- Tim Tebow won two national championships.
- Steve Spurrier was the first Gator to win the Heisman Trophy.
- Emmitt Smith had the most rushing yards in a single Gators game with 316 yards in 1989 against New Mexico.
There were many dominant college football teams in the 2000s, but in the mid-2000s, the crown belonged to the Florida Gators. If college football betting was around then, they would have been heavily wagered on, winning multiple national titles.
Today, as we head into the 2024 season, the Gators are a tough team to consider for college football live betting. The results haven’t been there.
That said, the program has produced a plethora of star players, and below, I’ll list the seven best players the program has ever seen.
7 Best Florida Gators Football Players
| Rank | Player | Position | Florida Gators Years |
| 1 | Tim Tebow | QB | 2006-2009 |
| 2 | Steve Spurrier | QB | 1964-1966 |
| 3 | Emmitt Smith | RB | 1987-1989 |
| 4 | Danny Wuerffel | QB | 1993-1996 |
| 5 | Percy Harvin | WR | 2006-2008 |
| 6 | Jack Youngblood | DE | 1968-1970 |
| 7 | Wilber Marshall | LB | 1980-1983 |
1. Tim Tebow
Steve Spurrier was in contention here for my top Gators player of all time, but, to me, it’s Tebow.
He led the Gators to two national championships in three years (2006 and 2008). In 2007, they didn’t win the national title, but he won the Heisman Trophy. He was the MVP of the 2008 title game, was a two-time Maxwell Award winner, and also won the Davey O’Brien Award, William V. Campbell Trophy, James E. Sullivan Award, was a consensus All-American, two-time SEC Offensive Player of the Year, and more.
He was inducted into the Florida Football Ring of Honor and is in the College Football Hall of Fame.
He finished his career with 9,285 passing yards (fourth), 88 passing touchdowns (tied for second), 2,947 rushing yards (sixth), and 57 rushing touchdowns (first).
2. Steve Spurrier
Playing in the 1960s, Spurrier became the first Gators player to win the Heisman Trophy. That honour came in 1966, and that same year, he was the UPI Player of the Year, SN Player of the Year, Walter Camp Memorial Trophy, a unanimous All-American, and the SEC Player of the Year.
He had additional honours, such as being a first-team All-American and a two-time first-team All-SEC. He was also inducted into the Florida Football Ring of Honor and the College Football Hall of Fame.
He finished his career with 4,848 passing yards and 36 passing touchdowns.
3. Emmitt Smith
This shouldn’t be a surprise. Not only is he the best running back in Gators history, but he’s arguably the best running back in the history of the sport of football.
To this day, Smith ranks second in rushing yards (3,928), second in rushing touchdowns (36), holds the top-two records in single-season rushing yards with 1,599 in 1989 and 1,341 in 1987, and also holds the single-game rushing record with 316 in 1989 against New Mexico.
He was the SEC Freshman of the Year, three-time first-team All-SEC recipient, was a unanimous All-American, was inducted into the Florida Football Ring of Honor, and is in the Pro Football Hall of Fame and College Football Hall of Fame.
4. Danny Wuerffel
Wuerffel quarterbacked the first Gators national championship team in 1996. That year, he also won the Heisman Trophy, Maxwell Award, Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award, Walter Camp Award, William V. Campbell Trophy, and more.
Additionally, he was the SEC Freshman of the Year, a two-time Davey O’Brien Award winner, and was inducted into the Florida Football Ring of Honor.
He ranks second in passing yards (10,875), first in passing touchdowns (114), third in total offence (10,500), and second in touchdowns responsible for (122).
5. Percy Harvin
Harvin was a key component to the national title runs in 2006 and 2008, serving as a top target for Tebow. In addition to those wins, Harvin was a two-time first-time All-American, two-time first-team All-SEC, and was the SEC Freshman of the Year.
Harvin is also second in most receptions in a single Gators game, with 13 in 2008 against Ole Miss.
He finished his career with 133 receptions for 1,929 receiving yards, 13 touchdowns, 194 carries, 1,852 rushing yards, and 19 rushing scores.
6. Jack Youngblood
There is arguably no defensive player more dominant than Youngblood. While in Florida, he was a first-team All-American and first-team All-SEC.
As a sophomore, Youngblood had 24 tackles and four sacks. He also did some kicking, including a 42-yard field goal against Air Force.
Then, in 1969, he had 14 sacks and 66 tackles.
Finally, in 1970, he had 58 tackles and 10 sacks, finishing with 29 as a Gator.
7. Wilber Marshall
Playing linebacker, Marshall finished his career at Florida with 343 tackles (ninth), 23 sacks (fifth), and 11 sacks in 1981, tied for fifth in a single season.
Marshall was also a two-time consensus All-American, two-time first-team All-SEC, in the Florida Football Ring of Honor, the University of Football Athletic Hall of Fame, and the College Football Hall of Fame.