Half of the Big Ten could have a transfer quarterback starting In Week 1.
The Big Ten West could have six transfer quarterbacks under center, a list that includes Illinois' Luke Altmyer, Iowa's Cade McNamara, Purdue's Hudson Card, Wisconsin's Tanner Mordecai and Nebraska's Jeff Sims. Cincinnati transfer Ben Bryant could make it six if he lands the job at Northwestern.
The Big Ten East has a more established quarterback pecking order. Maryland's Taulia Tagovailoa is a three-year starter, but he did transfer from Alabama. Indiana's Tayven Jackson also is a transfer.
Meanwhile, the top-10 powerhouses in the conference have in-house elite talent. Which one of Michigan's J.J. McCarthy, Ohio State's Kyle McCord and Penn State's Drew Allar will get in the Heisman Trophy mix?
MORE: Georgia, Michigan lead post-spring Top 25
Sporting News ranks the quarterback situations at all 14 Big Ten schools heading into the summer:
Big Ten QB outlooks for 2023
1. Michigan
Starter: J.J. McCarthy, junior (13 career starts at Michigan)
Backup: Jack Tuttle, graduate transfer
Situation heading into the fall: Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh has the quarterback position figured out. It took a few games, but McCarthy beat out Cade McNamara for the starting job last season. He is 12-1 as a starter and led Michigan to its first victory at Ohio State since 2000 last season. He averaged 255.7 passing yards with eight TDs and three interceptions through Michigan's last three games. McCarthy is a five-star talent, and projections vary on his potential place in the 2024 NFL Draft. Tuttle provides a veteran presence as a backup, and Michigan locked in five-star quarterback Jadyn Davis for the 2024 recruiting class.
2. Ohio State
Starter: Kyle McCord, junior (1 career start at Ohio State)
Backup: Devin Brown, redshirt freshman
Situation heading into the fall: Ohio State's last three quarterbacks – Dwayne Haskins, Justin Fields and C.J. Stroud – were first-round picks. McCord had a chance to distance himself from Brown – who missed the spring game with a finger injury. Brown showed a rapport with high school teammate Marvin Harrison Jr., but there will be a learning curve. McCord did make one start against Akron in 2021 – and he passed for 13 of 18 passes for 319 yards and two TDs. Brown could make a push in fall camp, but it's difficult to see Ohio State coach Ryan Day not at least starting with McCord in the season opener against Indiana.
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3. Penn State
Starter: Drew Allar, sophomore (0 career starts)
Backup: Beau Pribula, redshirt freshman
Situation heading into the fall: Sean Clifford, a four-year starter, finally moved on to the NFL. Anticipation around Allar – a 6-foot-5, 242-pound sophomore with a five-star pedigree – is high in Happy Valley. Allar played in 10 games last season, and he showcased that ability to push the ball down-field in the passing game – albeit with growing pains. It's a small sample, but Allar did have four TDs and no interceptions. Allar finished 18 of 29 for 206 yards and a touchdown in the Blue-White game, which created distance with Pribula for the starting job. Pribula might still have a niche in the offense because of his mobility, but Allar is the quarterback Nittany Lions fans have been waiting for.
4. Maryland
Starter: Taulia Tagovailoa, redshirt senior (29 career starts at Maryland)
Backup: Billy Edwards Jr., redshirt sophomore
Situation heading into the fall: Tagovailoa is the elder statesman of Big Ten quarterbacks. He ranked fifth in the Big Ten with 3,008 passing yards, and he had 18 TDs and eight interceptions. It was a regression from his 2022 season, but he closed last season with a strong stretch that included a 293-yard performance against Ohio State and a victory in the Mayo Bowl against NC State. Tagovailoa has already set school records for passing yards (7,879) and TDs (51). Now, it's about leading Maryland to the next step under Mike Locksley – meaning a signature victory against a Big Ten heavyweight – and getting ready for the next level.
5. Iowa
Starter: Cade McNamara, senior (16 career starts at Michigan)
Backup: Deacon Hill, redshirt sophomore
Situation heading into the fall: The Iowa offense became a national punchline last season after its quarterbacks combined for seven TDs and seven interceptions. The Hawkeyes averaged just 17.7 points per game. McNamara is a godsend for this offense. He led the Wolverines to a Big Ten championship as a starter in 2021 before losing the job to J.J. McCarthy last season. Michigan tight end Erick All also transferred to Iowa. McNamara is an upgrade who had a 63.1% completion percentage with 21 TDs and seven interceptions with the Wolverines. Hill is a Wisconsin transfer who adds depth. Iowa isn't going to change its ways under Kirk Ferentz, but McNamara will make this offense better.
6. Wisconsin
Starter: Tanner Mordecai, redshirt senior (24 career starts at SMU)
Backup: Nick Evers, redshirt freshman; Braedyn Locke, redshirt freshman
Situation heading into the fall: The Luke Fickell era is upon Wisconsin, and the first-year coach's top three quarterbacks are transfers. Mordecai has the most experience through stints at Oklahoma and SMU, and he totaled 7,791 yards, 76 TDs and 23 interceptions through those stops. The ability to limit mistakes while making the transition to new offensive coordinator Phil Longo's offense will be the key for Mordecai. Wisconsin's leading passer hasn't had a completion percentage above 60% the last two seasons. Mordecai should bring improved efficiency, and transfers Evers (Oklahoma) and Locke (Mississippi State) add depth to the position.
7. Purdue
Starter: Hudson Card, redshirt junior (5 career starts at Texas)
Backup: Ryan Browne, freshman
Situation heading into the fall: Aidan O'Connell had an outstanding career with the Boilermakers and was a fourth-round pick by the Las Vegas Raiders. Coach Jeff Brohm left for Louisville, however, and first-year coach Ryan Walters is turning to Texas transfer Hudson Card – who lost the starting job to Quinn Ewers last season. Card still saw substantial action the last two seasons, and he averaged 7.9 yards per attempt with 11 TDs and two interceptions. Don't be surprised if Card thrives with realistic expectations at Purdue, even with a first-year coach. Allen is an in-state four-star recruit, entered the transfer portal for the second time on April 25.
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8. Nebraska
Starter: Jeff Sims, junior (23 career starts at Georgia Tech)
Backup: Chubba Purdy, redshirt sophomore; Heinrich Haarberg, sophomore
Situation heading into the fall: Casey Thompson – last year's starter – entered the transfer portal on April 28, which means first-year coach Matt Rhule will go with Georgia Tech transfer Jeff Sims in Year 1. Sims finished 9 of 13 for 139 yards in the spring game. Sims started for most of three seasons with the Yellow Jackets, and he totaled 4,464 yards, 30 TDs and 23 interceptions. He also had 1,152 rushing yards and 11 rushing touchdowns. He has an 8-15 record as a starter, and the Yellow Jackets had some rough teams in that stretch. He remains an intriguing talent paired with Rhule, a make-over artist who should be able to maximize that talent.
9. Minnesota
Starter: Athan Kaliakmanis, redshirt sophomore (5 career starts at Minnesota)
Backup: Cole Kramer, senior
Situation heading into the fall: All of Minnesota's quarterback options have been developed within the program, and Tanner Morgan is gone. Kaliakmanis had a 3-2 record as a starter last season, and that included a breakout performance against Wisconsin where he hit 19 of 29 passes for 319 yards and two TDs. Kaliakmanis was inconsistent, but the redshirt sophomore has been with offensive coordinator Matt Simon for three years. P.J. Fleck also hired Greg Harbaugh Jr. as a co-offensive coordinator. Kaliakmanis is the best option for the Gophers. Kramer is a seasoned backup, and that will allow freshman quarterbacks Drew Viotto and Max Shikenjanski to develop.
10. Illinois
Starter: Luke Altmyer, sophomore (1 career start at Ole Miss)
Backup: Donovan Leary, redshirt freshman; John Paddock, senior
Situation heading into the fall: Bret Bielema will play transfer roulette for the third consecutive season at Illinois, and this time Altmyer – who has appeared in nine games the past two seasons for the Rebels – is the heavy favorite. The Illini played an open scrimmage instead of a true spring game, so it's hard to get a gauge on whether Leary or Paddock – a Ball State transfer – will be the primary backup. It's a limited sample, but Altmyer struggled with accuracy (51.9% completion percentage) and had three TDs and three interceptions. That is something he must clean up with offensive coordinator Barry Lunney Jr.
11. Indiana
Starter: Tayven Jackson, redshirt freshman (0 career starts)
Backup: Brendan Sorsby, redshirt freshman
Situation heading into the fall: This is a tough one because Dexter Williams II would likely be the starting quarterback, but he suffered a dislocated knee in the regular-season finale against Purdue. Williams likely will not be ready to start the regular season, which forces Hoosiers coach Tom Allen to roll with Tayven Jackson, a Tennessee transfer and the younger brother of Indiana basketball star Trayce Jackson-Davis. Sorsby made six passing attempts last season as a backup to Connor Bazelak and Jack Tuttle. Jackson likely will get the first shot, but it won't be easy with the home opener against Ohio State.
12. Rutgers
Starter: Gavin Wimsatt, redshirt sophomore (6 career starts at Rutgers)
Backup: Evan Simon, redshirt sophomore
Situation heading into the fall: Wimsatt was a four-star recruit, and he took over last season when Noah Vedral suffered a hand injury. Simon – a three-star recruit from the class of 2020 – also played in nine games last season and made two starts, so it's a toss-up competition for Greg Schiano and the Scarlet Knights. The spring game wasn't a decider given Wimsatt hit 10 of 20 passes for 124 yards and a TD and an interception. Simon hit 9 of 17 passes for 71 yards. Neither QB was much of a threat in the running game last season. It feels both quarterbacks could see time in the home Big Ten opener against Northwestern on Sept. 2.
13. Michigan State
Starter: Noah Kim, redshirt junior (0 career starts)
Backup: Katin Houser, redshirt freshman
Situation heading into the fall: The Spartans' quarterback room took a turn when starting quarterback Payton Thorne entered the transfer portal on May 1. Thorne, a two-year starter who had 46 TD passes and 21 interceptions the last two seasons, is headed to Auburn. That means Kim – who was 14 of 19 passing with three TDs in limited action last season – will be the starter in Week 1. Houser is a talented redshirt freshman, but the spring quarterback battle focused on Thorne and Kim. This is not an ideal situation for fourth-year coach Mel Tucker, but at least Kim has experience within the program.
14. Northwestern
Starter: Brendan Sullivan, redshirt sophomore (0 starts)
Backup: Ryan Hilinski, redshirt junior; Ben Bryant, graduate transfer
Situation heading into the fall: This quarterback battle added a new wrinkle when Cincinnati quarterback Ben Bryant transferred to Northwestern last week. Bryant is a sixth-year quarterback who could wedge into this undecided battle. Hilinski – a South Carolina transfer – started six games last season but did not participate in spring practice because of injuries. Sullivan has the edge for now. He had a 74.5% completion percentage with four TDs and three interceptions last season. Northwestern coach Pat Fitzgerald also has Cole Freeman and Jack Lausch on the roster. This is a multiple-choice derby heading into fall camp.