Rank Iowa State's top 5 QB’s from 2000-2024

AllInForISU

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Purdy, Seneca, Meyer, Arnaud, Sammy B (win/loss record aside for him).

I put Seneca above Meyer solely due to his performance and hype he got the first half of 2002, and how much he elevated the team, otherwise, I would actually put Meyer above him.

Putting a guy who won one game in the Big 12 as a starter into the conversation is quite the take.

Pretty sure the only Big 12 games ISU won where he participated were against absolute dumpster fire Kansas teams. He doesn’t deserve to be on that list even a little bit.
 
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Flynn4Heisman

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I included him for statistical reasons. According to the Iowa State website:

2015:

"Ended career second in TD passes (45), third in passing yards (6,050), third in total offense (7,072), third in completions (549) and sixth in completion percentage (57.0) in the Iowa State record book."

2014:

"Tallied one of the best statistical seasons by an ISU QB in school history … ranked third in the Big 12 and 13th nationally in completions per game at 23.1 … set the school record for completions in a season with 254 … became just the third QB in ISU history to with over 3,000 yards of total offense in a season (3,090), ranking 25th nationally in total offense … threw for 2,669 yards, completing 254-of-451 of his passes (56.3 pct.) … his 2,669 passing yards is the fourth-best single-season total in school history, ranking 34th nationally in passing yards per game (242.6) … completed 18 TD passes, two shy from the school record and third-best in school history."
 

DGC

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No QB has had a greater high that Jacob Park
 

NorthCyd

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Sage getting the shaft. He was in the league forever.
How is Sage getting the shaft based on NFL career? He's 2nd or 3rd on most peoples lists. Purdy has already had the most successful NFL career of any ISU QB if he retired tomorrow, and Sage and Seneca have comparable NFL numbers and years played. 2nd or 3rd is where he belongs.
 

ISUTex

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Purdy was head and shoulders above Seneca in college and the NFL. One is a legit pro bowler and one was a backup and part time receiver. There I said it.

Purdy is having a much better pro career obviously, but Seneca's talent running and throwing was incredible. Wallace also didn't have anywhere near the team around him that Purdy had at ISU.
 

BoomerClone

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Cloned4Life

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Two notes from pre 2000
John Quinn beat Iowa three times, twice as starter.
David Archers pass to Frankie Leaks against Iowa was the greatest Iowa State pass in Iowa City by a Cyclone IMHO.
Any chance there is a video of this!? Would love to see it. I cannot imagine a better throw than Seneca’s 3rd down full sprint 30 yard strike back across his body to Whitver. To this day, one of the most impressive throws I’ve ever seen, given the circumstances. I bet I watch this highlight every 6 months, at least. With Pete on the call of course - pure gold.
 

Kinch

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Any chance there is a video of this!? Would love to see it. I cannot imagine a better throw than Seneca’s 3rd down full sprint 30 yard strike back across his body to Whitver. To this day, one of the most impressive throws I’ve ever seen, given the circumstances. I bet I watch this highlight every 6 months, at least. With Pete on the call of course - pure gold.
It was 1982. There are videos of it but I only found this one which doesn’t do it justice. This only shows the throw and the catch. It doesn’t show Leaks juking the Iowa defender and running for the TD.
 

cowboycurtis

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Who are you drafting in their prime for college football? It’s Seneca by a mile. That guy could do it all. If you put him on a decent team he’s one of the best college QB’s of all time.
 

Sigmapolis

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Austen will always have a soft spot in my heart.

Yes yes, he was the quarterback for most of my own tenure in Ames.

But he played in a unique and memorable way to me.

I've heard the offense from that era described as a "power-run spread."

So many times Austen was the runner in that system... and he moved the pile. As a QB!
 

AuH2O

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How is Sage getting the shaft based on NFL career? He's 2nd or 3rd on most peoples lists. Purdy has already had the most successful NFL career of any ISU QB if he retired tomorrow, and Sage and Seneca have comparable NFL numbers and years played. 2nd or 3rd is where he belongs.
Sage clearly had a nice long NFL career. Its just tough because his stats weren’t very good at ISU, and while the 2000 team made history, that schedule was hot garbage. Iowa was 3-9, and their 5 wins in the Big 12 were against teams that combined to win 8 conference games. Played two ranked teams all season and got beat handily. Missed UT and OU.

Compare that to 2002. Played 7 ranked teams PLUS unranked Iowa that made the Orange Bowl, unranked TTU that finished with 9 wins.

Wallace gets dinged for the season turning into a train wreck, and rightfully so. But that 2002 schedule was not on the same planet as 2000.
 
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Flynn4Heisman

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Played two ranked teams all season and got beat handily.
Granted, in the the game against #1 Nebraska, Iowa State led 14 - 13 at half, Nebraska led 21 - 20 going into the 4th, and then proceeded to go on a 28 - 7 run to win 49 - 27.

I still remember listening to it in the car in 8th grade vividly.

 
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burn587

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I contend, to this day, that we ruined Richardson. He was a perfectly serviceable quarterback that got the crap knocked out of him enough that by his senior year he was jumping at shadows.
Same thing happened to Austin Flynn. That 2003 team is the worst ISU team this century. He got hit so much that it ruined him. I still believe he was more talented than Meyer, but the punishment he endured the year before led to him losing the QB battle.
 

Flynn4Heisman

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Same thing happened to Austin Flynn. That 2003 team is the worst ISU team this century. He got hit so much that it ruined him. I still believe he was more talented than Meyer, but the punishment he endured the year before led to him losing the QB battle.
Amen. I agree with both (like I mentioned, I put Sammy B at #5 due his stats putting his win/loss record aside).

Flynn will always be my man, but Sammy B is probably my #2. The guy took an absolute BEATING like Flynn did, but always got up, kept slinging it, never complained, and damn was he good when he had time in the pocket.

He technically beat Texas in 2013, we were driving to win/tie against Iowa in 2013 until the Iowa player nabbed that ridiculous one handed pick inside the 10 on a bomb (he also took a low shot the possession before and was visibly limping the rest of the game), had K-State on the ropes for most of the 2014 (2015?) game, and the 2014 Texas game came down to the last possession in Austin, losing 48 - 41.
 
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AuH2O

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Granted, in the the game against #1 Nebraska, Iowa State led 14 - 13 at half, Nebraska led 21 - 20 going into the 4th, and then proceeded to go on a 28 - 7 run to win 49 - 27.

I still remember listening to it in the car in 8th grade vividly.


ISU also had a dropped pass that would’ve been a big play. Then it seemed like the wheels fell off a bit. But winning va competing for 3 quarters can be a huge difference.

That was a very good ISU team, but the schedule was far weaker than any of the other seasons these other QBs saw.