Feb. 20, 2026, 4:02 p.m. ET
The Florida State Seminoles have had some great seasons during the 2000s, but they have also had some disappointing ones. The highs have been excellent and tend to coincide with a great quarterback coming to Tallahassee, and they have had multiple come through their doors.
ESPN’s Bill Connelly published a piece ranking the top 100 college football quarterbacks from the year 2000 and onward, and perhaps unsurprisingly, two former Florida State players appeared on that list. The first one may genuinely shock you.
At No. 90 is McKenzie Milton, the UCF transfer who led the Knights to an undefeated regular season and a claimed national championship. Unfortunately, Milton suffered a leg injury in 2018 that kept him out of football for three years. He became a Seminole in 2021 and saw the field in four starts. He completed 81 of his 139 passes for 775 yards and three touchdowns for FSU.
Then at No. 17 is Jameis Winston, the W-eating man himself. While he was only a starter for two seasons, he filled up the record book and led the Seminoles to great success.
In 2013, he led FSU to a national championship victory over Auburn and won the Heisman Trophy. They made the inaugural College Football Playoff in 2014. He completed 66% of his passes for 7,964 yards, 65 touchdowns, and 28 interceptions in 27 games as a Seminole.
Winston went on to be drafted by the Tampa Bay Buccaneers with the first pick in the 2015 NFL draft, and he has had a long career in the NFL. He led the league in passing in 2019 and has become a successful backup quarterback.
Contact/Follow us @FSUWire on X (formerly Twitter) and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida State news, notes, and opinions. You can also follow Jacob on X at @jsmith_sports.