by Sean Szymczak
Only three Big Ten teams have last year’s full-time starting QB returning in 2024. In the newly expanded 18-team conference, that means there is more reshuffling and new faces at the quarterback position than the conference has ever seen.
And in typical Big Ten fashion, many of the teams are built on the backs of great offensive lines and defenses in 2024. That means you won’t see many of the nation’s top quarterbacks listed here. Nonetheless, having reliable QB play remains integral to winning at the highest level of college football.
Below, we rank every team’s starting QB situation 1-18.
1) Dillon Gabriel – Oklahoma
Dillon Gabriel is the clear-cut top quarterback in the Big Ten and one of the best 10 in the country heading into 2024. With 49 career starts under his belt, he needs to make it just 5 games in order to top Bo Nix for most starts in the history of college football. In those starts, he’s amassed over 15,000 total yards, over 150 total TDs, and a 5:1 TD:INT.
Coming off the best season of his career, Gabriel has also improved tremendously throughout his career. He completed 69% of his passes in 2023 for over 4,000 total yards, 42 total TDs, and only 6 INTs.
With some of the country’s best weapons around him, Dillon Gabriel is being set up to have a record-shattering season in 2024.
2) Will Howard / Devin Brown – Ohio State
Skeptics may point to Devin Brown’s lack of production in limited opportunities and Will Howard’s inability to fend Avery Johnson off at Kansas State as reasons why this ranking is too high.
But think about this: despite the “failure” 2023 was for Kyle McCord, he still finished top 3 in the Big Ten in passing yards, passing TDs, completion percentage, passing efficiency, and yards per attempt. That was considered a down season for a Buckeye starting QB. Even poor QB play in a Ryan Day offense is some of the best in the Big Ten.
Will Howard and Devin Brown both looked very comfortable and decisive in the spring. They also proved to be versatile threats with their legs – a dimension that has been absent from Ohio State’s offense since Justin Fields left. With an embarrassment of riches at their disposal, I am confident either Devin Brown or Will Howard (or maybe a combination of both) will provide the Buckeyes with great quarterback play once again.
3) Drew Allar – Penn State
Drew Allar has been ridiculed, torn apart, and hated on more than maybe any other player in college football this off-season. But Penn State’s offensive woes last year had more to do with Mike Yurcich’s offense and the lack of production from the receivers than it did Drew Allar himself.
Allar still managed a respectable season despite the turmoil swirling the passing game all season: 60% completion, 2,631 yards, 25 TDs, 2 INTs. He now has a full season of starting under his belt and a great offensive mind in new OC Andy Kotelnicki, who specializes in getting the ball out quickly. Everything is lining up for Allar to take a big step forward in 2024.
Penn State’s pass-catchers are still a massive question mark, but Drew Allar should be a bigger source of consistency and reliability than he was in 2023.
4) Miller Moss / Jayden Maiava – USC
Similarly to Ryan Day, Lincoln Riley seems to do nothing but produce big numbers from the quarterback position. Miller Moss put himself in the center of USC’s QB conversation with his performance in the Holiday Bowl: 23-33 for 372 yards and 6 TDs. Safe to say the public is sold on Moss as the heir to Caleb Williams.
But don’t discount Jayden Maiava. A top-200 prospect from 2022, Maiava led UNLV to a 9-5 record last year. Both Moss & Maiava struggled to throw the ball in the spring game (which is also a compliment to the development of the secondary). But Maiava brings a different dimension with his running ability – something that Miller Moss severely lacks. That could be crucial if the passing game takes a while to click in 2024.
This QB competition is more open than most people realize. The spring game proved that both of these guys still have room to grow, but I trust Lincoln Riley to get the most out of them. It will also help that they have a tremendous amount of talent and depth at the receiver position.
5) Will Rogers – Washington
What Will Rogers’ career has lacked in flashiness has been made up for in consistency. He posted a 23-17 record for Mississippi State over the past 4 seasons, completing 69% of his passes for over 12,000 yards, 94 TDs, and 28 INTs (about a 5:1 ratio).
With just 6.6 yards per attempt, Rogers isn’t near the deep-ball savant that Michael Penix was. But Rogers can be a reliable game-manager at the very least. His 43 career games will help him learn Jed Fisch’s new offense and seamlessly lead this team.
The hits from Washington’s mass exodus of talent at virtually every position are softened by the veteran presence of Will Rogers at QB. He won’t break any records in 2024, but he should be a steadfast leader during the new regime’s first season.
6) Aidan Chiles / Tommy Shuster – Michigan State
Payton Thorne left for Auburn after 2022 and Michigan State was left without a paddle at the QB position, as both Evan Simon and Katin Houser struggled to find any footing in this offense. But 2024 should be a much different story for the Spartans.
Aidan Chiles was a top-100 recruit last season and followed Jonathan Smith over from Oregon State. He appeared in parts of 9 games as a true freshman and had 9 total TDs with no interceptions. He arrived to East Lansing with loads of hype and lived up to as much of it as he possibly could in his spring outing. There’s no doubt Chiles has a promising career ahead of him and can provide the Spartans with the best QB play they’ve seen since Connor Cook.
But Tommy Shuster could make this a very interesting QB battle. A 6th-year senior and 4-year starter from North Dakota, Shuster displayed tremendous pocket presence and accuracy in the spring. He has the experience Aidan Chiles does not and could very well steal the starting job. Either way, expect massive quarterback improvement from Michigan State this season.
7) Dylan Raiola – Nebraska
Dylan Raiola is the most impactful true freshman in all of college football. The Huskers went 5-7 last year with 4 one-possession losses and one of the nation’s worst passing offenses. They now get a huge upgrade with the #1 QB prospect in the 2024 class.
He impressed in Nebraska’s spring game, racking up 239 yards and 2 TDs on 16 of 22 passing. He threw an interception that went off the receiver’s hands and was a little late on some deep throws. But Raiola passed his first test at the college level with flying colors.
It may take a few weeks for Dylan Raiola to get his feet under him, but this lofty ranking has more to do with Raiola’s ceiling and where I think he will be by season’s end (it’s also a statement about the Big Ten’s general weakness at the position).
8) Tyler Van Dyke – Wisconsin
Tanner Mordecai didn’t work out as the Badgers’ one-season rental last year, but they are trying it again with Miami transfer Tyler Van Dyke. The 5th-year senior has started 30 games over the past three seasons, putting up nearly 7,500 yards passing, 54 TDs, and 23 INTs. He’s also a threat with his legs, racking up 15 TDs on the ground.
Van Dyke is nothing if not unspectacular, but he’s done more than Mordecai at this level and should be a step in the right direction. His big frame should hold up over the long season and his mobility is better suited for Phil Longo’s run-n-gun attack.
But there is a reason Tyler Van Dyke struggled to fend off true freshman Emory Williams at Miami last season. His accuracy downfield is inconsistent at best and his decision-making can be questionable. Experience is invaluable, but I ultimately don’t see Van Dyke being the game-changing quarterback Longo is looking for.
9) Alex Orji / Jack Tuttle / Davis Warren – Michigan
One of the nation’s most fascinating quarterback battles is taking place in Ann Arbor, Michigan where Alex Orji, Jack Tuttle, and Davis Warren appear to be in a dead heat. Regardless of the winner, the drop-off from JJ McCarthy cannot be understated.
Jack Tuttle looks to be the most reliable option, as he has 199 career attempts and has spent the majority of his previous 6 seasons backing up Michael Penix at Indiana as well as McCarthy. But he’s posted a 1:1 TD:INT on his career and isn’t near the threat with his legs that McCarthy was. Orji and Warren, meanwhile, have just 5 career pass attempts between them.
Michigan’s roster is good enough to win 10 games even with mediocre QB play. And utilizing Alex Orji’s elite athleticism will be a big part of the Wolverine game plan even if he isn’t the full-time starter. But I have a hard time seeing Michigan win many games because of their quarterback.
10) Luke Altmyer – Illinois
The Illini’s 2023 season was a complete mess, with their defense often putting their offense in massive holes early in games. Not to mention the offensive line’s complete ineffectiveness, leaving Altmyer running for his life with no run game to lean on.
Despite a tumultuous season, Luke Altmyer finished top-five in the Big Ten in yards per attempt and passing efficiency. He has a very talented arm when he has some time to throw, which he should have this year with four returning starters on the line and the addition of All-Mountain West tackle JC Davis. Altmyer is also a very underrated scrambler and can make some plays with his legs.
Illinois is built to have a much more balanced, effective offense in 2024. In his second season as the starter, Luke Altmyer has the skills and resources around him to be a reliable starter.
11) Hudson Card – Purdue
Hudson Card was a 4-star prospect in 2020 and impressed in limited opportunities with Texas throughout his first three seasons. He was a huge get in the transfer portal for Purdue last season and the source for optimism in Ryan Walters’ first season as head coach.
2023 didn’t pan out as expected, as Purdue finished 4-8 and Card completed less than 60% of his passes with only 20 total TDs on the year. But Hudson Card showed flashes throughout the season and should be much better in his second season as the full-time starter.
Card had a tendency to take unnecessary risks and force the ball a bit too much in 2023. But he also displayed tremendous accuracy on deep balls and a sneaky good ability to make plays with his legs. He may not be quite the star Boiler fans were hoping for, but Hudson Card should take a step forward in 2024 and be a reliable starter at the very least.
12) Kurtis Rourke – Indiana
Since Michael Penix transferred to Washington after the 2021 season, Indiana has been plagued with some of the worst QB play in the Big Ten. But that should change in 2023 with the addition of veteran Kurtis Rourke from Ohio U.
Rourke was a three-year starter for the Bobcats, completing 66% of his passes for 7,265 yds, 50 TDs, and 16 INTs over that span. He was the 2022 MAC OPOTY and won 20 games over the past two seasons. He isn’t the flashiest QB and isn’t much of a threat with his legs, but Hoosier fans shouldn’t be sweating over their quarterback this season.
The jump from the MAC to the Big Ten is a big step up in competition. Rourke will be facing some of the nation’s best defenses on a week to week basis and that may take some adjusting. But with a great cast of pass-catchers around him, Kurtis Rourke should have a respectable 2024 season at the very least.
13) Ethan Garbers – UCLA
UCLA’s QB situation was in flux all season long, but Ethan Garbers emerged as the best option by season’s end. He surprisingly missed the 1st half of the LA Bowl due to injury, but played the 2nd half and helped outscore Boise State 28-6 to overcome a 9-point halftime deficit.
The former top-200 prospect has amassed almost 1,800 passing yards and 17 total TDs in parts of 29 different games over the past three seasons, but has yet to be a full-time starter. He also has to balance learning a brand new offense with a lot of new faces around him.
Ethan Garbers has plenty of potential but remains a relative question mark for the Bruins entering 2024.
14) Brendan Sullivan / Cade McNamara – Iowa
Cade McNamara was supposed to be the savior of the Hawkeye offense after transferring from Michigan last season. But he completed just 51% of his passes for 505 yards in his first five games before tearing his ACL. McNamara is back in 2024, but readiness for the season is still in question.
So Iowa brought in Northwestern QB Brendan Sullivan to compete for the job – and maybe even win it. Sullivan is a dual-threat who has accumulated some good experience in Evanston. The redshirt junior has appeared in 13 games with eight starts over the last two seasons. In that span, he’s completed 69% of his passes for 1,303 yards, 257 rush yards, 13 total TDs, and 5 INTs.
Brendan Sullivan certainly provides an upside to the QB position that Iowa has been lacking for a long time. But I have to see Phil Lester’s new offense in action before I can believe it is capable of producing good QB play.
15) Mike Wright / Ryan Hilinski – Northwestern
Northwestern’s 7-5 season in David Braun’s first year as head coach following the Pat Fitzgerald fiasco was nothing short of miraculous. But after losing their top two QB options in Ben Bryant and Brendan Sullivan, the Wildcats might be due for a fall back to earth.
Ryan Hilinski remains the lone holdover from 2023. A 4-star prospect in 2019, Hilinski transferred from South Carolina to Northwestern in 2021. But he has been unable to grasp the full-time starting role at either school, attempting only four passes last year. He’s thrown for over 5,000 yards and had 25 total TDs in his career, but his best football might be behind him.
Braun brought in transfer Mike Wright to contend for the job. He spent three seasons at Vanderbilt before transferring to Mississippi State last year, starting 14 games across the two schools. In his career he has over 2,500 passing yards, 1,229 rush yards, 34 total TDs, and 14 INTs. Northwestern will need to lean on Wright’s improvisation ability in 2024.
16) MJ Morris / Billy Edwards – Maryland
The Terps bid farewell to three-year starter and the Big Ten’s all-time leading passer in Taulia Tagovailoa. There is an interesting battle between MJ Morris and Billy Edwards to be the next leader in College Park.
MJ Morris played in nine games for NC State over the past two seasons, totaling 1,367 pass yards, 14 TDs, and 6 INTs. Though he’s completed just 58% of his passes, he is also a threat with his legs. The junior certainly has the most potential of the two QBs and looked like the favorite in the spring game.
But don’t count out Billy Edwards. He’s been Taulia’s primary backup the past two seasons and has appeared in 15 games with two starts. He has the experience and familiarity with the offense and receivers that Morris simply does not. Edwards’ arm isn’t quite polished (50% completion, 5.8 yards per attempt), but can make a difference with his legs (227 rush yards, 8 TDs).
17) Athan Kaliakmanis – Rutgers
Gavin Wimsatt came to Rutgers as a 4-star prospect and the hopeful answer to a long run of woes at the quarterback position. But his passing and decision-making never developed, forcing Schiano to bring in Athan Kaliakmanis from Minnesota. Kaliakmanis was the clear top quarterback in the spring, forcing Wimsatt to transfer out.
It’s a good sign that Rutgers finally has a consensus leader at the position heading into fall camp. But that fact that it’s Athan Kaliakmanis isn’t quite as settling. A 4-star prospect in 2021, Kaliakmanis saw his first real action last year. But he, like most of the Gopher offense, struggled, completing just 53% of his passes for 1,838 yards, 14 TDs, and 9 INTs.
Kaliakmanis does have a cannon for a right arm and was more decisive in the spring game than I have seen a Rutgers be since they’ve been in the Big Ten. He also reunites with former Minnesota OC Kirk Ciarrocca. Kaliakmanis has loads of potential, but this is another ‘believe it when I see it’ situation.
18) Max Brosmer – Minnesota
With Kaliakmanis off to Rutgers, Minnesota must replace their starting QB for the second consecutive season. PJ Fleck deferred to the FCS, bringing in Max Brosmer after five seasons at New Hampshire.
Brosmer amassed a 17-7 record as the starter the past two seasons. He led one of the FCS’s most prolific passing offenses, averaging over 3,300 yards and 28 TDs to 7 INTs per season as a starter.
But the jump in competition from the FCS to the Big Ten should not be taken lightly. Brosmer averaged just 7.5 ypa, so I am not expecting him to be able to stretch the field with his arm. I could be proven wrong, but Minnesota looks like they have a massive question mark at quarterback yet again.