CFB: Ranking Every Quarterback in the Big Ten

There are a lot of question marks moving forward at quarterback in the Big Ten. Two themes categorize most of the returning passers in the conference: inconsistency and regression. The star of the Big Ten Justin Fields is now gone, leaving the throne to whoever wants to take it. Here are the candidates to be the Big Ten’s next top quarterback, ranked for your convenience.

14. Brandon Peters, Illinois

Illinois’ offense was bad last year. The 2-6 fighting Illini only managed to scrape together a measly 20 points a game last year, good for the 2nd lowest-scoring offense in the Big Ten. Illinois has struggled mightily under the leadership of former Bears head coach and current Houston Texans defensive coordinator Lovie Smith, failing to put together a single winning season during his tenure.

A big area of weakness for the Fighting Illini over the past few years has been a carousel of bad quarterback play in the Prairie State. Brandon Peters has manned the position over the past two years and really struggled last season. The former Michigan Wolverine struggled to throw the ball with any accuracy, completing passes at 48.8%. With his top target, the uber-athletic Josh Imatorbhebhe, off to the NFL, first-year coach Brett Bielema certainly has his hands full.

13. Ryan Hillinski, Northwestern

Sticking with the theme of a revolving door at quarterback: here we have Northwestern. For most of the past decade, the Wildcats enjoyed stability at the quarterback position. Dan Persa manned the spot for two years, followed by successful three years careers from New Orleans Saints quarterback Trevor Siemian and New York Giants quarterback Clayton Thorson. The post-Thorson years have been rocky at the position for Pat Fitzgerald’s squad.

After Aiden Smith failed to impress in 2019, the Wildcats opted to go the transfer route in Peyton Ramsey for the 2020 season. With Ramsey graduating, a new transfer arrives in former South Carolina quarterback Ryan Hilinski. Hilinski showed some flashes in the 2019 season, throwing 11 touchdowns to 5 interceptions, but didn’t really see any game time last season. Can Hilinski make strides forward despite the year off the field, and help stabilize the Wildcats at quarterback?

12. Payton Thorne/Anthony Russo, Michigan State

Last season was a disaster for the Spartans. Under new coach Mel Tucker, the Spartans offense coasted to a conference worst 18 points per game and a 2-5 record. Michigan State hoped that Rocky Lombardi could be the successor to long-time starter Brian Lewerke, but an extremely poor season and a transfer to Northern Illinois dashed any hope of that happening.

Vying for the starting sport for the Spartans are two new fighters, both extremely different. Redshirt sophomore Payton Thorne is hoping to earn his shot at being the solution for the Spartans offensive woes, though he has relatively little experience. The little game time he had last year came with mixed results. Former Temple quarterback Anthony Russo looks to convey his vast experience into a starting role in the Big Ten. Russo has thrown nearly 900 passes in his career, with 44 touchdowns and 32 interceptions. Does Michigan take a shot on the youngster or opt for a more experienced option with a lower ceiling.

11. Noah Vedral, Rutgers

Rutgers has been the epitome of bad QB play ever since joining the Big Ten in 2014. Before this past year, the last Rutgers quarterback to finish with more touchdowns than interceptions was Chris Laviano. It has been a revolving door of atrocious quarterback play over the past 5 years. Vedral by comparison has been light years ahead of the previous signal-callers for the Scarlet Knights, but that is not saying much.

Vedral provided a bit of stability last year for Rutgers, making enough plays to give them a chance in games such as their 48-42 loss to Michigan in which he had 3 touchdowns. There was definitely an improvement in the offense as a whole While losing to teams such as Michigan, Indiana, and Penn State, Rutgers didn’t put up just a combined 6 points as they did the year before (yes, Rutgers were shut out by both Indiana and Michigan) The Scarlet Knights were able to remain a lot more competitive than they have in recent years. Vedral isn’t the best quarterback, none of his numbers jump off the page, but he’s certainly an improvement for Rutgers. 

10. Cade McNamara/J.J. McCarthy, Michigan

Last year was a disaster for Michigan, and not just by regular Michigan standards. Michigan were seen to have been underachieving the past few years, winning 8-10 games in the regular season but losing in the bowl game. That was the definition of underachieving for Michigan, not being a National competitor under Harbaugh. Last season’s 2-4 finish, with one of those two wins coming in overtime against Rutgers, was an embarrassment.

What went wrong for Michigan last year cannot be pinpointed to one specific problem. Everything went wrong for Harbaugh’s Wolverine’s last year, the offense struggling to put up points against Penn State and Michigan State and the defense unable to stop anyone. One of the big problems was at quarterback. 

Quarterback Joe Milton struggled to replace Shea Patterson, struggling with accuracy, decision making, and turnovers. Once again Harbaugh is searching for his quarterback, with Milton off to battle Hendon Hooker for the Tennessee job. Former four-star recruit Cade McNamara is the best returning candidate. He looked good against Rutgers with four touchdowns, but only threw for 91 yards against Penn State. Pushing him for the starting spot is freshman J.J. McCarthy. The 5-star recruit from IMG Academy is Harbaugh’s highest-rated quarterback recruit since joining Michigan in 2015. There is uncertainty for Michigan at quarterback in 2021 but definitely a lot of potential!

9. Spencer Petras, Iowa

As a redshirt sophomore, Spencer Petras was tasked with replacing quarterback Nate Stanley. Stanley had his ups and downs, as the most middle-of-the-pack Big Ten quarterbacks do, but it was enough to not mess it up for a strong Iowa squad. Under Stanley, Iowa was a winning squad that finished as high as 15th in the final AP Poll. It seems Petras is following in the footsteps of Stanley, doing enough to help the Hawkeyes to a 6-2 record.

For Iowa quarterback Spencer Petras, the theme is wild inconsistency (get used to that theme for the rest of the Big 10 quarterbacks.) There are times he finds his checkdowns well, other times nobody knows who he is throwing at. He can struggle mightily with accuracy and decision-making while making some good plays. Iowa is a strong team, strong enough to finish as the 16th ranked team with Petras just playing ok. If he maintains his middle-of-the-pack inconsistent play, Iowa will likely remain the solid competitive team they have been. If he takes a step up in his second year as a starter, Iowa can be a tough out for any team in the country.

8. Aidan O’Connell/Jack Plummer, Purdue

Two years after four-year starter David Blough moved onto the NFL, the Boilermakers are still searching for their starting quarterback. The good thing for Purdue: they have two capable signal-callers. Last year Aidan O’Connell won the starting job and did a bang solid job for Purdue. He was a safe quarterback who could make short throws. He wouldn’t turn the ball over much, but wouldn’t make too many big-time highlight plays. When he went down three games in with an injury, sophomore Jack Plummer stepped in and showed some flashes. In three games Plummer threw eight touchdown passes and completed passes at a 71% clip. Purdue might not be a powerhouse in the Big Ten this year, but they certainly don’t have the worst quarterback in the league no matter who wins the starting job.

7. Tanner Morgan, Minnesota

A year ago it would’ve been blasphemous for Tanner Morgan to be this low. Coming off a stellar sophomore year, Morgan was one of the top returning quarterbacks in the entire country. He was expected to take the next step and join the upper echelon of college quarterbacks, but unfortunately, Morgan regressed across the board in 2020.

In a weird year that saw an unusual offseason with the addition of a new offensive coordinator, Morgan had his worst season yet. His 66% completion percentage from 2019 plummeted to 58%. In 7 games Morgan only managed to throw 7 touchdowns, a far cry from his 30 passing touchdowns the year before. Morgan’s impressive 10 yards per attempt lowered to 7.5. It was a very bad year. The good news: we’ve seen Morgan play well before. If he can return to his 2019 form Minnesota can be in for a bounceback season.

6. Adrian Martinez, Nebraska

The big story for Adrian Martinez is still: can he grow as a passer. The former four-star recruit from Fresno, California seemed on the fast track for superstardom after a stellar freshman year in which he threw for 2,617 yards and 17 touchdowns. He was efficient with the ball, and an extremely stellar runner rushing for over 600 yards and 8 touchdowns. Nebraska and the rest of the college football world are still waiting for Martinez to replicate his freshman year.

For two straight years now, Martinez has regressed as a passer. In 2019 his completion percentage tanked to 59%, a sharp dropoff from his 65% the year prior. The touchdowns went down to ten, just one more than his nine interceptions. While the completion percentage did skyrocket this year to 71%, that was only on seven yards an attempt. In seven games he only threw four touchdowns, while throwing three interceptions. We know Martinez can run, he’s shown that over the past few years. If Nebraska wants to go bowling this year, Martinez needs to start getting it done with his arm once again. 

5. Taulia Tagovailoa, Maryland

There were two versions of Taulia Tagovailoa in his first year as a starter. The first was a rising star quarterback who can make big plays and will his team to victories. This is the player who put up 394 yards and three touchdowns in a win over Minnesota, and three touchdowns in a win over Penn State. There was also a quarterback who showed his rawness and inexperience. This is the quarterback who threw for only 94 yards and three interceptions against Northwestern and turned the ball over multiple times against Indiana. It was a weird first year for Tagovailoa, but one that leaves many excited for what he can do in 2021. If we see more of the first version of Tagovailoa, expect to see more hype.

4. Graham Mertz, Wisconsin

Graham Mertz started out the season looking like the next great Big Ten quarterback. 248 yards, five touchdowns, only one missed pass. Mertz diced the Illinois defense up in just his first college start. Then the season got really weird. Mertz battled with both COVID and a shoulder injury. With injuries and a deflated receiving core, Mertz struggled for consistency. He struggled mightily against Northwestern (the #5 defense in the country and a team nearly EVERY quarterback struggled against) and had subpar games against Indiana and Iowa. He was able to pull it back together and finish the season with solid but unspectacular performances against Minnesota and Wake Forest.

For Mertz, he has all of the potential in the world. The highly touted former four-star recruit has all the tools to be a star at the college level. Wisconsin was a team that struggled with the COVID impacted season last year. If the rest of the team can stay healthy, if the running game becomes reinvigorated by rising youngster Jalen Berger (another star Wisconsin running back from New Jersey), and if Graham Mertz can improve and show more consistency, Wisconsin can be a team to watch out for in 2021.

3. Sean Clifford, Penn State

Sean Clifford is the ultimate culmination of all the Big Ten quarterback themes. He has talent but is extremely inconsistent, especially in clutch situations. Clifford struggled all last year with turnovers, leading the Big Ten in interceptions. He also regressed from his 2019 campaign. The touchdowns were down, the yards per attempt down, and the interceptions were up. Despite falling in the same category as many of the quarterbacks listed behind him, it’s easy to forget that at the end of the day Sean Clifford still puts up good numbers in that Penn State offense.

It is easy to forget that it was Sean Clifford who finished 2nd in the conference in both touchdowns and passing yards. Clifford statically is as solid of a college quarterback as they come. The biggest problem is those darn turnovers. Clifford led the conference in interceptions with nine, that’s a pick every game. That can’t keep happening. We’ve seen him play really well before, looking on the verge of stardom in 2019 statistically speaking at least. If he can just cut down on them turnovers he will be a lot better, as will a Penn State

2. C.J. Stroud Ohio State

The Ohio State Buckeyes once again have the opportunity to trot out an elite quarterback in 2021. Despite the position being oft-criticized, the Buckeyes have enjoyed top-tier QB play over the past three years. In his sophomore season before the draft, Dwayne Haskins threw for 50 touchdowns, playing his way to a first-round selection. Justin Fields was an immediate Heisman. Now C.J. Stroud looks to carry that same level of success for a Buckeyes team with national aspirations.

C.J. Stroud was a highly touted recruit in the 2020 class. He was the 2nd rated prospect, only trailing behind Clemson’s DJ Uiagalelei. Since his commitment, he was seen as the successor to Justin Fields. The reports coming out of the Ohio State camp is that Stroud looks ready to be the next great college quarterback. He’s certainly entering the right situation to do so. At his disposal will be potential first-round wide receivers Chris Olave and Garrett Wilson, as well as a potential top-five tight end in Jeremy Ruckert. Both tackles are well experienced as well. It’s an extremely strong Ohio State team that Stroud is taking the reins of.

1.Michael Penix, Indiana

All the evidence needed that Michael Penix is the best quarterback in the Big Ten lies in Indiana’s game of the season candidate against Ohio State last year. 495 yards. 5 touchdowns. Penix may not be the most accurate quarterback in all of college football. He only did throw for a 56% completion percentage, when you examine his style of play it makes sense why.

Penix is a gamer who looks for the big play. He might not be the most consistent down-to-down passer, but he had an extreme knack for the big play, especially in the big moments of a game. He has a good arm and a superb ability for making plays off script out of the pocket. He can make big-time throws and put up points in a hurry. His season was cut short by an injury, but he looks ready to go for week one. Look for Penix to break out as the headliner of the Big Ten with Fields gone.

Writer

-By: Jacob Keppen