Some athletes leave their mark — others leave a legacy. For Barrett Renner, the southpaw quarterback from Rowlett, Texas, his time at Southern Arkansas University was nothing short of historic.
A four-year starter and the undeniable cornerstone of the Mulerider offense, Renner didn't just rack up stats — he rewrote the record books. With a combination of consistency, talent, and leadership, he set the standard for quarterback play in Magnolia and beyond, cementing his place as one of the most prolific players in SAU and Arkansas college football history.
A four-time All-GAC selection, which includes three nods on the league's first team, the southpaw currently holds seven career passing records, including attempts, completions, passing yards, completion percentage, and passing touchdowns. In terms of single-season records, his name sits atop six with additional seasons appearing in the top 5 of those records twenty times.
A multiple-time all-region and All-America performer in addition to being a regional nominee for the prestigious Harlon Hill Trophy in three consecutive seasons, Renner finished his career in the Mulerider Blue & Gold with 13,037 passing yards and 118 passing touchdowns, both of which rank second on the state of Arkansas' all-time collegiate passing lists and both program bests. After earning the honor in his redshirt freshman and senior seasons, Renner also became the first-ever two-time award recipient of the Auburn Smith Male Athlete of the Year award, the highest honor for any SAU Athlete.
Renner was the starting quarterback for the Muleriders in all four of his years wearing the Blue and Gold, as the Lone Star State native finished his career with a record of 31-15. Over his 46 games played at SAU, Renner became the program's leader for total offensive plays played in a career, which ended up being 1,883. In all four of his seasons as the field general, Renner passed for 3,000+ yards. In the 2016 campaign, Renner recorded a career-high 3,371 passing yards, which stands as the second-most in the program's history for a single season. Along with that, Renner has held the program record for passing touchdowns in a single season since his freshman year, when he recorded 33 touchdown passes. The Lone Star native broke his own record in his junior season with 35 touchdown passes.
