Ranking 50 Years of Hokie Quarterbacks: A Four-Part Series (Part II)

We’re back for Part II of a four-part series ranking every quarterback who has started for Virginia Tech in the past 50 years. This week, we continue our countdown of the 25 quarterbacks who started at least a season’s worth of games for the Hokies. This series is meant to be a celebration of the accomplishments and great moments that each player contributed to Hokie history and lore. I hope you're enjoying it.

As we mentioned last week in Part I, the rankings were derived primarily from a weighted combination of statistical measures, allowing for some subjective adjustments to help compare quarterbacks from different eras as well as account for contributions not as easily gleaned from outward numbers. Feel free to take another look at Part I if you'd like to refresh our countdown of quarterbacks ranked 25th through 16th.

Today in Part II, we celebrate #15 through #6. Let’s go…

Years as a Starter: 1988-1991

Record as a Starter: 15-17-1

Bellevue, Washington’s Will Furrer came to Tech via Fork Union Military Academy and was a four-year starter for the Hokies during Frank Beamer’s early years. The lefty was a cerebral, gifted passer, and a great leader, who played in a time of reduced scholarships in Blacksburg. It would have been great to watch him play on some of the later Beamer teams. Furrer battled numerous injuries throughout his time at Tech but still managed to throw for 5915 career yards, just 94 short of breaking Don Strock’s all-time career mark when he graduated. Furrer is still fifth on that list today, and his 43 career TDs is sixth.

Furrer was drafted by the Bears in the 4th round of the 1992 NFL draft, and played two seasons in the NFL. He was inducted into the Virginia Tech Sports Hall of Fame in 2015.

Best moment: November 24, 1990, “Bad Day to Be a Goalpost.” Tech was really starting to show progress as a program in 1990, and when former #1 Virginia came to town on this late November evening, the ingredients were there for a memorable upset. Furrer hit Nick Cullen for a 29-yard touchdown on 4th-and-11, then connected with tight end Greg Daniels for a 33-yard score to stake the Hokies to a 24-0 lead before capping off the 38-13 win with a third TD, this one to Mark Poindexter. Furrer ended up with 254 yards and three touchdowns on 16-23 passing, the goalposts came down and the celebration lasted long into the Blacksburg night.

Years as a Starter: 1978-1981

Record as a Starter: 20-16

Steve Casey gradually wrestled playing time, and then the starting role, from David Lamie as a freshman in 1978 and kept the starting job for the remainder of his career. In 1980, Casey efficiently led a run-oriented Hokie offense behind Cyrus Lawrence to its first bowl game since 1968, dropping a tough one to Jim Kelly and Miami in the Peach Bowl.

Casey left Tech as the second leading passer in the school’s history, and still sits 11th. The Towanda, PA, native is one of only two quarterbacks to lead the Hokies in passing for four straight years (Will Furrer being the other). Casey went on to a successful teaching and coaching career in Arizona and New Mexico.

Best moment: November 17, 1979, “Bombing the Keydets.” The Hokies capped the 1979 season with a 27-20 win over VMI, and it was Casey’s day to shine. He hooked up with wingback Sidney Snell for a 91-yard touchdown in the first quarter, to this day the longest pass play in Tech history. Neither Casey nor Snell were done, as the two connected for a 60-yard TD later in the first half. The sophomore quarterback finished the game with 323 yards, accounting for nearly a quarter of his passing yards for the year.

Years as a Starter: 2017-2018

Record as a Starter: 11-5

After redshirting a year, Michigan native Josh Jackson became the Hokies’ starter for the 2017 season. Though perhaps not as dynamic or efficient as 2016 starter Jerod Evans, Jackson nevertheless continued Evans’ success, winning seven of his first eight games and leading Tech to as high as #12 in the rankings. Three losses in the last five games were somewhat disappointing, but Hokie fans were excited coming into 2018 after 10-4 and 9-4 records in Justin Fuente’s first two seasons.

The excitement continued early in 2018 after the Hokies beat #19 FSU in Tallahassee to open the season behind Jackson’s 207-yard, 2 TD performance. But it all came crashing down on Tech and Jackson a few weeks later in Norfolk. Ranked #10, the Hokies lost Jackson to a broken leg and dropped a stunner to Old Dominion, exposing fissures on the team that they could never really recover from. Jackson was out for the year, giving way to Ryan Willis, and transferred to Maryland after the season. 

Best moment: September 3, 2017, “Jackson Delivers at FedEx.” After a 12-year hiatus, Virginia Tech and West Virginia renewed their rivalry at FedEx Field outside of Washington, DC, to open the 2017 season. In his Hokie debut, Jackson threw for 235 yards and ran for another 101, accounting for two touchdowns in an exciting 31-24 win over the Mountaineers. Sadly, this is still the Hokies’ last win against a non-conference Power 4 opponent.

Years as a Starter: 1982-1985

Record as a Starter: 19-8

Mark Cox grew up in Kingsport, TN, but moved to northern Virginia in middle school and excelled in three sports for Annandale High School. The 1980 Virginia High School Player of the Year considered Pitt and West Virginia, among other schools, but with family largely in the southwest Virginia area, Cox chose Bill Dooley and the Hokies. 

He spent four years largely sharing starting duties with Todd Greenwood, which could’ve been awkward but wasn’t. “Todd and I got along great,” he told Julian Brown on the NOVA Legends Podcast. “Todd and I did the best we could and had no animosity toward one another.” Cox led the Hokies in passing in 1983, a 9-2 season that should have been bowl-worthy, and again in 1984 (8-4, Independence Bowl). He frequently put his feet to work as well, rushing for 11 career touchdowns, which is tied for 7th among all quarterbacks over the last 50 years.

Cox’s 19 wins as a starter was second all-time to Steve Casey when he left Blacksburg after the 1985 season, and is still tied for sixth. Despite splitting time with Todd Greenwood throughout his career (he got 60% of the starts), Cox exited Virginia Tech 3rd all-time in passing yards. After graduation, he embarked on a long successful career as a high school coach in northern Virginia.

Best moment: November 17, 1984, “Let’s Go Bowling!” After getting squeezed out of the bowl party the previous year despite a 9-2 record, the Hokies went to Nashville and handled Vanderbilt 23-3 to finish the regular season 8-3 and earn an Independence Bowl bid. Cox hit Joe Jones for a 30-yard TD and Steve Ellsworth for a 13-yard score to lead the Hokies. 

Years as a Starter: 1997-1998

Record as a Starter: 12-7

Overcoming adversity and succeeding. That’s the short story of Al Clark. Being raised by his single mom in Washington, DC, and graduating from Archbishop Carroll High School were critical elements in his development. Being preceded (Jim Druckenmiller) and succeeded (Michael Vick) at Virginia Tech by NFL first rounders was a challenge and led to inevitable comparisons. Enduring injuries to himself and his receiving corps was arduous, as was the roster reset that was occurring between the 1996 Orange Bowl and the 1999 Sugar Bowl. Through it all, though, Clark gutted his way through it and had a successful career in Blacksburg.

Clark never threw for gaudy numbers. To wit, in only one of his 19 starts did Clark throw for over 200 yards (251 versus Rutgers in 1998). But he was an integral part of a solid ground game, running for 605 yards in his career. And he managed the Hokies’ game plan that included leaning significantly on defense and special teams. The effort was good enough to continue the early years of the bowl streak and set the table for the greatness that would come in 1999. Clark does not get nearly enough credit for pushing through injury and willing his team to win more often than not. 

Best moment: September 19, 1998, “Orange Bowl Heroics.” In a nail-biter of a game, Clark led the Hokies to an overtime victory over Edgerrin James, Reggie Wayne, Santana Moss and the Miami Hurricanes in south Florida. Clark gave the Hokies the lead for the first time with a 13-yard run in the third quarter, then gave Tech the critical go-ahead TD in overtime with a 24-yard pass to a leaping Ricky Hall in the end zone. 

Years as a Starter: 2005

Record as a Starter: 11-2

The younger brother of a legend, Marcus Vick came to Blacksburg with the road considerably more paved more for him than his sibling. He was more highly recruited than Michael, and it was considered quite the coup that coach Beamer was able to secure his services. After a redshirt season, Vick appeared in 11 games for the Hokies in 2003, often coming in to spell starter Bryan Randall as the coaching staff looked for creative ways to work Vick into the game. Vick completed 30 of his 57 attempts for 475 yards and two touchdowns and five interceptions He added 102 yards rushing on the ground. He even caught four passes for 82 yards and a score in the 2003 Insight Bowl.

Vick was forced to sit out the 2004 season due to a series of off-field transgressions in accordance with athletic department policy. His lone season starting was 2005, and he led the Hokies to an 11-2 record. His passing efficiency rating that season was an impressive 143.3, and Vick threw for 2393 yards and 17 touchdowns and ran for 380 yards and six scores. There’s no denying the talent; just a season’s worth was enough to land him on this list’s Top 10. It could have been so much better. Vick was dismissed from the program after the 2005 season.

Best moment: October 1, 2005, “Goodbye Mountaineers.” Arguably his most complete game at quarterback, Vick led the Hokies to a 34-17 win in Morgantown, taking the Black Diamond Trophy from Pat White, Steve Slaton, Pat McAfee and the Mountaineers and sending the rivalry into a 12-year slumber. Vick completed 15 of 17 passes for 177 yards and a pair of scores, and ran for another 74 yards and a touchdown. Unfortunately, he’s probably more remembered for the avian hand gesture he offered to the West Virginia fans during the game.

Years as a Starter: 2006-2008

Record as a Starter: 18-8

Sean Glennon had a standout career at Westfield High School in northern Virginia, and arrived in Blacksburg with this high school teammate Eddie Royal. Glennon played sparingly as a true freshman in 2004 then redshirted a year before becoming the starter in 2006. He would start every game that season, finishing with a 10-3 record and throwing for 2191 yards. 

Glennon’s final two years became more challenging as he began sharing starting duties with Tyrod Taylor. He was lifted in an early-season loss at LSU in 2007 but generally played well when called upon, especially while Taylor sat out with an ankle injury. Glennon was the MVP of the 2007 ACC Championship win over Boston College when he threw for three scores. He had his moments in the 2008 season as well, but the team was largely Taylor’s by that point. 

All told, Glennon threw for 4867 yards and 28 touchdowns in his career, and went 18-8 as a starter. He is ranked 8th all-time at Tech in passing yards, and tied with Michael Vick for 8th in wins.

Best moment: November 1, 2007, “No Jersey, No Problem.” Georgia Tech has had a reputation for its miscreant, kleptomaniac fans for years, and in 2007, they struck again. Glennon was one of several players who had their jerseys stolen from the visiting team’s locker room in Atlanta. When replacement jerseys had not arrived from Blacksburg in time for kickoff, Virginia Tech accepted white Georgia Tech practice jerseys and used Sharpies to make them look as close to Hokies’ as possible. They featured handwritten names on the back, and free-drawn Nike swooshes in place of blacked-out Georgia Tech name plates and Russell Athletic logos.

Wearing his makeshift uniform, Glennon went out and had a spectacular night. He threw for 296 yards and two touchdowns and ran for a third as the Hokies streaked by the blitzing Yellow Jackets 27-3.

Years as a Starter: 2019-2020

Record as a Starter: 8-7

Hendon Hooker came to Blacksburg by way of Greensboro, NC where he had a decorated high school career. He was the son of Alan Hooker, who was a standout quarterback in his own right at North Carolina A&T. After the Hokies’ embarrassing loss to Duke in 2019, Hooker finally got his first start in the Tech’s fifth game of the season, a win on the road at Miami. He won his first six starts, tossing 10 touchdowns and zero interceptions along the way. Though the Hokies lost their last two games of the year, Hooker largely did his part, and he ended his first season with 1555 yards passing, 13 TD, 2 INT and a passing efficiency rating of 165.8.

Unfortunately, 2020 was the Covid year. Nothing was as it should be that season. Hooker himself missed several games, limited to seven starts and surrounded by makeshift lineups. Despite all of that, Hooker compiled a 153.5 passing efficiency rating and 1339 yards passing. He suffered a medical malady in Tech’s penultimate game against Clemson, did not return and didn’t play again for the Hokies. Hooker transferred to Tennessee where he was a national sensation and the SEC Offensive Player of the Year in 2022. Hooker finished 5th in the Heisman Trophy voting that season, and was drafted in the third round of the 2023 NFL Draft by Detroit. 

Of all of the Virginia Tech quarterbacks of the last 50 years, Hooker is number one in both Passing Efficiency and QBR, and it would have been great to see him in Blacksburg for longer than we did.

Best moment: November 9, 2019, “Win One for Bud.” On a day where Virginia Tech honored soon-to-be-retired Bud Foster for his stellar career, Hooker played his role to perfection in supporting the Hokies winning game plan against #19 Wake Forest. Wake was averaging 510 yards and 38 points per game, so time of possession was huge. Hooker was able to keep the ball in the Hokies’ hands for over 21 minutes in the first half. He completed 15 of 23 passes for 242 yards that day, and also ran for 69 yards and a touchdown as Tech outscored the Demon Deacons 30-7 in the second half.

Years as a Starter: 2016

Record as a Starter: 10-4

Evans took a circuitous route to Blacksburg. He grew up in the Dallas area, and spent a year at the Air Force Academy where he tore his ACL. He then spent two years at Trinity Valley Community College where his talents earned him the #1 dual threat JUCO quarterback rating. He was the man that new coach Justin Fuente wanted running his offense, and the Hokies nabbed him from a long list of suitors.

Though only in Blacksburg one year, Evans made the most of it. He broke Logan Thomas’ record for total offense in a season. He threw 29 touchdowns versus just 8 interceptions, a sterling 3.63 TD/INT Ratio. He ran for 12 touchdowns as well. Evans also did something no other quarterback has done since 2012: he led his team to double-digit wins in a season. Evans led spectacular comebacks against both Notre Dame and Arkansas. And his 406-yard performance in a win at Pitt is the third highest in school history (Don Strock 527, Bryan Randall 504).

Evans is yet another guy we’d all love to have seen in the orange & maroon for a little longer. He left to enter the pro ranks and spent a number of years primarily in the arena leagues and overseas. He returned to Virginia Tech in 2024-25 to finish his degree.

Best moment: September 24, 2016, “Pirates’ Booty.” There were so many memorable moments in his one season, but late in the third quarter of his fourth game as a Hokie, Evans made an emphatic statement. He scrambled and rambled 55 yards, evading seemingly every East Carolina Pirate along the way to the end zone, giving the Hokies a 47-7 lead. It was the first of his 12 rushing touchdowns of the year. 

Years as a Starter: 1992-1994

Record as a Starter: 19-14-1

Emblematic of the rise of the Hokie program, Maurice DeShazo was one of the first upper-echelon high school stars to opt for Tech in the Frank Beamer era. It was DeShazo, a special talent out of Bassett High School and the #3 high school prospect in Virginia, who opened the door for the likes of Cornell Brown, Bryan Jennings, Ken Oxendine and other stars from the Commonwealth to choose Tech.

Once on the field, DeShazo was a difference-maker. His 157.5 passing efficiency rating in 1993 was tops in the Big East, fourth in the nation, and is still third best in Tech history behind Michael Vick (171.1 in 1999) and Hendon Hooker (165.8 in 2019). Also a gifted runner, DeShazo ran Rickey Bustle’s offense spectacularly, and capped the season by winning Offensive Most Valuable Player in an Independence Bowl win over Indiana.

The 1994 season wasn’t as spectacular, as Bustle moved on to South Carolina (before returning to Tech a year later), and new coordinator Gary Tranquill’s offense was not suited as well to DeShazo. He nevertheless essentially matched his passing yardage and completion percentage from 1993 and led the Hokies to a Gator Bowl berth, their second of what would become 27 straight bowls. DeShazo left Virginia Tech as the Hokies' all-time leader in total offense, and is still ranked fifth. He was inducted into the Virginia Tech Sports Hall of Fame in 2009.

Best moment: September 11, 1993, “Back to the Future!” It was Virginia Tech’s first Big East Conference Game. Head Coach Johnny Majors had returned to Pitt to return them to glory and arrived on the field in a DeLorean as part of their “Back to the Future” campaign. But it was the Hokies who had the coming out party of all coming out parties. DeShazo’s numbers weren’t eye-popping (10-15, 175 yards, 2 TD, 40 yards rushing, 1 TD), but he led a 500-yard offensive onslaught in a 63-21 rout of the Panthers. DeShazo was one of seven Hokies to rush for at least 40 yards. This win gave the Hokies a swagger not yet seen, and put them on a trajectory to earn coach Beamer his first bowl game. 

That’s a wrap for Part II. 

Stay tuned next week for Part III, where we will honor the Top 5 Virginia Tech quarterbacks of the last 50 years. Then in the following week's final installment of the series, we'll put a bow on it all by shining a light on the 11 Hokie quarterbacks with less than a full season of starts. In that final part, we will also include a full statistical listing of every quarterback who has started at least one game in the last 50 years. 

Thanks for reading!