3 days ago
Where Tim Tebow's jump pass ranks among greatest college football plays since 2000
Where Tim Tebow's jump pass ranks among greatest college football plays since 2000
There has been no shortage of incredible plays in college football over the past 25 years, but figuring out which ones were among the best is a tougher task than one might realize.
Eight ESPN writers and two editors nominated 51 top plays since 2000 and ranked them from 1 to 25, with 25 points awarded for first-place votes, 24 for second place and continuing until 1 point was awarded for a play voted at No. 25. Among those cracking the top 25 was Tim Tebow's original jump-toss play against the LSU Tigers in 2006, which came in at No. 16.
"Only a freshman, Tim Tebow introduced himself to the college football world in 2006 as Florida won the first of two national championships over the next three seasons," Chris Low begins.
"He was primarily a short-yardage specialist that year at quarterback behind starter Chris Leak. Tebow's first career touchdown pass came in a key 23-10 win over No. 9 LSU. He took the snap, started toward the line of scrimmage as if he was going to run and then went airborne, pump-faking, and lobbing a 1-yard touchdown pass to tight end Tate Casey in the back of the end zone," he continues.
"Tebow won the Heisman Trophy the next year and then duplicated his jump pass as a junior with a game-sealing, 4-yard touchdown to David Nelson against Oklahoma to lead the Gators to the 2008 national championship."
It was an amazing time to be a Florida Gator.
ESPN's top college football plays since 2000
Kick-Six | Nov. 30, 2013 Boise State trickeration | Jan. 1, 2007 Invincibowl | Jan. 4, 2006 Tua's toss | Jan. 8, 2018 "The Horror" | Sept. 1, 2007 "Six" | Nov. 1, 2008 Prayer at Jordan-Hare | Nov. 16, 2013 Surrender Cobra | Oct. 17, 2015 Superman | Oct. 6, 2001 Champions* | Jan. 3, 2003 Clowney "car wreck" | Jan. 1, 2013 "Oh my gracious!" | Nov. 10, 2012 "Orange Crush" | Jan. 9, 2017 Bush Push | Oct. 15, 2005 Reggie in the fog | Oct. 23, 2004 Jump Pass I | Oct. 7, 2006 Bluegrass Miracle | Nov. 9, 2002 (tied) Eight Laterals of Chaos | Oct. 31, 2015 (tied) Reed wrestles it away | Nov. 10, 2001 "Gravedigger" | Nov. 25, 2023 Black 41 Flash Reverse Pass | Oct. 27, 2001 61-second spectacle | Oct. 27, 2007 Nonsense masterpiece | Nov. 7, 2015 Cam Can | Oct. 23, 2010 Lamar Leap | Sept. 9, 2016
Follow us @GatorsWire on X, formerly known as Twitter, as well as Bluesky, and like our page on Facebook to follow ongoing coverage of Florida Gators news, notes and opinions.
