Projecting Every Big Ten Team's Quarterback for 2015 Season
Not many quarterbacks are leaving the Big Ten next season, thanks in large part to the decisions of Connor Cook and Cardale Jones to bypass the NFL draft.
Devin Gardner is gone from Michigan, Gary Nova is gone from Rutgers, C.J. Brown is gone from Maryland, and Trevor Siemien is gone from Northwestern, but other than that, every starting QB returns (not counting part-time starter Reilly O'Toole at Illinois).
Despite that, the Big Ten still has plenty of quarterback battles to keep an eye on, most notably at Ohio State but also at Michigan, Nebraska, Iowa, Wisconsin and more.
Here's a pre-spring practice guess at who wins each job.
Illinois
1 of 14
Contenders
- Aaron Bailey (Jr.)
- Wes Lunt (Jr.)
Wes Lunt played well before fracturing his leg against Purdue. He never looked the same upon returning, but that can be excused given the nature of his injury. The Oklahoma State transfer still has NFL tools (6'5", power arm) and a decent track record of production. And Aaron Bailey still looks like he belongs at a new position.
The Pick: Lunt
Indiana
2 of 14
Contenders
- Chris Covington (So.)
- Zander Diamont (So.)
- Nate Sudfeld (Sr.)
Nate Sudfeld separated his throwing shoulder against Iowa Oct. 11 and didn't play the rest of the season. Zander Diamont relieved him but averaged 3.9 yards per attempt on 132 passes the rest of the way, finishing with a QB rating of 77.71. Sudfeld will be ready for spring practice, and his job will be waiting for him when he gets there.
The Pick: Sudfeld
Iowa
3 of 14
Contenders
- C.J. Beathard (Jr.)
- Jake Rudock (Sr.)
Jake Rudock was Iowa's starter, but C.J. Beathard spelled him on occasion in 2014 and always breathed life into the offense. His success was reflected on the January depth chart, which listed Beathard as the No. 1 quarterback. "As always, this is only a starting point," warned head coach Kirk Ferentz, per Marc Morehouse of the The Gazette. But that won't stop us from reading this as a sign.
The Pick: Beathard
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
Maryland
4 of 14
Contenders
- Shane Cockerille (So.)
- Perry Hills (Jr.)
- Caleb Rowe (Sr.)
Perry Hills and Shane Cockerille will have a chance to impress this spring while Caleb Rowe recovers from ACL surgery. But this is still Rowe's job to lose. The strong-armed rising senior adds a vertical element to Maryland's offense that was lacking with C.J. Brown. He averaged 9.1 yards per attempt on 54 passes last season.
The Pick: Rowe
Michigan
5 of 14
Contenders
- Russell Bellomy (Sr.)
- Alex Malzone (Fr.)
- Shane Morris (Jr.)
- Wilton Speight (Fr.)
Why not call an upset? Shane Morris has been a checkdown robot the past two seasons, and Wilton Speight has impressed since enrolling last spring. Jim Harbaugh has coached tall, big-armed quarterbacks such as Andrew Luck and Colin Kaepernick, and Speight (6'6") fits the bill. He's only a redshirt freshman, but this is a quarterback-friendly system he can thrive in, even without live game experience.
The Pick: Speight
Michigan State
6 of 14
Contenders
- Connor Cook (Sr.)
Connor Cook's return preempted what might have been the best QB battle in the conference: Damion Terry versus Tyler O'Connor. Most teams would kill for Michigan State's quarterback depth, as all three players appear capable, but Cook is the obvious starter. He forwent the 2015 NFL draft despite being viewed as a potential first-rounder.
The Pick: Cook
Minnesota
7 of 14
Contenders
- Mitch Leidner (Jr.)
For the second straight season, Mitch Leidner aced Minnesota's bowl game. Now he just needs to make it carry over. "This is the way I know I can play," he said after completing 21 of 31 passes for 258 yards and a touchdown against Missouri, per Tom Power of the St. Paul Pioneer Press. Leidner has this job locked up and is worth keeping an eye on. He is 6'4" and athletic, so it's not like he doesn't have upside.
The Pick: Leidner
Nebraska
8 of 14
Contenders
- Tommy Armstrong (Jr.)
- Ryker Fyfe (Jr.)
- Johnny Stanton (So.)
Johnny Stanton was third on the depth chart in 2014, but he's become a sort of folk hero in Lincoln. Plus, new head coach Mike Riley and offensive coordinator Danny Langsdorf recruited him at Oregon State. "I thought he had a lot of running ability and a strong arm," Langsdorf told Sam Mckewon of the Omaha World-Herald. Any of the three players above could realistically win the job, but call this one a shot in the dark. Stanton has the highest ceiling.
The Pick: Stanton
Northwestern
9 of 14
Contenders
- Matt Alviti (So.)
- Zack Oliver (Sr.)
Zack Oliver started the season finale against Illinois with a chance to get Northwestern to a bowl game. Instead, he threw three picks and (in the words of Inside NU) really dropped the ball. Matt Alviti was a 4-star prospect in 2013 and one of the biggest recruits in modern Northwestern history. If now is not his time, when is?
The Pick: Alviti
Ohio State
10 of 14
Contenders
- J.T. Barrett (So.)
- Cardale Jones (Jr.)
- Braxton Miller (Sr.)
It's the question of the offseason, and it's not going away. B/R Ohio State lead writer Ben Axelrod thinks Cardale Jones should be the favorite, which makes sense after he led the Buckeyes over Wisconsin, Alabama and Oregon to win the national title. Don't forget about two-time Big Ten Offensive Player of the Year Braxton Miller, either. But I still have my money on J.T. Barrett, who despite having to miss the upcoming spring practice is the best passer of the three. His QB rating and Total QBR exceed those of Miller and Jones.
The Pick: Barrett
Penn State
11 of 14
Contenders
- Christian Hackenberg (Jr.)
Even though he struggled in 2014, Christian Hackenberg has a firm hold on the starting job. After ending the year with his highest QB rating of the season in the Pinstripe Bowl, there are reasons to think the 6'4" former 5-star prospect can return to national prominence as a junior. This offseason is the most important of his career.
The Pick: Hackenberg
Purdue
12 of 14
Contenders
- Austin Appleby (Jr.)
- David Blough (Fr.)
- Danny Etling (Jr.)
- Elijah Sindelar (Fr.)
The competition is open, as it should be after the way Austin Appleby ended the season (3.5 yards per attempt and three interceptions at Indiana). Still, the stretch of solid play Appleby enjoyed in the middle of the season, when the Boilermakers scored 38 points against Illinois, 31 against Michigan State and 38 against Minnesota in consecutive weeks, was the best this team has seen in years. His ceiling makes him the early favorite.
The Pick: Appleby
Rutgers
13 of 14
Contenders
- Chris Laviano (So.)
- Giovanni Rescigno (Fr.)
- Hayden Rettig (So.)
LSU transfer Hayden Rettig took a redshirt in 2014 and learned Ralph Friedgen's offense. He was the No. 153 overall recruit in 2013, and his brother, Chase, has a solid starting career at Boston College. Rutgers fans hope he can live up to that billing and win the job from Chris Laviano and Giovanni Rescigno, even though the latter two have distinctly more Rutgers-sounding names. Here's betting he can.
The Pick: Rettig
Wisconsin
14 of 14
Contenders
- D.J. Gillins (Fr.)
- Alex Hornibrook (Fr.)
- Bart Houston (Jr.)
- Austin Kafentzis (Fr.)
- Tanner McEvoy (Sr.)
- Joel Stave (Sr.)
New head coach Paul Chryst was the offensive coordinator when Joel Stave arrived in 2011. The other four quarterbacks came to Madison under the new regime. Tanner McEvoy is not expected to stay at the position, and D.J. Gillins and Austin Kafentzis are talented names to watch as freshmen (same goes redshirt junior Bart Houston). But Wisconsin doesn't like the notion of rebuilding, and Stave, if he cuts out the interceptions, gives it the best chance to win.
The Pick: Stave
Note: All recruiting info refers to the 247Sports composite rankings
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
