserved the job. He began his career with five straight 200-yard performances, and ended the year with more than 3,000 yards passing and 23 touchdowns. After injuries cut his 2009 season short, he threw for 3,000 yards again in 2010 and went on to break Favre’s yardage record as a senior in 2011.

10. Don Smith (Mississippi State): Smith was Mississippi State’s last first-team All-SEC quarterback before Prescott, and in 1985 he was one of the best statistical signal callers in the conference. He led the SEC in total yards and total touchdowns, and ranked in the top 3 in the conference in pass attempts, completions and passing touchdowns. The Bulldogs finished the 1995 season in last place in the SEC with a 5-6 record, but Smith’s brilliance still led him to a three-year career in the NFL.