Power Ranking the Big Ten Quarterbacks

In setting the Big Ten post-spring quarterback power ratings, it's also an evaluation of each team's situation. Julian Sayin is going to look better than Billy Edwards-- his offensive line, receivers, running game and defense are so much stronger.

1. Drew Allar, Penn State

A senior starter for the team many pick to win the conference, Allar benefits from a strong running game featuring twin 1,000-yard rushers Kaytron Allen and Nicholas Singleton and one of the country's best defenses.

Allar's a two-year starter who's thrown for 6,302 yards and 53 TDs in his time in Happy Valley. He has one of the best offensive coordinators in college football in Andy Kotelnicki, a play-calling genius who thrives on confusing the defense with unique looks and shifts, creating mismatches.

Most polls place Penn State in the Top Five coming out spring and a few have them at No. 1.

James Franklin upgraded Allar's receiver group in the portal, picking up Trebor Pena from Syracuse, USC's Kyron Hudson and Troy's Devonte Ross, a slot receiver who caught 76 passes for 1,043 yards and 11 touchdowns last season in the Sun Belt Conference.

Pena transferred in from Syracuse, a 6-0, 184 wideout who led the ACC in receiving in 2024 with 84 catches for 941 yards and nine touchdowns.

Coming off a 13-3 season Allar is set up for success. PSU opens with Nevada, Florida International and Villanova, all at home. They have a bye before hosting defending Big Ten Champion Oregon on September 27, getting new quarterback Dante Moore in his first big road game.

The Nittany Lions have another bye before traveling to Ohio State on November 1. They have Indiana and Nebraska at home.

Allar, 6-5, 238, has experience, a strong supporting cast and a favorable schedule. He's poised to look good, maybe even be the first quarterback taken in the 2026 NFL draft.

2. Luke Altmyer, Illinois

From Starkville, Mississippi, Altmyer started his career at Ole Miss, serving as a backup to first Matt Corral and Jaxson Dart. He played sparingly in his home state.

At Illinois he's blossomed as a full-time starter, throwing 10 interceptions the first year and 6 in the second, leading the Illini to a 10-3 record that included a 21-17 win over South Carolina in the Citrus Bowl and losses to Penn State, Oregon and Minnesota.

Altmyer threw for 185, 161 and 174 yards against the Nittany Lions, the Ducks and the Gamecocks, the three best defenses he saw. Improving his performance in big games remains a key for him in 1) making the playoffs and 2) improving his draft stock as a senior.

The Illini play at Duke in Week Two, 9-4 last season with a new starting quarterback in former Tulane star Darian Mensah. That early confrontation will tell a lot about Altmyer's ceiling in his senior year.

He's at Indiana to face Fernando Mendoza on September 20, hosts USC and Jayden Maiava on September 27. In October, Altmyer and the Illini have showdowns with Ohio State on October 11, a bye, then travel to Washington to meet Demond Williams and the Huskies.

The 6-2, 205 senior from Starkville has to win most of these quarterback battles to remain in the Big Ten's top tier while achieving the hopes Illini fans have for their team. A spot in the playoffs and another 10-win season is the measure of success.

In 2024 Altmyer led the nation with FIVE game-winning drives in the final minute or overtime, including clutch TD passes at Nebraska, vs. Purdue, and at Rutgers. In Lincoln he threw four touchdown passes in a 31-24 overtime win, no picks.

He boosted his passer rating from 131.9 in 2023 to 144.0 in 2024. Lead running back Josh McCray returns, 609 yards last season and 5.2 a carry.

In fact, only Clemson (81%) and Arizona State (79%) have more returning production than Illinois (76%) in the FBS. The Illini are bringing back senior quarterback Altmyer, all five starting offensive linemen, the entire secondary and star linebacker Gabe Jacas.

3. Dylan Raiola, Nebraska

In season two as the Nebraska starter Dylan Raiola has a new offensive coordinator in Dana Holgerson and the two reportedly have a great working relationship.

Matt Rhule's teams at Temple and Baylor both took a huge jump in year three. The Owls played 2-10 football in his first season, 6-6 in 2014, 10 wins in each of the next two seasons. At Baylor, 1-11, 7-6, then 11-3 and the Sugar Bowl in 2019.

Raiola completed 67% of his passes in his freshman year, good for 2,819 yards and 13 TDs. Trouble was, he tossed 11 interceptions running an inconsistent offense.

His best game came against Wisconsin, 28-38 passing for 293 yards in a 44-25 win at home. His worst game came a week earlier in a 28-20 loss to 7-6 USC, two interceptions and two sacks.

Holgorsen's tutelage should help smooth out his inconsistency and decision-making. A 5-star from Buford, Georgia, 6-3, 230, Raiola was the No. 1 quarterback in the country in the class of 2024.

Tom Fornelli of CBS projects the Cornhuskers to win eight games in 2025, hitting the over with wins against Cincinnati, Akron, Houston Christian, Michigan, Michigan State, Northwestern, USC and Iowa.

They face road games at at Maryland, at Minnesota, at UCLA, at Penn State. Only the PSU game seems out of reach, unless the team takes a significant Rhule jump. They miss Ohio State and Oregon, the sixth-easiest schedule in the conference.

The Huskers picked up a pair of wide receivers that should help Raiola a lot, Dane Key from Kentucky and Isaiah Hunter from Cal.

4. Julian Sayin, Ohio State

Only a lack of snaps prevents Sayin from being ranked higher on this list. Being the quarterback for Ohio State is the best situation in football.

The Buckeyes are a perennial national championship contender and 10-11 win team. They'll play great defense. There's blue-chip talent all over the field and up and down the sideline.

Sayin will have Purdue tight end Max Klare, super sophomore Jeremiah Smith and Carnell Tate to throw to.

Sayin was the top-ranked dual threat quarterback in the class of 2024, a transfer from Alabama who won the Elite 11 competition in 2023. He threw 12 passes as a freshman, completing 5 with one TD.

The Buckeye offense is chock full of easy throws and big plays. He'll have James Peoples and CJ Donaldson to hand off to, and Luke Montgomery, Jake Cook, and Devontae Armstrong to anchor the offensive line. Ohio State reloads.

What Sayin doesn't enjoy is a soft landing. The Buckeyes open by hosting Arch Manning and Texas, a marquee showdown that throws him immediately into a big, pressure-packed, high-profile game, one where he'll have to lean on the talent around him.

Sayin and the Buckeyes travel to Washington on September 27 and Illinois on October 11. He'll be tested early.

He gets the nod here over Demond Williams, Fernando Mendoza and Dante Moore because of his supporting cast. Other than the Covid Year, the Buckeyes haven't won less than 11 games in any season since Luke Fickell served as interim coach in 2011 when they went 7-6.

5. Fernando Mendoza, Indiana

Mendoza threw for 3,000 yards on a bad team at Cal, with 16 TDs and six interceptions. He's a two-year starter, perfect for the Hoosiers' RPO-based offense, accurate and tough.

With the Bears, he was sacked 41 times last year. The IU attack gets the ball out quicker to a better cast of receivers and running backs.

Leading wide receiver Elijah Surratt returns for his senior year after grabbing 57 passes for 957 yards and eight touchdowns a season ago. Second-leading receiver Omar Cooper Jr. returns also, 28 catches for 594 yards, 21.2 a catch.

The defense returns Mikhail Kamara, who had 10 sacks last year, plus linebackers Aiden Fisher and Rolijah Hardy. Fisher led the team with 118 tackles.

The schedule isn't as cushy as last year's Cinderella year. After opening with Old Dominion, Kennesaw State and Indiana State, IU hosts Illinois, then goes on the road to Iowa and Oregon in their first three games of Big Ten play.

They'll need to pull off at least one upset to stay in the playoff race. They're at Penn State on November 8.

The rest:

6. Nico Iamaleava, UCLA

Tennessee transfer threw for 2,616 yards and 19 touchdowns last year. Won't have the benefit of the UT supporting cast and transferred to the Bruins after spring practice, Still, he has a full season of SEC experience, a 64 percent passer with mobility.

7. Demond Williams Jr., Washington

Strong freshman season in which he started two games, but both of those were losses, including a 49-21 loss to Oregon in which he was sacked 10 times. Completed 78 percent of his passes with eight touchdowns and just one interception.

Williams has 1,000-yard rusher Jonah Coleman back as well as leading receiver Denzel Boston. The Huskies host Ohio State September 27 and travel to Michigan on October 18. They have the Ducks in Seattle at the end of the year, where Dan Lanning has yet to win.

8. Dante Moore, Oregon

Moore's arm talent and upside get him inside the top ten, but his experience includes five starts as a true freshman at UCLA in which he completed just 54 percent of his passes and nine to the wrong team.

He's had a year to grow in the Oregon program, and a deep and balanced supporting cast taking over as QB-1 in a program where retreads have thrived.

9. Bryce Underwood, Michigan

Optimism in Ann Arbor for Underwood's freshman campaign is enormous, partly because the Wolverines won eight games last year without a quarterback.

Underwood was the No. 1 recruit in the country in 2025.

10. Jayden Maiava, USC

Maiava beat out Miller Moss during the season last year and LIncoln Riley didn't pursue a transfer quarterback. In four starts at the end of the year he threw for 1,201 yards and 11 touchdowns, a 6-4, 220 gunslinger in a quarterback-friendly offense with a good cast of receivers.

11. Mark Gronowski, Iowa

FCS transfer from South Dakota State, 6-3, 230, who won the Walter Payton Award in 2023 and twice captured the MVP Trophy in the FCS National Championship, leading the Jackrabbits to two titles.

12. Aidan Chiles, Michigan State

Chiles transferred from OSU with head coach Jonathan Smith and threw for 13 touchdowns and 11 interceptions as a sophomore. He has mobility and talent, but lacks the supporting cast to move far on this list.

13. Athan Kaliakmanis, Rutgers

Kaliakmanis completed 69 percent of his passes last year with 18 touchdowns, 32 over two seasons, but how many harder does his job get without 1,279-yard rusher Kyle Monangai?

14.Billy Edwards, Jr., Wisconsin

15. Preston Stone, Northwestern

16. Malachi Singleton, Purdue

17. Drake Lindsey, Minnesota

18. Justyn Martin, Maryland