5 Greatest Quarterbacks in Georgia Football History
From 1964 to 1988, Vince Dooley coached Georgia football to heights the school had never seen. The team went from a run-of-the-mill club for most of its existence into, most years, a powerhouse. The Bulldogs are even better now, having lost more than three games just once since 2014, winning two national championships.
It's a bit of a surprise, then, that a ranking of the best five quarterbacks in Georgia history includes just one player from either era. Imagine how deep the list is from which to pick. And it doesn't include NFL Most Valuable Player and Super Bowl winner Matthew Stafford, either.
Still, the Bulldogs' list includes a blend of gunslingers and downright winners, plus another NFL legend. Here's how we stack them up.
Honorable Mentions
- Buck Belue (1978-1981)
- Matthew Stafford (2006-2008)
- Jake Fromm (2017-2019)
- Carson Beck (2020-2024)
5. Eric Zeier (1991-1994)
Had Zeier played in the 20 years later, in the 2010s instead of the 1990s, he'd rank higher on this list than several readers would think. The Bulldogs didn't win a ton under his guidance, but it wasn't because of Zeier.
In fact, the Bulldogs quarterback was doing things no one else in the Southeastern Conference ever did, and Zeier left Georgia after the 1993 season as the conference's all-time leader in passing yards. Even still, only six players have passed him in the past 22 years. Two of them, incidentally, are on this list.
4. Aaron Murray (2009-2013)
At a school with truly big-time quarterbacks throughout its history, the fact that Murray holds the UGA records for yards passing by more than 1,500 and passing touchdowns by 43 (!) means he's on this list. Rank him higher, even, and we'd be OK with that.
Coach Mark Richt gave Murray the reins as a freshman and while the Bulldogs struggled to a losing record that year (the only losing record they've had since 1996), Murray threw for 24 touchdowns and just eight picks. Each year Murray improved, as did Georgia, before taking a small step back in 2013. Much of that improvement came because of quarterback play.
3. Fran Tarkenton (1958-1960)
You will not Tarkenton on the Georgia quarterback leaderboards when it comes to stats. In fact, the Hall of Famer left Athens with more interceptions than touchdowns.
He also led the SEC in completions, attempts, completion percentage, and yards in his final season in 1960. You know what those numbers were? Tarkenton completed 108-of-185 passes (58.4%) for 1,189 yards with seven touchdowns. The year before, his six touchdown passes led the league.
He was a two-time All-SEC pick and helped the Bulldogs to the 1959 Rose Bowl and a No. 5 ranking before becoming a Pro Football Hall of Famer.
2. David Greene (2000-2004)
Like Zeier, Greene is often forgotten by those outside of Georgia. The Bulldogs simply hadn't yet become a staple contender for national titles during his run from 2001 to 2004.
But Georgia finished the season ranked third, seventh, and seventh again during Greene's final three seasons as he ultimately won SEC Freshman of the Year initially before making three more All-SEC teams, including two landings as a first-teamer.
He remains second in school history in yards passing -- behind Murray and just ahead of Zeier -- and third in touchdown passes.
1. Stetson Bennett (2017, 2019-22)
You win back-to-back national championships at Georgia, you get ranked No. 1. And, in case you've forgotten, that was never supposed to happen.
Bennett arrived to Georgia as a walk-on before he transferred out of Georgia after one season only to return in 2019, spending two years as a back-up to much more heralded quarterbacks. But in the 2020 season, he took over for JT Daniels and never let go of the reins, leading the team to the title that year and the next.
More Georgia Football Rankings
- 10 Greatest Georgia Football Players Ever
- 5 Greatest Running Backs in Georgia History
- 5 Greatest Defensive Players in Georgia History
Related: The Greatest HBCU Players in Pro Football History
Related: 10 Highest Paid College Football Coaches: Who Tops the List?
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This story was originally published May 31, 2026 at 9:48 AM.