Biggest Busts in College Football History

[Escambia94]

Is DJ Lagway a bust? How close is he to being one of the worst busts in college football? Far from it. Lagway still has a ways to go to make it to this list of busts with a passer rating of 141 in a season and a half at Florida.

Rank​	Player​	Recruiting Class & Rank​	Primary School(s)​	Passer Rating​	National HS Accolades​
1​	Anthony Martinez​	2005 (No. 4 QB, No. 70 overall)​	Arizona State​	71.3​	Parade All-American​
2​	Malachi Nelson​	2023 (No. 1 QB, No. 12 overall)​	USC/Boise State/UTEP​	92.1​	Under Armour All-American​
3​	Russell Shepard​	2009 (No. 3 QB, No. 20 overall)​	LSU​	98.2​	US Army All-American; Parade All-American​
4​	Ben Olson​	2004 (No. 3 QB, No. 61 overall)​	BYU/UCLA​	98.6​	Parade All-American​
5​	Ryan Perrilloux​	2005 (No. 1 QB, No. 3 overall)​	LSU​	99.4​	USA Today National Offensive POY; Ballpark National HS POY; Consensus All-American​
6​	Hunter Johnson​	2017 (No. 1 QB, No. 18 overall)​	Clemson/Northwestern​	101.3​	US Army All-American​
7​	Robby Ashford​	2020 (No. 5 QB, No. 97 overall)​	Oregon/Auburn​	102.4​	Elite 11 Finalist​
8​	Sam Huard​	2021 (No. 3 QB, No. 35 overall)​	Washington/Cal Poly​	103.0​	Gatorade National POY; Elite 11 Finalist​
9​	Mitch Mustain​	2006 (No. 1 QB, No. 6 overall)​	Arkansas/USC​	105.2​	National POY (4 publications, incl. Parade & EA Sports)​
10​	Gunther Brewer​	2001 (No. 4 QB, No. 66 overall)​	Oklahoma​	106.2​	US Army All-American​
11​	Aaron Corp​	2007 (No. 5 QB, No. 88 overall)​	USC/Richmond​	108.7​	Elite 11 Finalist​
12​	Gavin Dickey​	2002 #6 QB​	Florida​	108.7​	US Army All-American​
13​	Blake Barnett​	2015 (No. 5 QB, No. 94 overall)​	Alabama/Arizona State/USF​	108.9​	Elite 11 Finalist​
14​	Max Wittek​	2011 (No. 3 QB, No. 58 overall)​	USC/Hawai’i​	109.3​	Elite 11 Finalist; Under Armour All-American​
15​	Xavier Lee​	2004 (No. 4 QB, No. 47 overall)​	Florida State​	109.8​	US Army All-American; Parade All-American​
16​	Kevin Olsen​	2013 (No. 3 QB, No. 56 overall)​	Miami​	110.1​	Elite 11 Finalist​
17​	Rhett Bomar​	2004 (No. 1 QB, No. 4 overall)​	Oklahoma​	110.2​	Parade All-American​
18​	Connor Mitch​	2013 (No. 4 QB, No. 78 overall)​	South Carolina/JMU​	110.5​	Elite 11 Finalist​
19​	Dayne Crist​	2008 (No. 1 QB, No. 22 overall)​	Notre Dame/Kansas​	110.9​	Parade All-American​
20​	Willy Korn​	2007 (No. 2 QB, No. 32 overall)​	Clemson​	112.0​	Gatorade National POY; US Army All-American; Parade All-American​
21​	Jake Heaps​	2010 (No. 1 QB, No. 17 overall)​	BYU/Kansas/Miami​	112.5​	Gatorade National POY; US Army All-American; Parade All-American​
22​	Tate Martell​	2017 (No. 2 QB, No. 55 overall)​	Ohio State/Miami​	115.3​	Gatorade National POY; US Army All-American​
23​	Jack Miller III​	2020 (No. 3 QB, No. 36 overall)​	Ohio State/Florida​	116.8​	Elite 11 Finalist​
24​	Ty Thompson​	2021 (No. 2 QB, No. 26 overall)​	Oregon/Tulane​	116.8​	Elite 11 Finalist; Under Armour All-American​
25​	Max Browne​	2013 (No. 1 QB, No. 22 overall)​	USC/Pittsburgh​	117.8​	Gatorade National POY; US Army All-American​
26​	Robbie Rosen​	2005 (No. 5 QB, No. 78 overall)​	Florida​	118.3​	US Army All-American​
27​	J.P. Losman​	2000 #1 QB​	UCLA/Tulane​	118.6​	None noted​
28​	Garrett Gilbert​	2009 (No. 1 QB, No. 6 overall)​	Texas/SMU​	118.9​	Gatorade National POY; US Army All-American; Parade All-American​
29​	Logan Thomas​	2009 (No. 6 QB, No. 134 overall)​	Virginia Tech​	123.8​	US Army All-American; Parade All-American​
30​	Jeff Driskel​	2011 (No. 2 QB, No. 38 overall)​	Florida/Louisiana Tech​	124.5​	Elite 11 Finalist​
31​	Kyle Wright​	2003 (No. 1 QB, No. 3 overall)​	Miami​	125.1​	Gatorade National POY; Parade All-American; ESPY Award Winner​
32​	Chris Rix​	2001 #1 QB​	Florida State​	127.8​	Gatorade National POY; US Army All-American​
33​	Kellen Clemens​	2002 (No. 3 QB, No. 45 overall)​	Oregon​	128.6​	Gatorade National POY; Parade All-American​
34​	Casey Clausen​	2000 #5 QB​	Tennessee​	128.9​	Gatorade National POY​
35​	Kyle Parker​	2007 #4 QB​	Clemson​	129.1​	Parade All-American​
36​	Kedon Slovis​	2019 (No. 1 QB, No. 23 overall)​	USC/Pitt/BYU​	129.6​	Elite 11 MVP; Under Armour All-American​
37​	John Brantley​	2007 (No. 3 QB, No. 41 overall)​	Florida​	129.8​	Elite 11 MVP; Parade All-American​

 

[Escambia94]

Here is updated list of quarterback busts going back to the 1990s:

Rank​	Player​	Recruiting Class & Rank​
1​	Bobby Sabelhaus​	1995 (No. 1 QB, No. 1 overall)​
2​	Anthony Martinez​	2005 (No. 4 QB, No. 70 overall)​
3​	Malachi Nelson​	2023 (No. 1 QB, No. 12 overall)​
4​	Russell Shepard​	2009 (No. 3 QB, No. 20 overall)​
5​	Ben Olson​	2004 (No. 3 QB, No. 61 overall)​
6​	Ryan Perrilloux​	2005 (No. 1 QB, No. 3 overall)​
7​	Hunter Johnson​	2017 (No. 1 QB, No. 18 overall)​
8​	Robby Ashford​	2020 (No. 5 QB, No. 97 overall)​
9​	Sam Huard​	2021 (No. 3 QB, No. 35 overall)​
10​	Mitch Mustain​	2006 (No. 1 QB, No. 6 overall)​
11​	Gunther Brewer​	2001 (No. 4 QB, No. 66 overall)​
12​	Aaron Corp​	2007 (No. 5 QB, No. 88 overall)​
13​	Gavin Dickey​	2002 #6 QB​
14​	Blake Barnett​	2015 (No. 5 QB, No. 94 overall)​
15​	Randy Coble​	1993 (No. 1 QB, No. 3 overall)​
16​	Max Wittek​	2011 (No. 3 QB, No. 58 overall)​
17​	Xavier Lee​	2004 (No. 4 QB, No. 47 overall)​
18​	Kevin Olsen​	2013 (No. 3 QB, No. 56 overall)​
19​	Rhett Bomar​	2004 (No. 1 QB, No. 4 overall)​
20​	Connor Mitch​	2013 (No. 4 QB, No. 78 overall)​
21​	Dayne Crist​	2008 (No. 1 QB, No. 22 overall)​
22​	Willy Korn​	2007 (No. 2 QB, No. 32 overall)​
23​	Jake Heaps​	2010 (No. 1 QB, No. 17 overall)​
24​	Tate Martell​	2017 (No. 2 QB, No. 55 overall)​
25​	Jack Miller III​	2020 (No. 3 QB, No. 36 overall)​
26​	Ty Thompson​	2021 (No. 2 QB, No. 26 overall)​
27​	Max Browne​	2013 (No. 1 QB, No. 22 overall)​
28​	Robbie Rosen​	2005 (No. 5 QB, No. 78 overall)​
29​	Ryan Clement​	1994 (No. 1 QB, No. 2 overall)​
30​	J.P. Losman​	2000 #1 QB​
31​	Garrett Gilbert​	2009 (No. 1 QB, No. 6 overall)​
32​	Logan Thomas​	2009 (No. 6 QB, No. 134 overall)​
33​	Jeff Driskel​	2011 (No. 2 QB, No. 38 overall)​
34​	Kyle Wright​	2003 (No. 1 QB, No. 3 overall)​
35​	Chris Rix​	2001 #1 QB​
36​	Chris Rix​	2001 (No. 1 QB, No. 5 overall)​
37​	Kellen Clemens​	2002 (No. 3 QB, No. 45 overall)​
38​	Casey Clausen​	2000 #5 QB​
39​	Casey Clausen​	2000 (No. 5 QB, No. 25 overall)​
40​	Kyle Parker​	2007 #4 QB​
41​	Brock Berlin​	1999 (No. 1 QB, No. 3 overall)​
42​	Hines Ward​	1994 (No. 2 QB, No. 8 overall)​
43​	Kedon Slovis​	2019 (No. 1 QB, No. 23 overall)​
44​	John Brantley​	2007 (No. 3 QB, No. 41 overall)​
45​	John David Booty (Sr.)​	1987 (No. 1 QB, No. 1 overall)​

 

[Leakfan12]

Hines Ward? The guy is a borderline Hall of Famer.

 

[Escambia94]

Hines Ward? The guy is a borderline Hall of Famer.

Correct. At wide receiver. At QB he was a bust. Some of these guys were busts at QB who were moved to other positions where they were still busts. Hines Ward happens to be one of the few who flourished at another position. Note that Ward did look good in a bowl game at QB, but not in the regular season.

 

[DRU2012]

Don’t know where else to put this—and E—‘s point about him “having a ways to go” (in the wrong direction) to even sniff this list, but what to make of the seeming “slow-but-steady ruination” of DJ Lagway?
OK—I can see a LOT of “contributing factors” to last night’s collapse—but even setting aside those (sorry DJ—mainly UNFORCED) ERRORS that resulted in 3 first half interceptions (I mean, DAMN!), what stood out from the very start for me was the continuation of what we’ve seen growing all season: the last of his confidence is draining away—and as it does, what were once shocking let downs have settled into a pattern of behavior: From the very start of this one DJ was missing—as in not even SEEING—open receivers.
Sitting him down, sending in Jones was long overdue…but here’s the thing:
This all goes back on Billy Napier. I’m not going to mount the full argument here—I was planning to, but Ali Peak did a fine and thorough job on her weekly postgame (“Good, bad and ugly”) podcast.
Suffice to say, my planned opening line was:
“F*CK BILLY NAPIER.”
Instead I will pose it here as on an exam, and simply add:
“Discuss.”
Have at it.
Here’s a bit of a start…
EVERYTHING—the roster, the mealy-mouthed explanations, the questionable decisions on and OFF the field—and now the continuing regression and decline even in his absence, it all falls directly back on his shoulders. And I’m not even gonna launch INTO the “convention of incompetence” he assembled (all longtime “Billy’s Boys”) to fill out (many would say OVERfill out) the rest of our bloated, continuing to be way overPAID staff. Too many ill-qualified, unsurprisingly underperforming “Friends-of-Bill” still hanging around, not getting it done.
You can BET BILLY was taking inner credit for all the things they were seemingly doing right in those early signs that no one was leaving, that even with his firing “his team” was “playing for the patch”.
So. Now that “the chickens are starting to come home to roost”, where does all this SUBSEQUENT CRAP GO, Coach? Look in the mirror.
Oh, and by the way:
Anyone else finding his complete BUG OUT, disappearance akin to “puff of smoke in shape of Billy” being the only thing left of him ANYWHERE within moments of his last presser, a LITTLE on the strange side?
Just throwing a few flags, some lingering questions of my own out there…but y’all are free to take this wherever you want.
Or not. I do recommend you grit your teeth, take a deep breath and check out Ali’s take, though.
“Aw, folks: We been BAMBOOZLED!”