Notre Dame Football: 15 best quarterbacks in Fighting Irish history

The Notre Dame Fighting Irish boast a strong lineage at the quarterback position. Here are the 15 best quarterbacks in Notre Dame football history.

Few college football programs have the robust history of the Notre Dame Fighting Irish. Notre Dame football has long been a blue-blood in the college football landscape. The Irish have won over 900 games, played in nearly 30 bowl games and have claimed 11 national titles.

With 102 consensus All-Americans to date, it’s easy to see why Notre Dame has been so successful over the years. Under current head coach Brian Kelly, the Irish have looked better than they have at any point in the 21st century.

Notre Dame made its first appearance in the College Football Playoff as a national independent in 2018. The Irish reached the national championship game in 2012 this past decade as well.

So what is the common thread here? What makes Notre Dame football so consistently strong decade after decade? Of course, there are many reasons for this. Elite coaching and recruiting at a high level nationally certainly help. The same can be said for having that sweet television contract with NBC.

But above all, it’s about the men on the field. Notre Dame has had seven Heisman Trophy winners to date, including a handful of quarterbacks. So what we’re going to do today is take a trip down memory lane and recap the 15 greatest signal-callers in Fighting Irish history.

Surely, you’ll find guys that have starred for the Golden Domers both relatively recently, as well as from a far-gone era. Without further ado, let’s get to No. 15 with a dual-threat playmaker who starred in South Bend in the twilight of the 20th century.

Honorable Mentions: Steve Beuerlein, Ian Book, Tom Clements, Everett Golson, Ralph Guglielmi, Rusty Lisch, Ron Powlus, Tommy Rees, Harry Stuhldreher, Frank Tripucka

Jarious Jackson had a tall task ahead of him replacing the man he just beats out for the No. 15 spot here on this all-time list in Ron Powlus. Powlus was a four-year starter for the Irish from 1994 to 1998. Jackson served as Powlus’ backup during his first two years in South Bend, but he made the most of his opportunities once he became the starter in 1998.

As a junior in 1998, Jackson quarterbacked the Irish to a 9-3 record with a big win in his first start of the year vs. No. 5 Michigan. Notre Dame would only drop two regular-season games that year, as the Irish fell to rivals Michigan State and USC, both on the road. The Irish lost their bowl game by succumbing to the No. 12 Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets in the Gator Bowl. Notre Dame finished No. 22 in the country that season.

In Jackson’s first year as a starter in 1998, he completed 55.3 percent of his passes for 1,740 yards, 13 touchdowns and six interceptions. He also had 113 carries for 441 yards and three rushing touchdowns as a ball carrier.

Looking to build off a solid junior season, Jackson and Notre Dame felt a ton of pressure to contend for a national title in 1999. Sadly, Notre Dame would finish a miserable 5-7 on the year, including ending the season on a four-game skid with losses to No. 4 Tennessee, Pittsburgh, No. 25 Boston College and Stanford.

Even though the team struggled, 1999 would be a banner year for Jackson personally. He completed 58.2 percent of his passes for 2,753 yards, 17 touchdowns and 14 interceptions. Jackson set school records in passing yards, completions and attempts that fall. He would also rush for 464 yards on 140 attempts and seven rushing touchdowns. Jackson would then be a seventh-round pick by the Denver Broncos in the 2000 NFL Draft.

After four forgettable years with the Broncos as a backup to Brian Griese and former Golden Domer Steve Beuerlein, Jackson would take his quarterback talents north of the border. Jackson spent nine years in the CFL primarily with the BC Lions, winning two of his three Grey Cups as a player. He’d win a third as a player as a member of the 2012 Toronto Argonauts before retiring. Jackson has since gone into coaching in the CFL, serving as BC’s offensive coordinator since 2018.