2023 Big Ten Preseason Quarterback Power Rankings
The Big Ten is experiencing a massive changing of the guard at the quarterback position this year. There are only three starting quarterbacks returning to their team for 2023. That’s it.
Not only is C.J. Stroud off to the NFL, multiple other longtime starters are now off to the next level. Both Sean Clifford and Tanner Morgan are off to the NFL after starting seemingly forever for Penn State and Minnesota. Aidan O’Connell also graduated after a strong two years starting at Purdue.
The Big Ten didn’t just deal with graduation either. Multiple programs saw their starting quarterbacks head out the door in the transfer portal. Connor Bazelak left Indiana for Bowling Green. Casey Thompson only spent a year in Nebraska before departing to FAU. Somehow Graham Mertz actually somewhat upgraded and is looking like he could start at Florida of all places this year.
The effect of the transfer portal was really felt by a Big Ten conference experiencing massive change. Few positions reflect that better than quarterback. Here is every starting quarterback for the 2023 season ranked.
Gavin Wimsatt, Rutgers
Time is seriously running out for Rutgers quarterback Gavin Wimsatt. Seen as a promising recruit, many were excited to see what the four-star signee could do in Northern New Jersey. Could he finally be the answer for the Scarlet Knights’ woes at the position?
So far, it hasn’t come to be for Wimsatt. In his first year as a starter, the results were not great. He threw five touchdowns to seven interceptions in eight appearances, registering under a 45% completion percentage. When he won the outright starting job, he seriously struggled. A diamond in the rough came against Michigan State, though, where he threw for 236 yards, two touchdowns and zero interceptions.
Rutgers needs more of that out of Wimsatt, or else he will be sitting on the bench and looking for a new team by year’s end.
Tayven Jackson / Brendan Sorsby, Indiana
Indiana is a hard team to project at quarterback this year. They’ve seemingly been at a loss since Michael Penix Jr.’s injury-shortened 2021 season. Even then, Penix had his worst season as a starter that year and has since gone on to become a star at Washington.
The Hoosiers thought that maybe Missouri transfer Connor Bazelak could be the guy, but he’s gone to the MAC after having to deal with that disastrous offense for a year. Now, we actually don’t know who’s going to be the starter this year. Signs point to Tennessee transfer and former four-star recruit Tayven Jackson, but Tom Allen isn’t telling us anything ahead of the season.
All we know is that whoever takes snaps for the Hoosiers in 2023 is completely unproven at the collegiate level.
Luke Altmyer, Illinois
Illinois received a bit of stability at the position last year in transfer quarterback Tommy DeVito. The Orange were happy to help the Illini out once again after their yearly tradition of giving Illinois their old jersey designs as hand-me-downs.
DeVito was one of the better quarterbacks in recent years for Illinois, but let’s not kid ourselves, he wasn’t great by any means. He definitely limited just how good the team could be, and there’s a reason they didn’t win the West division despite having arguably the best defense.
Luke Altmyer is an interesting starting candidate this year for the Illini. The Starkville, Miss., native didn’t play much for Ole Miss over the last two years, completing only 25 passes. A former four-star recruit though, the redshirt sophomore does have potential.
Noah Kim, Michigan State
Noah Kim probably didn’t even think he was going to be starting for the Spartans this year. Everyone was under the assumption that Payton Thorne would return, hopefully bouncing back after a rough season. Now, Thorne is at Auburn where he may not even earn the starting spot. Kim, a redshirt junior, finally has his chance to be a starting quarterback.
There’s not a ton to say about Kim, a player who only has 14 passes to his name after three years in East Lansing. However, there have been a lot of good things said about him this offseason by head coach Mel Tucker. Tucker commented that Kim is one of the 20-fastest players on the team. I hope that doesn’t mean the rest of the team is slow…
Ben Bryant, Northwestern
Poor Ben Bryant. After not playing for three seasons at Cincinnati, he found success as a transfer at Eastern Michigan. He then opted to enter back into the portal ahead of last season and actually went right back to Cincinnati to replace Desmond Ridder as the starter.
He really wasn’t bad for the Bearcats either! Cincy was 9-2 with him at quarterback. He passed for 21 touchdowns while keeping the interceptions down. He threw with good efficiency. There was a lot to like about Bryant before suffering a season-ending injury.
With former Florida and Arizona State quarterback Emory Jones looking to be the new starter for the Bearcats, Bryant hit the portal again. He settled on Northwestern, a team craving a solid quarterback. Unfortunately, he walked into an absolute mess of a situation that will hamper his last year of collegiate football.
Athan Kaliakmanis, Minnesota
Tanner Morgan is no more at Minnesota. After playing forever for the Gophers, Morgan used up all of his eligibility. No disrespect to Tanner, I hear he’s a great dude, but there were definitely a few Minnesota fans ready for the tenure to be over.
In steps in Athan Kaliakmanis. The sophomore signal-caller out of Antioch, Ill., is raw as a passer but possesses a dynamic arm. He will look to add a vertical element that has been missing to the Gophers’ offense.
Hudson Card, Purdue
Hudson Card was handed a pretty lousy hand at Texas. Imagine excelling every time you were given a chance, and still, your team just brings in a bigger name. You’re good, but just not good enough to truly bring Texas back.
With Quinn Ewers back for at least another season, and five-star signee Arch Manning on his way this year, there was no way Card was going to see the field for the Longhorns.
When given a chance, Card looked like a potential big-time playmaker for Texas. He is as tough as they come and is always looking to keep the play alive. Look for the Boilermakers to actually make use of his athleticism as well.
Jeff Sims, Nebraska
Jeff Sims is a player I absolutely could see flourishing under Matt Rhule at Nebraska. Even as a green rookie at Georgia Tech, the talent was always evident. He’s a player draft enthusiasts have been waiting on to break out for the past two years now.
Unfortunately, it was never going to happen for the Yellow Jackets. Transitioning Georgia Tech from Paul Johnson’s flexbone offense into something modern was one of the hardest jobs in college football. Geoff Collins was just not the man for the job. He’s already out the door, as is his quarterback Sims.
The Jacksonville, Fla., native is someone many are projecting to break out under a great college coach in Matt Rhule. I think he can, too. I just need to see it first.
Tanner Mordecai, Wisconsin
Consider Tanner Mordecai and the player above him to be pretty much equals. One just has more Big Ten experience than the other.
While Mordecai has not played in the Big Ten yet, he was pretty fantastic at SMU. Tossing 72 touchdown passes in two seasons is impressive regardless of who the competition is. It will be a big step up for sure at Wisconsin, but new offensive coordinator Phil Longo is the perfect play-caller to maximize Mordecai’s play style.
Cade McNamara, Iowa
Cade McNamara may not be the most dynamic playmaker on this list, and there may be some slightly more talented guys behind them on this list. What they all lack is that Big Ten pedigree, and few possess it more than McNamara.
It is rare to find a Big Ten Championship game winner and college football playoff starter in the transfer portal, but Iowa did just that. They needed a big step up at quarterback, and McNamara is just the player they are looking for. He is a smart pocket passer who makes good decisions and delivers accurate passes. His leadership is also second to none.
Kyle McCord, Ohio State
I have zero clue just how good Kyle McCord is. He’s the next in a long line of highly-touted quarterback recruits at The Ohio State University. A former five-star recruit, McCord only played sparingly behind C.J. Stroud.
Again, we haven’t seen too much of McCord on the field to really give a full synopsis of who he is as a quarterback. That situation will give him the best chance to prove why he was a five-star, though. He will have the best wide receiver room in the nation, headlined by superstar Marvin Harrison Jr.
Drew Allar, Penn State
It is really hard to pump the brakes on Drew Allar. The hype train is far beyond the station, and admittedly I’m on it. Sure, he’s inexperienced. We still haven’t even seen him play a full game for the Nittany Lions yet. A lot of the excitement around him is based on glimpses from last year. But boy, did he look good in those glimpses.
Penn State has been held back by quarterback play for too long. The throws Allar can make haven’t been possible from a quarterback in navy and white since, what, Kerry Collins?
If Allar can put it all together, keep his composure and not get rattled, he can be a special player.
Taulia Tagovailoa, Maryland
Taulia Tagovailoa has been a consistently good quarterback over the past two seasons for the Terps. He’s one of those three returning starters, and had another solid year for Maryland in 2022. He eclipsed the 3,000-yard mark once again, and hit a 67% completion percentage. He also added four scores on the ground. When it comes to starting quarterbacks, Taulia is as solid as they come.
J.J. McCarthy, Michigan
With the large change occurring in the Big Ten this year, J.J. McCarthy is really the closest thing the conference has to a star quarterback. In his first season as the starter, McCarthy threw 22 touchdown passes to only five interceptions.
He led the Wolverines to another Big Ten Championship and brought them back to the College Football Playoff. With a year of starting experience under his belt, look for McCarthy to have a strong 2023 season.
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