2nd Best Mississippi State QB

Who would you consider to be the 2nd best MSU QB of all time?

  • Nick Fitzgerald

    Votes: 62 39.7%
  • Wayne Madkin

    Votes: 9 5.8%
  • Don Smith

    Votes: 18 11.5%
  • John Bond

    Votes: 27 17.3%
  • Tyler Russell

    Votes: 1 0.6%
  • Will Rogers

    Votes: 10 6.4%
  • Other

    Votes: 7 4.5%
  • Whoever is 2nd string

    Votes: 7 4.5%
  • Other

    Votes: 7 4.5%
  • Chris Relf

    Votes: 8 5.1%

  • Total voters
    156

paindonthurt

All-Conference
Apr 7, 2025
3,433
2,530
113
Ok. Individual talent + wins... my point was Don Smith may be the 2nd best athlete to play QB at STATE, but Nick and John had more wins.

Nick, John and Don would not have fumbled the ball in Oxford to give OM a chance to comeback.
Nick John and Don wouldn’t have thrown for….checks TD stats and yards

Like it or not will rogers is in the top 5 in every positive category for a qb except rushing
 
Sep 7, 2007
461
332
63
Wayne Madkin because he's the only State QB to play for an SEC Championship.
It's of course been a long time, but I remember Madkin starting many games and Wyatt coming in during the final minutes to bail him out. That comeback at Auburn comes to mind. The only game I remember Madkin dominating was the first BYU game in Provo.
 
Sep 25, 2022
284
373
63
Sonny Fisher should be mentioned. As he was the last two way player at the quarterback position for us. He led the SEC in interceptions from the safety position one year. Even Dak nor myself can say or touch that.
 

Pak Drescott

Senior
Dec 10, 2018
315
714
93
If Nick would have had another year with Mullin he would have had a very prolific career at State.
That 2018 season was very frustrating to watch. Moorhead was trying to implement a complex offense when the basic RPO plays we were doing with Nick and Aeris in 17 worked so well
 
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Sep 25, 2022
284
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63
Sonny Fisher should be mentioned. As he was the last two way player at the quarterback position for us. He led the SEC in interceptions from the safety position one year. Even Dak nor myself can say or touch that.
Not only did he lead us that year from both sides of the ball that year in 63’, he lead us to a 7-2-2 record and a Liberty Bowl win in Pennsylvania. That was the first bowl game appearance in 23 years year at that time, since 1940.

So I change my vote:

#1 Sonny Fisher
#2 tie- Me and Dak
 

Chesusdog

All-Conference
May 2, 2006
4,738
4,651
113
It's of course been a long time, but I remember Madkin starting many games and Wyatt coming in during the final minutes to bail him out. That comeback at Auburn comes to mind. The only game I remember Madkin dominating was the first BYU game in Provo.

That was pretty much the story of 1999. Wyatt bailed us out multiple times.
 

L4Dawg

All-American
Oct 27, 2016
10,061
6,905
113
For those like me who aren't old enough to remember Jackie Parker, and, unlike me, haven't looked at our football history, Jackie Parker was a two time 1st team all SEC quarterback, like Dak. Unlike Dak was also a 1st team ALL AMERICAN quarterback in 1953. That is hands down the most decorated QB in our history.
 

leeinator

All-Conference
Feb 24, 2014
1,989
1,456
113
Joe Reed. Joe could pass so much better than Fitzgerald and could run if needed to.
 
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paindonthurt

All-Conference
Apr 7, 2025
3,433
2,530
113
It's of course been a long time, but I remember Madkin starting many games and Wyatt coming in during the final minutes to bail him out. That comeback at Auburn comes to mind. The only game I remember Madkin dominating was the first BYU game in Provo.
If we had a slightly above average qb the year we went to Atlanta we might have won a natty.
 
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FlotownDawg

All-American
Aug 30, 2012
6,761
7,010
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Ok. Individual talent + wins... my point was Don Smith may be the 2nd best athlete to play QB at STATE, but Nick and John had more wins.

Nick, John and Don would not have fumbled the ball in Oxford to give OM a chance to comeback.
John Bond fumbled inside the red zone when we were driving for the winning touchdown against Georgia. Lost the game. At least we won the game Rogers fumbled the ball in.
 

Perd Hapley

All-American
Sep 30, 2022
5,676
6,630
113
For those like me who aren't old enough to remember Jackie Parker, and, unlike me, haven't looked at our football history, Jackie Parker was a two time 1st team all SEC quarterback, like Dak. Unlike Dak was also a 1st team ALL AMERICAN quarterback in 1953. That is hands down the most decorated QB in our history.
Not taking anything away from Parker, but him being a 1st team All-American while Dak was not does not really mean anything in regards to how much each contributed to MSU. That award has a lot more to do with how good all the other QB’s in the country were at that time, in those specific years.

They also had careers that were over 60 years apart. I bet there’s not a soul on planet earth that saw both of them play at a phase in their life when they were reasonably qualified to assess their ability enough to say which one was better at MSU.

Who was better overall for their entire career though? Not even up for debate.
 

Perd Hapley

All-American
Sep 30, 2022
5,676
6,630
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If we had a slightly above average qb the year we went to Atlanta we might have won a natty.
Dude, we didn’t even finish that season ranked….

- We lost to UK because Hazelwood missed a chip shot FG and, I think, an extra point. Offense played well.
- Lost to Oklahoma State and LSU due to not even getting off the bus (and giving up 40+) in both games. Madkin had nothing to do with that.

Ultimately, we went to Atlanta that year on the heels of not having to play UF, UT, or UGA, playing historically weak Auburn and Alabama teams, and getting a little bit lucky that Romero Miller was injured for the Egg Bowl - although we still won that one pretty convoncingly.
 

paindonthurt

All-Conference
Apr 7, 2025
3,433
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Dude, we didn’t even finish that season ranked….

- We lost to UK because Hazelwood missed a chip shot FG and, I think, an extra point. Offense played well.
- Lost to Oklahoma State and LSU due to not even getting off the bus (and giving up 40+) in both games. Madkin had nothing to do with that.

Ultimately, we went to Atlanta that year on the heels of not having to play UF, UT, or UGA, playing historically weak Auburn and Alabama teams, and getting a little bit lucky that Romero Miller was injured for the Egg Bowl - although we still won that one pretty convoncingly.
I’m thinking about 1999
 

L4Dawg

All-American
Oct 27, 2016
10,061
6,905
113
Not taking anything away from Parker, but him being a 1st team All-American while Dak was not does not really mean anything in regards to how much each contributed to MSU. That award has a lot more to do with how good all the other QB’s in the country were at that time, in those specific years.

They also had careers that were over 60 years apart. I bet there’s not a soul on planet earth that saw both of them play at a phase in their life when they were reasonably qualified to assess their ability enough to say which one was better at MSU.

Who was better overall for their entire career though? Not even up for debate.
First team all American….how many those have we had at any position? Parker and Dak are the only two in this conversation.
 

OG Goat Holder

Heisman
Sep 30, 2022
11,990
11,105
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Y’all have to define “best”. The reason Dak is indisputably first is because he’s an NFL guy. Which we and Mullen helped of course. Bottom line is we’ve had no one like that so how do you judge? These guys all had different talent around them.

I think John Bond is likely 2nd, just going by who you want based on mediocre talent. Fitz and Smith are there too. Jackie Parker though a different era. Noodle Arm too.

Impossible question. All of them eventually got booed.