College football is on the horizon, folks. With the season just over a month away, there is no better time to start studying up on teams & conferences, win totals, positional rankings, etc. The Big Ten sees a ton of returning talent from a year ago. Throw in the insanity that is the transfer portal, and the Big Ten stacks up to be one of the best conferences in the country again. Teams like Ohio State, Michigan State, Michigan, and Wisconsin are slated to contend for the conference and hopefully earn a CFB playoff bid in the process. But how do the quarterbacks stack up against one another in the conference? Let’s find out.
Rankings
1.) C.J. Stroud – Ohio State
Not much needs to be said here. Stroud is currently the Vegas favorite to win the Heisman trophy in 2022. Coming off an 11 win campaign with a Rose Bowl win, Stroud is hoping to lead his Buckeyes to a national championship this season.
2.) Aiden O’ Connell – Purdue
O’ Connell lit it up for the Boilermakers a year ago, tossing for 3,700 yards and 28 TDs. He is an absolute threat in Brohm’s pass heavy offense. Losing his top target David Bell to the draft will sting, but there should be enough returning talent for O’Connell to have another stellar season.
3. Taulia Tagovoiloa – Maryland
This guy would get much more national attention if he wasn’t playing for Maryland. Outside of one bad start in 2021, Taulia was a star in the making. He threw only three interceptions in his final seven games, ending the season with 3,860 yards and 26 touchdowns, both of which are Maryland single season records. I expect an even bigger jump from Tagovoiloa in 2022, especially with a ton of production returning at receiver.
4. Payton Thorne – Michigan State
Thorne had a great 2021 season, throwing for 3,200 yards and 27 touchdowns a year ago. Not only did he put up good numbers; he also led the Spartans to an 11 win season and a Peach Bowl victory against Pittsburgh. Thorne also has two big targets returning – Jayden Reed (preseason Biletnikoff watch list) and Tre Mosley. However, he will have to find out how much the pass game benefited from Kenneth Walker – the best running back in the country a year ago.
5. Cade McNamara / J.J. McCarthy – Michigan
Let me be clear – this is not one or the other. This is Michigan’s quarterback situation in general. They have a one-two punch that is the best in the Big Ten and as good as anyone in the nation. McNamara, although primarily a game manager, is a proven leader and winner who can also connect on the deep ball when necessary. McCarthy has the untapped ability to be top 3 on this list, but until he proves it on the field, he will remain sharing snaps with McNamara.
6. Casey Thompson – Nebraska
Thompson transfers in from Texas, and instantly gets an opportunity in a Scott Frost offense that has been susceptible to turovers and mistakes. Thompson flashed his potential as a Longhorn a year ago, and many believe he has the composure and play-making ability to fit perfectly in Frost’s offense. I am higher on Thompson than some, and I think he could be a top 3-4 quarterback in the conference this season.
7. Connor Bazelak – Indiana
A transfer from Missouri, Bazelak looks to come in and resurrect the Indiana program. He has 20 starts in the SEC under his belt and put up some good numbers. His TD-INT ratio is glaring and something that needs to be improved. However, how much of that is due to playing at a program like Missouri? Constantly looking to claw back against strong SEC defenses. I expect that he settles in nicely for Tom Wilson’s Hoosiers and ends up being one of the conference’s surprises.
8. Sean Clifford – Penn State
Nobody needs a bounce back more than Sean Clifford and Penn State. Clifford has flashed his promise so many times, but ultimately is plagued with too many mistakes. There is no doubt Clifford can be a successful quarterback in 2022, but he needs to improve his consistency and ability to sustain drives. Clifford enters his 5th season at Penn State, so it is now time for him to prove he belongs in the Big Ten.
9. Graham Mertz – Wisconsin
After the shortened 2020 covid season ended, Mertz would’ve likely been in the top 5 or 6 on this list. However, after a lackluster 2021 season, Mertz finds himself on a rather short lease. Mertz cannot repeat his numbers from a year ago or Wisconsin will be looking to go to backup Chase Wolf or Deacon Hill. Mertz did end the season on a good note, going 11/15 for 137 yards and a TD in the Las Vegas Bowl. This is a huge year for the former 5 star recruit.
10. Tanner Morgan – Minnesota
Morgan has been unable to follow up a fantastic 2019 performance, where he was one of the best quarterbacks in the conference. That year, the Minnesota quarterback tossed for over 3,200 yards, 30 touchdowns and only 7 interceptions on route to an 11-2 record. Since then, Morgan has showed a lot of regression, completing less than 60% of his passes in both 2020 and 2021. Inexperience is not an issue here as Morgan enters his sixth season in the program.
11. Tommy DeVito – Illinois
Feels like DeVito has been in college football forever. The sixth year senior is using his extra year of covid eligibility to help out a new program. DeVito has shown flashes of what he could be, but has been plagued with inaccuracy and mistakes at Syracuse. The fresh start start at Illinois could be good for both DeVito and Bielma’s Illini who are looking to build on a surprising 5-7 record last season.
12. Spencer Petras – Iowa
It’s simple – Petras is just not that good. Historically, Iowa quarterbacks are never anything crazy from a talent standpoint. But they must be able to take care of the football. Petras doesn’t boast a ton of athleticism, is inaccurate, and makes tons of mistakes. A year ago, he completed only 57% of his passes while throwing for almost as many interceptions as touchdowns (10 touchdowns, 9 interceptions). Iowa should be solid this season, but they need a much better season from Petras, who is on the hot seat as the starter.
13. Noah Vedral – Rutgers
It is no certainty that Vedral will even win the starting quarterback job in camp. Second year player Gavin Wimsatt is looking to push Vedral for playing time. Vedral has had plenty of opportunities to separate himself over the last couple of seasons, but hasn’t been able to capitalize. In 2021, Vedral had a 1:1 touchdown to turnover ratio.
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14. Ryan Hilinski – Northwestern
The former South Carolina quarterback has not been able to make a name for himself in purple and black. The Northwestern offense has been a mess, but Hilinski didn’t do anything to make it better. He really struggled to move the ball last season and finished the season with a 54% completion percentage and more interceptions (4) than touchdowns (3). Heading into 2022, he is the least appealing starting quarterback the Big Ten Conference has.
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