Florida State is represented twice on ESPN’s ranking of the top 100 college football quarterbacks of the 2000s, with Jameis Winston and Chris Weinke making the list.
The ranking looks across the modern era of college football, and FSU’s pair gives the program two of the most recognizable quarterback seasons of that span. Winston led the Seminoles to the 2013 national championship and won the Heisman Trophy that season, while Weinke capped his FSU career with the 2000 Heisman and the Davey O’Brien Award.
Two eras, two decorated quarterbacks
Winston’s case has long been built on how quickly he changed the program. In his first season as FSU’s starter in 2013, he threw for 4,057 yards and a school-record 40 touchdown passes while leading the Seminoles to a 14-0 finish and a national title. Florida State’s official records also list Winston with a 26-1 mark as a starting quarterback, the best winning percentage among Seminole starters.
His two-year run remains one of the most efficient in school history. Florida State’s athletics site credits Winston with program records in yards per attempt and several efficiency categories, and notes that he matched Chris Weinke for the most 300-yard passing games in a Seminole career despite playing only two seasons.
Weinke’s resume is just as central to the program’s history. Florida State records list him with a 32-3 record as a starter, still the highest total for a quarterback in school history. In 2000, he threw for 4,167 yards and 33 touchdowns, then added the Davey O’Brien Award before later claiming the Heisman Trophy.
That season came on the heels of FSU’s 1999 national championship run, with Weinke serving as the quarterback of one of Bobby Bowden’s defining teams. His place in any discussion of the best quarterbacks in school history has rarely been in doubt, and ESPN’s broader national ranking adds another marker to that legacy.
Why it matters for FSU
For Florida State, the list is another reminder of the program’s quarterback standard in championship seasons. The Seminoles have won national titles in 1993, 1999 and 2013, and both Winston and Weinke are directly tied to that history.
The inclusion of two FSU quarterbacks also stands out because the ranking covers a wide field across multiple conferences and offensive eras. That gives the Seminoles a notable share of recognition in a national top-100 format built around sustained production, awards and team success.
Reaction around the ranking has largely centered on where quarterbacks landed rather than whether Winston and Weinke belonged. For Florida State fans, their inclusion is the clearest takeaway: two of the program’s most accomplished passers remain part of the national conversation when the best of the 2000s are debated.
Florida State opens its 2026 season against New Mexico State, with SMU up next as the early schedule begins to take shape.
