Clemson's Best Quarterbacks
I started watching Clemson football in 1974 and can remember all of the great players over the last forty years. In the next couple of weeks I am going to give my thoughts on the greatest Tigers at every position over that 40 year span. I think it is only fair for me to comment on the players I actually saw play. So below is my ranking for the best quarterbacks in school history.
1.
Tajh Boyd
Tajh Boyd
RS Sr. Quarterback
#10 6-1, 225
Hampton, VA
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The reason I picked Boyd to top this list despite having another season left is because he is the best all-around quarterback I have seen at Clemson. He has the toughness, the leadership, the arm, the feet, the intelligence and the intangibles. Boyd has won an ACC title and a chance for bigger and better things to finish his career. Boyd has 39 school records and should break many more this season.
He is second in school history in passing attempts and needs only 379 to break
Charlie Whitehurst
Charlie Whitehurst
Quarterback
#6 6-4, 225
Duluth, GA
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's record. Boyd is second in school history with 618 completions and needs only 199 more to break Whitehurst's mark. Boyd is second in Clemson history in passing yards and needs only 1,612 to break the record.
He shattered the touchdown passing record already. The old mark Whitehurst set was 49 but Boyd already has 73 touchdown passes. He is 23 touchdown passes away from breaking Phillip River's ACC record. He is 23 touchdowns shy of the touchdown responsibility record for the ACC.
If Boyd beats two top 25 teams this season he will break the school record of seven. If he gets 12 wins this year he will break Rodney Williams' school record of 32 wins as a starting quarterback. If Boyd helps lead the Tigers to at least ten wins he will be the first quarterback in school history to have three 10-win seasons.
Boyd could become the sixth player to win the ACC player of the year twice.
But it is more than just numbers for Boyd. This is one of the greatest leaders in school history. He is also one of the toughest quarterbacks to play the position at Clemson.
2. Steve Fuller
This is a player that could be credited for helping Clemson football reach new heights. As a junior and senior, Fuller helped lead the Tigers to back-to-back Gator Bowls and a 19-4-1 record.
Fuller combined with
Jerry Butler
Jerry Butler
Wide Receiver
# 6-0, 180
Ware Shoals, SC
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to help lead the Tigers to the ACC title in 1978. That same year he finished sixth in the Heisman voting.
He was an athletic quarterback that could beat defenses with his arm and his feet. He was masterful at the option and was terrific at reading defenses.
Fuller started 27 consecutive games at quarterback. He was selected as a third-team All-American in 1978 and All-ACC in 1977 and 1978. He was honored with the ACC Player-of-the-Year Award both years, the only Tiger to win that award twice.
He made the Academic All-ACC team three consecutive years, and in 1978, he was one of 11 scholar-athletes honored by the National Football Foundation Hall of Fame.
Fuller was just the second athlete in Clemson history to have their number retired (four). After his time at Clemson, he played 10 years in the NFL. In 1996, he was named to Clemson's Centennial football team. He was inducted into the Clemson Hall of Fame in 1985 and the Clemson Ring of Honor in 1994.
3. Woody Dantzler
Dantzler is perhaps the greatest athlete to play quarterback at Clemson. No one has made more jaw-dropping plays at the position than Dantzler.
Before he left Clemson, Dantzler held the school record for total offense with 8,798 yards, touchdown passes with 41, completions with 460 and passing yards with 6,037.
He was fifth in school history in rushing yards when he finished his career.
In 2001, Dantzler became the first player in NCAA football history to pass for more than 2,000 yards and rush for more than 1,000 in a single season.
I still say he had the greatest game I have ever seen at Clemson when he helped the Tigers to a win at NC State in 2001. Dantzler completed 23 of 27 passes for 333 yards and four touchdowns. He rushed 23 times for 184 yards and two more scores. For the day, Dantzler totaled 517 yards and six touchdowns.
4. Charlie Whitehurst
Whitehurst was a four-year starter that still holds the record for the most attempts, completions and passing yards. He had 817 completions on 1,368 attempts for 9,665 yards.
Whitehurst moved around the pocket pretty well but he was a pocket passer with an electric arm.
The future NFL quarterback will always be held in high regard with Clemson fans after he went 4-0 against South Carolina in his career.
5. Homer Jordan
All Homer Jordan did was helped lead the Tigers to a national championship.
Jordan was not the most talented quarterback in school history and the offense he played in did not showcase his skills as much as several others. However, no one won bigger games as the starting quarterback at Clemson and that has to count for something.
I only picked five but I have a lot of respect for several others that I have seen play.
Rodney Williams was one of the toughest competitors I have seen at Clemson. He is still the all-time winningest quarterback in school history with 32 wins.
Mike Eppley was a terrific athlete and probably would have fallen seventh on my list.
I appreciate all of the hard work and talent from others like Chris Morocco,
Randy Anderson
Randy Anderson
Quarterback
#1 6-5, 210
Cowpens, SC
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, DeChane Cameron, Billy Lott, Dexter McCleon, Patrick Sapp, Louis Soloman, Willie Simmons, Will Proctor, Brandon Streeter,
Kyle Parker
Kyle Parker
Quarterback
#11 6-1, 200
Jacksonville, FL
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, Nealon Greene and Cullen Harper. Each had a unique quality worthy of admiration.
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Brandon Thompson
Defensive Tackle
#98 6-2, 310
Thomasville, GA
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