Cougar Kickoff Countdown: 7 Days

BYU has had some of the best quarterbacks in NCAA history. Seven Cougar quarterbacks became All-Americans, all were part of what became known as LaVell Edwards's "Quarterback Factory." Here's a quick highlight of each one:

Gifford Nielsen

In 1976 the Mormon Rifle averaged a touchdown pass every 7.1 passes and threw for 3,192 yards (15.4 yards per pass).

Marc Wilson

Wilson threw seven touchdown passes in his first start. He also won the Sammy Baugh Trophy, had an undefeated regular season, and set 10 NCAA records over the course of his career.

Jim McMahon

McMahon set 70 NCAA records, including holding the most NCAA records and the first quarterback to throw for over 4,000 yards in a season. He led the nation in passing two years in a row; 4,571 in 1980 and 3,555 in 1981. McMahon was also the first recipient of the Davey O'Brien Award.

Steve Young

Young led the nation in total offense in 1983 and helped BYU to set the NCAA record for total offense at 584.2 yards per game. He also won the Davey O'Brien Award.

Robbie Bosco

The lone national championship quarterback at BYU also led the nation in passing in 1984.

Ty Detmer

Passing for 5,188 yards and 41 touchdowns is what won Ty Detmer the Heisman Trophy in 1990. He still holds multiple NCAA records.

Steve Sarkisian

Sark was the most efficient quarterback in BYU history, completing 66.6 percent of his passes and in 1996 led the nation in passing efficiency at 173.6.