As the Big Ten Football calendar draws nearer and the conference's annual Media Days on the horizon in Indianapolis, now is a good time for a whiparound of the league's quarterbacks who will suit up for each respective team this fall.
The best quarterback from a year ago, new Houston Texans quarterback C.J. Stroud, is no longer in the picture. yet, there are still multiple shakeups across the conference that should be captivating to follow along with as the season gets underway. New starters take over in as many as 10 of the 14 open slots this year, as is the nature of the transfer portal and highly anticipated debuts of touted recruits who will get their first true taste of action this season.
Where do they stack up in the summer months leading up to the season's kickoff? Let's discuss:
1. J.J. McCarthy, Michigan
McCarthy's Wolverines are back-to-back conference champions and College Football Playoff participants, thanks in part to his play as a facilitator and leader on the offensive side of the ball. Upon beating Iowa's expected starter Cade McNamara for the starting job, his play has elevated him to the highest echelon of quarterback play in the conference.
Don't expect there not to be close challengers, but for now, the junior signal-caller is the best quarterback on what could be the league's best team once again.
2022 STATS: 208-322 (64.6%), 2,719 yards, 22 TD, 5 INT. 70 carries, 306 yards, 5 TD
2. Taulia Tagovailoa, Maryland
McCarthy's clear top challenger resides in College Park, where Tagovailoa has put together impressive campaigns in back-to-back seasons. His numbers actually regressed from his 2021 season in 2022, where he threw for nearly 800 less yards, eight less touchdowns and completed a lower percentage of his pass attempts. Still, Tagovailoa's innate passing ability presents a unique challenge that many defensive coordinators across the conference have yet to decipher.
It's very likely that the third-year starter could end up as the best overall QB in the league by the end of the season. For now, though, he's No. 2.
2022 STATS: 262-391 (67.0%), 3,008 yards, 18 TD, 8 INT
3. Kyle McCord, Ohio State
Following in Stroud's footsteps are McCord and Devin Brown, though the starter of the two has not yet been announced. The third spot is a safe bet for either quarterback – McCord was a four-star prospect in the 2021 class, Brown a four-star in the 2022 class according to Rivals.
Regardless of the one throwing the ball, it'd be hard not to be near the top of this list when throwing to the nation's top two receivers on the outside in Marvin Harrison Jr. and Emeka Egbuka.
CAREER STATS (McCord): 41-58 (70.7%), 606 yards, 3 TD, 2 INT
4. Drew Allar, Penn State
Allar's ascension into the starting role is one of the more anticipated moves heading into the season, as the former four-star sophomore is gearing up for his chance at the QB1 position. Glimpses of his potential shined through in his true freshman season, including a 9-of-12 outing for 75 yards and two scores versus Indiana last season.
James Franklin and company are ready to hand the keys over to Allar.
2022 STATS: 35-60 (58.3%), 344 yards, 4 TD. 18 carries, 52 yards, 1 TD
5. Tanner Mordecai, Wisconsin
New head coach, new offensive coordinator and new quarterback for the Badgers in 2023, all geared towards reclaiming the top spot they'd become so accustomed to in the Big Ten West division. Mordecai, the SMU transfer, was a Davey O'Brien award semifinalist in '22 and should bring significant, immediate impact to the Badger offense and signal some intent in the first season of the Luke Fickell era in Madison.
2022 STATS: 288-443 (65%), 3,524 yards, 33 TD, 10 INT. 59 carries, 100 yards, 2 TD
6. Cade McNamara, Iowa
Iowa's offense has been nothing short of dreadful over the past couple of campaigns, but McNamara's arrival after transferring from Michigan should bring about an uptick of production in Iowa City. Anything would've been an upgrade for the Hawkeyes, but McNamara's addition is significant and should add some legitimacy to their Big Ten West title hopes this year.
CAREER STATS AT MICHIGAN: 22 games, 16 starts. 267-423 (63%), 3,181 yards, 21 TD, 7 INT
7. Hudson Card, Purdue
Purdue will be without Aidan O'Connell in 2023, but perhaps more importantly, without an offensive-minded head coach at the helm after head coach Jeff Brohm took the job at his alma mater of Louisville. Yet new head man Ryan Walters prioritized experience at the position, finding it in the Texas transfer Card. With a new era underway in Austin, Card is looking for a fresh start in West Lafayette.
CAREER STATS AT TEXAS: 22 games, five starts. 127-194 (65%), 1,523 yards, 11 TD, 2 INT.
8. Jeff Sims, Nebraska
Sims was coveted by many after entering the portal out of Georgia Tech, but the new regime in Lincoln under head coach Matt Rhule landed his services. His arrival led to the transfer of Casey Thompson, the Cornhusker starter from a year ago, unofficially crowning him as the leader at the position in 2023 for Nebraska.
An impressive dual-threat QB, Sims will bring about a dynamic style of play to the conference.
CAREER AT GEORGIA TECH: 24 games, 23 starts. 364-633 (57.5%), 4,464 yards, 30 TD, 13 INT. 277 carries, 1152 yards, 11 TD.
9. Ben Bryant, Northwestern
Bryant's transfer from Cincinnati to Northwestern is one of the more interesting cases to watch. His story has been crazy to follow: three seasons at Cincinnati before spending a season at Eastern Michigan as the starter. He then transferred back to the Bearcat program before suffering a season ending injury as the year drew to a close. Now, he finds himself with Northwestern, hoping to rekindle any sort of winning production from the Wildcat offense this fall.
Following a 1-11 season, his task will be tough.
2022 STATS (Cincinnati): 213-348 (61%), 2,732 yards, 21 TD, 7 INT
10. Luke Altmyer, Illinois
Altmyer is the latest transfer QB to take the reins of the Illini offense, as he arrives in Champaign after two seasons and nine games under Lane Kiffin at Ole Miss. The former four-star QB is looking to recapture his strong play for Illinois this season. He might have a higher ceiling than Tommy DeVito's last season, but his floor could also be lower.
CAREER AT OLE MISS: 9 games. 28-54 (52%), 317 yards, 3 TD, 3 INT
11. Athan Kaliakmanis, Minnesota
When Tanner Morgan went down for the Gophers last season, Kaliakmanis was the next man up and surprised in his debut – 319 yards and two scores in a road victory in Madison over the Badgers. If he can build off the solid foundation he set in that outing and the rest of the season, Kaliakmanis could be a solid option for the Gophers in the long run.
2022 STATS: 60-111 (54%), 946 yards, 3 TD, 4 INT.
12. Gavin Wimsatt, Rutgers
Wimsatt's game has been a work in progress ever since he arrived in Piscataway, reclassifying in order to come to school early. But the Scarlet Knights bring in a new offensive coordinator this season, and head coach Greg Schiano is looking to turn the program he's so synonymous with around once again.
CAREER STATS: 12 games. 74-166 (45%), 802 yards, 5 TD, 9 INT.
13. Noah Kim, Michigan State
Kim's emergence to the starting spot was not planned, but Payton Thorne's late departure for Auburn out of the transfer portal has accelerated his development and necessity to play important snaps this fall. Though, Kim might have been pushing -- or even taken control -- of the position in spring camp.
A former three-star quarterback, the Spartan is tasked with helping turn things around in East Lansing after a tumultuous season last year.
2022 STATS: 4 games. 14-19 (74%), 174 yards, 3 TD.
14. Tayven Jackson, Indiana
There's almost no film on Jackson as a collegiate quarterback, having only taken a handful of snaps before entering the transfer portal after a season at Tennessee. The ceiling is high for the former four-star, but he's been in battle with redshirt freshman Brendan Sorsby for the lead signal caller position, a debate that's been ongoing since he arrived on campus.
Whoever ends up being the starter for Indiana likely slots into this role regardless, but there's nowhere else to really go besides up. The Hoosier offense was not great last season, and that's putting it kindly. Jackson or Sorsby hope to be a part of the turnaround.
CAREER STATS: 3 games. 3-4, 37 yards. 4 carries, 10 yards, 1 TD.
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