Texas Tech never sniffed a national title during Patrick Mahomes's tenure, but that hasn't stopped one legendary coach from crowning him the king of college quarterbacks. Former Oklahoma State boss Mike Gundy dropped a bombshell on Colin Cowherd's "The Herd" this Thursday, declaring the Red Raider gunslinger the best he's ever seen under center in the NCAA.
"He's the best college quarterback that I've ever seen," Gundy told Cowherd, recalling a one-point victory over Texas Tech in 2016. "I went out on the field and told him, 'Patrick, there's no reason you should come back and play college football next year. You need to go out.' He laughed, but I was being serious. He made play after play after play after play—and he did it in very high-scoring games."
Gundy, who coached in the Big 12 during a golden era of signal-callers, doubled down on his take. "At that time, we had four or five quarterbacks in the Big 12 every year over about a six- or seven-year stretch, and all of them played in the NFL," he said. "You know as well as anybody, if you have an NFL team on your team in college, you're going to win games. You'll win nine, 10, 11, 12 games. He played against those teams week to week."
But social media wasn't buying it. Fans flooded platforms with rebuttals, pointing to a laundry list of college legends Gundy faced—Vince Young, Sam Bradford, Baker Mayfield, Kyler Murray, Colt McCoy, and RG3, to name a few. "This guy coached against Vince Young, Jason White, Sam Bradford, Baker Mayfield, Kyler Murray, Colt McCoy, RG 3…and the best QB he says was at best 2nd team all big 12 once," one fan fired back. Another wrote, "I align with Gundy on everything except Mahomes." A third jabbed, "Sam Bradford owned Gundy, putting up video game stats. He just can't make himself pick a Sooner."
Statistically, Mahomes's college résumé doesn't scream "greatest ever." Over three seasons in Lubbock, he amassed 11,252 passing yards, 93 touchdowns, and 29 interceptions—impressive, but not transcendent. The 2010s alone featured more decorated college careers: Baker Mayfield won a Heisman and led Oklahoma to the playoff; Deshaun Watson took Clemson to back-to-back title games; Joe Burrow put together a historically dominant 2019 season. Mahomes never even earned first-team All-Big 12 honors.
Yet Gundy's argument hinges on something beyond stats: the eye test. He saw Mahomes make impossible throws, scramble for first downs, and keep games close against loaded rosters. It's a sentiment that resonates in Lubbock, where fans still talk about the magic he created. And while the college debate rages, Mahomes has already cemented his legacy in the pros—three Super Bowl rings, multiple MVPs, and a résumé that only a handful of NFL quarterbacks can match.
The controversy also highlights a broader tension in college football: how much do team success and individual brilliance matter? Mahomes never played for a title, but his raw talent was undeniable. In an era where transfer rumors swirl around Texas Tech and the sport's financial landscape is shifting—Nick Saban recently slammed the unfairness of the NIL era—Gundy's take serves as a reminder that greatness can't always be measured by trophies.
Whether you agree with Gundy or not, one thing is certain: Patrick Mahomes left a mark on college football that few quarterbacks can claim. And as he continues to dominate on Sundays, that debate isn't going away anytime soon.
