Big Ten Football: Power Ranking Top QBs Following 2015 Spring Practice
Whether they're dealing with an established incumbent, a competition or controversy, this is the time of year that teams across the country tend to feel pretty good about their respective quarterback situations.
That, however, rings especially true in the Big Ten, which will be home to some of the nation's top signal-callers in 2015.
In fact, three of the the top quarterback prospects for the 2016 NFL draft will call the Big Ten home next season, as will Ohio State's trio of qualified yet still competing passers. Coaching changes at Michigan, Nebraska and Wisconsin could all take other quarterbacks in the conference to the next level, and a certain return in Bloomington could finally help Indiana make some noise.
Needless to say, there's no shortage of intrigue in the Big Ten when it comes to the quarterback position. With that in mind, let's rank the league's top signal-callers as they exit spring football.
1. Connor Cook
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Ohio State and Michigan may be grabbing the lion's share of the attention when it comes to Big Ten quarterbacks this offseason, but it's not yet set in stone who will be the starter at either school this fall. That won't be the case in East Lansing, however, where Connor Cook returns for his third season as the Spartans' starter.
After leading Michigan State to a Rose Bowl victory in 2013, Cook proved why he's considered a future first-round pick when he threw for 3,214 yards and 24 touchdowns in 2014. Continuing MSU's momentum from the year before, the Spartans went 11-2 last season, their only losses coming to the two teams that played for the national title—Ohio State and Oregon.
In fact, Cook has been so good in each of the past two years that it came as a surprise to some that he opted to return to Michigan State for his senior season, rather than enter the NFL draft. Nevertheless, here he is, prepared to cement the Spartans' status as one of the nation's top teams and his as a first-round pick.
With Tony Lippett and Keith Mumphery headed to the NFL, the 6'4", 218-pound Cook spent his spring searching for new targets to lock in on this fall. But he's already done enough in his college career to deserve the right to be called the Big Ten's best quarterback—who's guaranteed to start—heading into 2015.
2. Cardale Jones/J.T. Barrett/Braxton Miller
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There's a compelling case to be made that the best quarterback in the Big Ten will be whoever's starting for Ohio State.
The only problem is, we don't know who that is yet.
Cardale Jones enters the summer as the favorite to start for the Buckeyes after leading Ohio State to three postseason wins, but J.T. Barrett is ahead of schedule in his recovery from a fractured ankle, and Braxton Miller should soon be back from the torn labrum in his throwing shoulder that brought an end to his 2014 season before it even started. As the reigning Big Ten Quarterback of the Year, don't count out Barrett reclaiming his starting spot this summer, while Miller's status remains very much up in the air.
Although Urban Meyer knows he can win with any of the three, he's also aware that he has a monumental decision on his hands. The head coach of the reigning national champions admitted as much after Ohio State's spring game, where he laid out the process he plans on using when it comes to determining who his starting quarterback will be this fall.
"I'll come up with some kind of system throughout training camp that we're going to chart everything that everyone does," Meyer said. "We've kind of done it, but not to the degree that we're going to do it this year. Because you have to be right on now. This can't be, 'Well, I'm going with him because it's my gut feeling.' Those gut feelings—it's got to be statistical analysis and data, backed up on who is going to play quarterback."
3. Christian Hackenberg
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After enduring what was statistically a sophomore slump in 2014, Christian Hackenberg is looking for a bounce-back season in 2015. And if spring football was any indication, he could be in store for just that—and not just because he's feeling more comfortable in his second season under head coach James Franklin.
With the Nittany Lions back at 85 scholarships following a reduction in the sanctions stemming from the Jerry Sandusky scandal, Hackenberg will finally have a full stable of offensive linemen protecting him. Franklin pointed to that as one of the biggest reasons for his optimism for the upcoming season, stating that a lot of Hackenberg's struggles last season stemmed from inefficiencies in front of him.
"There's nobody that is happier about this group returning and the strides they've made than Mr. and Mrs. Hackenberg," Franklin said in his opening spring-practice press conference. "I'm excited about them. I know [offensive line coach] Herb [Hand] is excited about working with him. I know they're so much more confident mentally and physically, all those things."
Despite Franklin's endorsement, Hackenberg still found himself sacked five times in the Nittany Lions' spring game. But nevertheless, he possesses the talent to be the potential first overall pick of the 2016 NFL draft—as long as he can get there in one piece.
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Tommy Armstrong Jr.
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Tommy Armstrong Jr. isn't yet guaranteed to start for Nebraska in 2015. But should he hold on to the lead he'll take into the summer over A.J. Bush and Zack Darlington, Mike Riley's offense could take his play to the next level.
Coming to Lincoln from Oregon State, Riley arrives with a history of putting quarterbacks in the NFL, from Derek Anderson to Matt Moore to Sean Mannion. Following the spring game, the first-year Cornhuskers head coach wasn't prepared to name Armstrong—who threw for 2,695 yards and 22 touchdowns in 2015—his starter moving forward but was very complimentary of the junior's spring session.
"It is a tough thing midway through your college career to have what you know pulled out from under him. That's a tough deal for him," Riley said. "But I think he's done well, and he should continue to grow."
As a dual-threat quarterback—Armstrong also rushed for 705 yards and six touchdowns in 2014—the 6'1", 220-pounder also provides the option of multiple looks in Riley's traditionally pro-style offense. Should the Cibolo, Texas, native cement his status as the Huskers' starter, it wouldn't be surprising to see him emerge as one of the Big Ten's top quarterbacks under his new head coach's tutelage.
Mitch Leidner
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Minnesota' Mitch Leidner didn't light up scoreboards a season ago, passing for 1,798 yards and 11 touchdowns in 12 games, but the Golden Gophers signal-caller ended his sophomore season by showing a glimpse of what he could be capable of moving forward.
Completing 21 of his 31 pass attempts for 258 yards and a score in Minnesota's loss to Missouri in the Buffalo Wild Wings Citrus Bowl, Leidner looked like a quarterback capable of adding a new dimension to Jerry Kill's offense. With star running back David Cobb's eligibility having expired, that could be much needed in 2015 as the Gophers look to build on the momentum of a season where they were a win away from playing in the Big Ten title game.
With tight end Maxx Williams headed to the NFL, Leidner has his work cut out for him moving forward in terms of finding new weapons to work with. But for a player only at the midway point of his college career, the 6'4", 237-pound Leidner is at a crossroads and could be poised to make a significant jump in his junior season.
Joel Stave
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After missing the first four games of his junior season, Joel Stave finished 2014 on a high note, helping lead Wisconsin to the Big Ten Championship Game, before engineering an overtime win over Auburn in the Outback Bowl.
Now solidified as the Badgers starter, Stave will look to ride that momentum into his senior season, although he'll be doing so while playing for the third coach of his college career. New Badgers head coach Paul Chryst runs an offense similar to the one that Stave first played in when he took over as starter for Bret Bielema in 2012, meaning that he could have an advantage when it comes to familiarity.
Stave has always been a steady cog in the Badgers' run-first offense, but as an experienced senior, he will now have more responsibility put on his plate. All indications from Madison this spring were that he's ready for it and then some, as Wisconsin looks to repeat as West Division champions.
Wes Lunt
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Despite helping lead Illinois to an unexpected bowl appearance a year ago, perhaps no Big Ten quarterback has flown under the radar as much as Will Lunt, who enters 2015 solidified as the Fighting Illini's starting quarterback.
After an injury interrupted his strong start to the season, Lunt proved reliable if nothing else in 2014. The 6'5", 215-pounder threw for 1,763 yards, 14 touchdowns and just three interceptions, before a broken leg opened the door for an in-season quarterback controversy between him and Reilly O'Toole.
With O'Toole no longer left to compete with, Lunt finally has the Illinois starting job to himself and was able to prevent Jeff George Jr. from turning this spring into any sort of a competition. A transfer from Oklahoma State, Lunt could make a big jump in 2015 if he can stay healthy and show the consistency he displayed while on the field a season ago.
C.J. Beathard
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Iowa figured to be home of one of the Big Ten's more entertaining quarterback competitions this offseason, but Jake Rudock's decision to transfer brought any controversy to an end before it even started. As a result, C.J. Beathard has solidified his status as the Hawkeyes' top signal-caller, after supplanting Rudock at the end of the 2014 season.
A 6'2", 203-pound junior by way of Franklin, Tennessee, Beathard threw for 645 yards and five touchdowns while appearing in eight games a season ago. He was only asked to attempt more than 10 passes twice in a game, however, including a 13-for-23, 145-yard, two-touchdown performance in Iowa's loss to Tennessee in the TaxSlayer Bowl.
Beathard will have to take his game to the next level this fall in order to prove that Kirk Ferentz made the right decision to let Rudock walk—to another Big Ten school no less. The confidence the Hawkeyes staff has in him, however, has to count for something, and Iowa's schedule sets up for what could be a strong start to his first season in the starting lineup.
Shane Morris/Jake Rudock
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Outside of Ohio State, there's no school in the Big Ten with less certainty about who will be its signal-caller in the fall, as Michigan's might not even be on campus yet.
After opting to use his ability as a graduate transfer to leave Iowa City, Rudock decided that he'll join Jim Harbaugh's first Wolverines team, although he won't actually arrive in Ann Arbor until the summer. Until then, Shane Morris is the front-runner to start for Harbaugh, who after the Michigan spring game said that the junior is currently ahead of freshmen Alex Malzone and Wilton Speight in the race to be his No. 1 quarterback.
"If I looked at it over all of spring ball, Shane would be ahead," Harbaugh said. "The competition will rage on, though, starting tomorrow. Through April, into May, June, July and August."
That competition will include Rudock, who, given his experience, could wind up being the first-year Michigan head coach's safest option. True freshman Zach Gentry will also arrive on campus this summer and will enter the mix in what should be the conference's most discussed competition this side of Columbus.
“I’m excited to watch it go down,” Harbaugh said.
He's not alone.
Nate Sudfeld
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After a promising start to 2014 that included 1,151 yards and six touchdown passes in six games was cut short by a shoulder injury, Nate Sudfeld is expected to reclaim his starting job at Indiana this season.
That's good news for the Hoosiers and head coach Kevin Wilson, who could use the 6'5", 228-pounder's passing prowess in what could be a make-or-break season. After Indiana got off to a 3-2 start to the season, Sudfeld's injury led to a six-game losing streak, putting Wilson on the hot seat for 2015.
Sudfeld has the ability, and Wilson's offense is passer-friendly enough that he could put up big numbers in his senior campaign. But his absence showed just how unstable the Hoosiers offense can be, which is perhaps a part of a bigger problem within the program.
Caleb Rowe
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Despite sitting out spring practice as he recovered from a torn ACL that cut his 2014 short, Caleb Rowe will enter the summer as the favorite to replace C.J. Brown as Maryland's No. 1 quarterback.
A 6'3", 215-pound senior who's seeking an extra season of eligibility for 2016, Rowe completed 63 percent of his passes a season ago, which included a 1-1 record in the two games that he did start. But while his consistency is reason to believe in his ability, last year's torn ACL marked the second time that he suffered such injury in a three-year span.
The departure of Stefon Diggs won't help matters in College Park, but Rowe possesses plenty of promise. Much of the Terrapins' success, however, will depend on how he recovers from his injury and meshes with the rest of the Maryland offense this offseason.
Chris Laviano/Hayden Rettig
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With Gary Nova's eligibility having expired, the race to replace him at Rutgers is currently between Chris Laviano and Hayden Rettig. Leaving spring practice, Laviano has an edge according to head coach Kyle Flood, although his lead doesn't appear to be significant.
Laviano served as Nova's primary backup a season ago, completing just 39.3 percent of his 28 pass attempts for 107 yards and one interception. Rettig, meanwhile, is an LSU transfer, who was the ninth-ranked pro-style quarterback in the 2013 class.
Laviano may have the lead at the moment, but Rettig appears to have the upside. But regardless of who is starting for the Scarlet Knights this season, he'll hardly be a proven commodity.
Austin Appleby
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Purdue will enter the summer the same way it entered the spring, with a three-way quarterback competition among Austin Appleby, Danny Etling and David Blough.
Appleby appears to have the edge in the race, following a 147-yard, one-touchdown performance in the Boilermakers' spring game. But none of the three signal-callers has done enough to separate himself as the clear front-runner heading into the remainder of the season.
Like it is for Meyer in Columbus, choosing the right quarterback will be Darrell Hazell's top priority this summer. But unlike the Ohio State head coach, the wrong choice could ultimately cost the third-year Purdue head coach his job after a 4-20 start to his career in West Lafayette.
Zack Oliver
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With Trevor Siemian vying for a job in the NFL, Northwestern enters 2015 without a starting quarterback, as spring football gave Pat Fitzgerald a head start on what appears to be a three-man competition. But neither Zack Oliver, Matt Alviti nor Clayton Thorson appeared to separate himself from the pack, and the three will continue to battle heading into the summer.
"I've liked the way I've seen all three guys compete and progress," Fitzgerald told NUSports.com. "I look forward to seeing the next step as we move forward in the evaluation."
As a senior, Oliver would seem to have an advantage after throwing for 367 yards and two touchdowns in four appearances last season. The majority of his stats were compiled in the Wildcats' regular-season finale, a 221-yard, one-touchdown effort that ultimately came in a loss to Illinois.
Regardless of who winds up starting for Fitzgerald, the Wildcats seemingly have their work cut out for them in 2015.
Ben Axelrod is Bleacher Report's Big Ten Lead Writer. You can follow him on Twitter @BenAxelrod. Unless noted otherwise, all quotes were obtained firsthand. All statistics courtesy of CFBStats.com. Recruiting rankings courtesy of 247Sports.
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