A quarter‑century into the 2000s, Fox Sports analyst Joel Klatt has one clear answer for the top college quarterback: Texas legend Vince Young. On his July 14 show, Klatt said Young edges Heisman winners Joe Burrow, Tim Tebow and Cam Newton as the best QB since 2000, even though Young never won the award.

Klatt’s top five all had a national title or a defining big‑game moment, plus the ability to lift a team in crunch time. That group: Joe Burrow, Tim Tebow, Cam Newton, Matt Leinart, and Vince Young. Of those five, only Young never won the Heisman, yet Klatt said his presence and big‑game fire made him the easy No. 1.

“The pick for me, guys, is Vince Young, and I know this might be a little bit biased because I had to play against him,” said Klatt during his July 14 appearance on his show, The Joel Klatt Show. “If I had one game, and I had to get a quarterback from the last 25 years to go and play that game, my all-time century quarterback is Vince Young. This guy was unbelievable. He went 30-2 as a starting quarterback. That undefeated season in ’05 for a national championship was remarkable. There were times when he had to put that team completely on his back.”

For American fans, Young is the player who turned tough moments into momentum. In big games, he did not wait for luck. He ran into pressure, made defenders miss in small spaces, and lifted his teammates with his energy. That is why Klatt trusts him most when the game is on the line.

Klatt got a chance to see Young’s ability firsthand when his Colorado faced Texas in the 2005 Big 12 title game. Colorado lost 70-3 to Texas in the 2005 Big 12 title game. Klatt did not choose Young for one game alone. He also pointed to Young’s calm under pressure against Oklahoma State and his big performance against USC in that 2005 season under Mack Brown.

“I think about a game where they [Texas] were down at halftime at Oklahoma State,” said Klatt. He even shared a brief story about that game. The moment was tense for the Longhorns because, till that game, Texas was undefeated and was ranked second in the country. But when Mack Brown tried to make strategies for winning the game, Young said, “Coach, what are you talking about? I got this,” and the confidence wasn’t just talk. Then he came back and led the Longhorns to a 47-28 victory.

In the 2006 Rose Bowl, Young finished with no touchdowns but totaled 267 passing yards and 200 rushing yards against a USC team many called the best ever. “This guy was incredible. He’s my all- century quarterback. I know there might be some debate, but I don’t think I’m going to get a ton of pushback about that,” added Klatt.

The other finalists still had strong cases. Joe Burrow drew praise for his record 2019 season and LSU’s national title run. Matt Leinart reached three straight title games at USC. Cam Newton led Auburn to a championship and won the Heisman. Klatt weighed all of that and still put Young at the top. Yet, Klatt’s choice proves Young was built differently.