The Big Ten has quietly become one of the most consistent producers of NFL talent at the quarterback position over the past decade. Just last year, Ohio State’s CJ Stroud skyrocketed to stardom after being selected second overall by the Houston Texans. Stroud would go on to lead the Texans to a playoff appearance and earned himself the Offensive Rookie of the Year award.
We also saw Illinois alumni Tommy Devito make a name for himself with his “Linsanity” run for the New York Giants and Purdue’s Aidan O’Connell proved that he can compete for a starting gig with the Las Vegas Raiders in the second half of the season.
Big Ten Prospects Who Could Make an Immediate Impact in the NFL in 2024
As the 2024 NFL draft looms closer and closer, there may be some more intriguing prospects coming out of the conference this year. With one guaranteed first-round pick and a few wildcards that could make a difference out of the late rounds and free agency, let’s look at three Big Ten prospects who can come in and make an impact as a rookie in the NFL.
J.J. Jumps From Natty to First Round
Michigan’s J.J. McCarthy is by far the best quarterback prospect coming out of the Big Ten this season. McCarthy won the College Football Playoff National Championship as the leader of the Wolverines’ vaunted offense, throwing for 2,991 yards and 22 touchdowns with only four interceptions.
While McCarthy’s numbers don’t jump off the page, he was one of the most efficient passers in the country with an 88.2 quarterback rating. He also completed 73% of his passes on the season.
McCarthy has shot up draft boards over the past month, with NFL Media’s Tom Pelissero saying NFL execs believe McCarthy to Washington at pick number two is a highly likely outcome. In February, there were questions on if McCarthy was even going to be drafted in the first round.
Part of the rise in hype is due to McCarthy’s former head coach, Jim Harbaugh. Harbaugh is now the head coach of the Los Angeles Chargers and has been hyping up his former quarterback, stating that he felt McCarthy had the best Pro Day he had ever seen.
“That was the best throwing day I’ve ever seen. Like I predicted, once they were around him, I was hearing the stories about how he is on the board, how he is on the field, the little things, the intangibles. I mean, it was absolutely no surprise whatsoever. But yeah, there was raving, and it was great to hear and incredible to hear.”
McCarthy is one of the most efficient improvisers under center coming out of the draft this season. He has also been running a pro-style offense at Michigan, which will help him get comfortable easily with whatever team he ends up with.
There are questions about his ability to get through progressions and his arm strength, much like former Big Ten product Justin Fields. Both of these issues followed Fields into the NFL and are the reason the Bears traded away the former first-rounder this offseason.
McCarthy projects to be a little less raw than Fields coming out, though, and that has many teams interested. McCarthy projects to be an above-average starter within two seasons, which could be beneficial to a team like Washington or the Minnesota Vikings, who have talented offenses that are just missing a quarterback.
Tagovailoa #2 Could Be Intriguing Prospect
The next two guys we are going to talk about probably will not have a surefire successful career in the NFL, but the past few seasons have shown that given an opportunity, almost anyone can come in and make an impact.
Let’s start by talking about ex-Maryland quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa first.
Tagovailoa is the younger brother of Miami Dolphins star Tua Tagovailoa. Like Tua, Taulia committed to Alabama after high school. He only spent one season there before transferring to Maryland. In four seasons with the Terrapins, Tagovailoa would become one of the greatest passers in the school’s history.
He threw for 11,256 yards and 76 touchdowns, making him the Big Ten’s all-time leading passer. These stats have earned him some buzz in NFL circles. His experience, mobility, and ability to quickly and effectively throw short passes all are positive signs for Tagovailoa in the NFL, but there are some questions about his readiness to play at the NFL level.
Tagovailoa did not intend on going into the draft this offseason. The fifth-year quarterback chose to enter the transfer portal and request a sixth year of eligibility from the NCAA. Tagovailoa had support from both Maryland and Alabama on his appeal for a sixth year, citing that his appearances in the five games he played his freshman season at Alabama were insignificant enough that he still qualified under the four-game maximum allowed for granting an extra season. The NCAA disagreed, forcing Tagovailoa to shift his attention to the NFL.
Tagovailoa is expected to be taken with a day-three pick as of right now due to his late announcement and concerns about his size and ability to be as accurate and strong outside the numbers as he is inside them. Many view him as a career backup, but his career college stats show that he has the potential to be an impact player at some point in his career.
Look for teams that need a backup quarterback who is mature and NFL-ready to be suitors for Tagovailoa. This includes his brother’s Dolphins, 49ers, and Bengals, all teams with strong supporting casts that can get the most out of the Maryland product.
Wisconsin’s Mordecai Can Be UDFA Gem
Playing quarterback for the Wisconsin Badgers can be an unforgiving gig, just ask every guy who has taken the reigns since Russell Wilson was drafted in 2012. The Badgers have had a run-first mindset since the beginning of time and tend to lack receiver talent and depth, and nothing changed in 2023.
Despite running back Braelon Allen being the focal point of the offense, Mordecai still had a respectable season. In 10 games, he had 2,066 yards and nine touchdowns. Anyone who has watched the Big Ten West this past season knows points were difficult to come by for all the offenses, and that despite Mordecai’s stats being uninspiring, he had a great season compared to other teams in that half of the conference.
The sixth-year senior’s promise stems more from his time at SMU and Oklahoma, rather than Wisconsin. Mordecai was a four-star recruit and committed to Oklahoma. He didn’t see much action in his three seasons there, but when he transferred to SMU, he erupted for 7,152 yards and 72 touchdowns over two seasons.
Mordecai excels at hitting his receivers consistently on short and medium routes and is able to get the ball out quickly. He also showed he has some hidden gem-type athletic ability at his Pro Day. With a good NFL-style frame, he could put on some muscle and still be an athletic enough option for some teams. Teams are also worried about Mordecai’s decision-making at points and his sloppy mechanics that have proven to hurt him more than help him against good defenses.
While there’s a pretty big chance Mordecai goes undrafted, the NFL has seen plenty of undrafted quarterbacks make a name for themselves, most recently Tyson Bagent of the Chicago Bears who stepped in when Justin Fields went down with injury in 2023. Young teams with injury-prone starters will have interest in the Wisconsin quarterback, such as the Cardinals, Saints, and Seahawks.