Projecting Every Big Ten Team's Quarterback for 2016 Season
When looking at the landscape of the Big Ten, there may not be a more interesting dynamic in the league than the current state of the conference's quarterbacks.
With nine returning starters and five players seeing the first significant playing time of their college careers, the Big Ten will feature a blend of well-known names and new players to know behind center in 2016. In some cases, incumbent starters will be looking to build on what they did in previous years, while others are simply looking to establish themselves as their teams' undisputed starters.
Not all quarterback battles in the conference have even begun yet, but it's never too early to start looking ahead to the coming season. With that in mind, let's take a look at who projects as each Big Ten team's starting quarterback in 2016.
Illinois: Wes Lunt
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Serving as a full-time starter for the first time in his college career, Illinois' Wes Lunt put together an impressive 2015, although it wasn't enough to help lead the Fighting Illini to a winning record. In 12 games, the 6'5", 225-pound signal-caller completed 56.1 percent of his pass attempts for 2,761 yards, 14 touchdowns and six interceptions.
With the benefit of significant playing time now under his belt, Lunt will be expected to make a big jump in 2016 and possess more of a playmaking presence than he did in his junior campaign. If he doesn't and Illinois' record once again falters, it could put head coach Bill Cubit in the position to look ahead and give a younger quarterback such as Chayce Crouch a shot.
For now, Lunt remains steady but not yet spectacular. The coming year will determine whether he is capable of the latter and will ultimately define his legacy in Champaign.
Indiana: Zander Diamont
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Replacing Nate Sudfeld will be no small task. After all, the now former Indiana quarterback leaves Bloomington as the Hoosiers' all-time leader in passing touchdowns (61), passing yardage (7,879), 350-yard games (six) and 300-yard games (11).
But stepping in for Sudfeld, a third-team All-Big Ten selection in 2015, is a situation that Zander Diamont is relatively familiar with. After all, when Sudfeld was hampered by injuries in each of the past two seasons, including a season-ending torn ACL in 2014, it was Diamont who replaced him as Indiana's starting signal-caller.
Thus far, the returns on Diamont have been modest, although he has showcased the ability to make big plays with his legs when necessary. The junior from Los Angeles doesn't have a strong grasp on the Hoosiers' starting job just yet but should be considered the front-runner heading into the offseason.
Diamont won't be the passer Sudfeld was, but his ability on the ground could add a new dynamic to head coach Kevin Wilson's spread offense. Should Diamont wind up Indiana's starter, the Hoosiers will need him to do just that if they're going to build on their 6-6 regular season and bowl appearance in 2015.
Iowa: C.J. Beathard
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The good news for head coach Kirk Ferentz is that choosing C.J. Beathard as his team's starting quarterback in 2015 ultimately led Iowa to a 12-0 regular-season record and within one Big Ten title win of making the College Football Playoff.
The better news is that Beathard is back for one more year in Iowa City, where the Hawkeyes should be favored to repeat as champions in the Big Ten West.
Completing 61.6 percent of his passes for 2,809 yards, 14 touchdowns and five interceptions, Beathard earned second-team All-Big Ten honors while serving as one of the more pleasant surprises in all of the conference. Without the 6'2", 209-pounder's playmaking ability, Iowa's unexpected surge would have been unlikely after years of floundering in Big Ten mediocrity.
With Beathard back, however, the Hawkeyes find themselves not the hunters, but the hunted in what is perceived to be the weaker of the conference's two divisions. Back-to-back losses to close the season leave some doubt over Iowa and Beathard entering 2016, but for the first time in a while, the Hawkeyes will enter a season with high to live up to.
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Maryland: Perry Hills
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Taking over for Caleb Rowe as Maryland's starting quarterback midway through the 2015 campaign, Perry Hills showed promise as a dual-threat signal-caller, but that didn't always translate to wins for the Terrapins.
Serving as Maryland's starting quarterback for six of its final seven games, the 6'3", 210-pound Hills completed 50 percent of his passes for 1,001 yards, eight touchdowns and 13 interceptions while adding 535 yards and three scores on the ground.
Perhaps more tellingly, however, was the fact that Hills' lone win as a starter in the second half of the season came in a game in which he was benched midway through the second quarter.
With D.J. Durkin taking over as the Terrapins' head coach, Hills hardly has a grasp on the starting job but will be his new head coach's most experienced and viable option by the time the 2016 season rolls around.
Michigan: John O'Korn
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One of the more interesting roster dynamics in all of the Big Ten, Michigan returns arguably the most complete roster in the entire conference, but it will be breaking in a new starting quarterback following the departure of Jake Rudock.
And much like he did in 2015, head coach Jim Harbaugh could once again find himself turning to a transfer acquisition as his starting quarterback, with many believing that former Houston signal-caller John O'Korn has the inside track to be Rudock's replacement in 2016.
Starting as a true freshman with the Cougars in 2013, O'Korn completed an impressive 58.1 percent of his passes for 3,117 yards, 28 interceptions and 10 interceptions.
Having been allowed to practice with the Wolverines as he sat out because of transfer rules in 2015, O'Korn won't find himself at a disadvantage as he battles with Shane Morris, Wilton Speight and Alex Malzone for the right to Michigan's second starting quarterback under Harbaugh. But whoever it is who winds up the Wolverines starter will find himself at the helm of an impressive unit with no shortage of expectations for the coming season.
"It’s going to be exciting to work and see what happens this spring," Michigan passing game coordinator Jedd Fisch said, per Jeff Seidel of the Detroit Free Press. "There will be some guys battling for that starting job, and it’s going to be a fun one."
Michigan State: Tyler O'Connor
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With the eligibility of Connor Cook having expired in East Lansing, there may not be bigger shoes to fill in all of the Big Ten than those of the former Michigan State quarterback. After all, Cook is arguably the most decorated signal-caller in Spartans history, having led Michigan State to two Big Ten titles and three major bowl games, including an appearance in last season's College Football Playoff.
And while head coach Mark Dantonio will ultimately hold a quarterback competition throughout spring practice and perhaps the offseason, Tyler O'Connor has the inside track to becoming Cook's replacement.
Filling in for Cook because of injury in arguably the Spartans' most important game of the season, O'Connor helped lead Michigan State to an upset victory over Ohio State on the road last November, completing seven of his 12 pass attempts for 89 yards and a touchdown while adding 25 crucial yards on the ground.
The numbers may not have been as eye-popping as Cook's record-breaking totals, but O'Connor's veteran presence and experience on the big stage will likely be valued by the MSU staff.
"I feel like I have a great grasp of the offense and reading defense, and things like that, so I'm looking forward to the opportunity," O'Connor said, per MLive.com's Mike Griffith.
Before he can officially be named the Spartans' starter, O'Connor first must beat out Damion Terry, who also saw snaps in Michigan State's win over the Buckeyes. But for now, it's O'Connor's job to lose in what may be the most intriguing quarterback battle in all of the Big Ten in 2016.
Minnesota: Mitch Leidner
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While Minnesota's win total may have dropped in 2015, the improvement of quarterback Mitch Leidner served as a promising sign for the future of the Golden Gophers—particularly when it came to Minnesota's win over Central Michigan in the Quick Lane Bowl. The 6'4", 236-pound quarterback completed 24 of his 30 pass attempts for 223 yards and a touchdown while adding 19 yards and an additional score on the ground.
"You get in ballgames like that, it gets tight at the end, you've got to play to win, and your leaders do that," Golden Gophers head coach Tracy Claeys said following Minnesota's 21-14 victory over the Chippewas, per Andy Greder of the Pioneer Press. "Mitch has stepped up and done that several times this year."
In total, Leidner completed 59.5 percent of his passes for 2,701 yards, 14 touchdowns and 11 interceptions in his junior campaign, adding 270 yards and six scores on the ground. With Leidner taking another leap forward in his senior season, the Golden Gophers could very well find themselves back in contention in the Big Ten West.
Nebraska: Tommy Armstrong Jr.
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While Nebraska's 5-7 regular-season record was ultimately a disappointment, the Cornhuskers' win over UCLA in the Foster Farms Bowl provided plenty of promise for the future of the Mike Riley era in Lincoln. That rang especially true for the performance of quarterback Tommy Armstrong Jr., who won MVP honors in Nebraska's 37-29 postseason win.
In 13 games, Armstrong completed 55.2 percent of his passes for 3,030 yards, 22 touchdowns and 16 interceptions, adding 400 yards and seven scores on the ground in 2015.
While his college career has largely been uneven to this point, 2016 will provide Armstrong with one last chance to make the most of his time in a Huskers uniform. For what it's worth, both Armstrong and Riley are insistent he'll do just that, as improved quarterback play will be crucial for Nebraska to once again contend in the Big Ten West.
"I like everything that he can do, talent-wise," Riley said, per ESPN.com's Mitch Sherman. "So we’ve got to help all those kinds of things get better."
Northwestern: Clayton Thorson
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One of the Big Ten's breakout performers in 2015, redshirt freshman Clayton Thorson emerged to help lead Northwestern to a 10-2 regular-season record before the Wildcats suffered a loss to Tennessee to end their season in the Outback Bowl. In his debut season, the 6'4", 210-pounder completed 50.8 percent of his passes for 1,522 yards, seven touchdowns and nine interceptions, adding 397 yards and five scores on the ground.
And while he'll still be able to rely on Justin Jackson and Northwestern's impressive running game, 2016 should only bring more responsibility for Thorson in the Wildcats offense. His ability to handle just that should go a long way toward determining whether last season was merely a fluke for Northwestern or whether the Wildcats will remain a Big Ten West contender throughout the remainder of his college career.
Ohio State: J.T. Barrett
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For the first time in his college career, J.T. Barrett enters an offseason knowing he'll be Ohio State's starting quarterback.
And if the final two games of his 2015 campaign are any indication, the redshirt junior is ready to return to his Heisman Trophy contender form of 2014.
After enduring a near season-long battle with Cardale Jones for the right to be the Buckeyes' starting quarterback, Barrett saved his best for last, totaling 559 yards of total offense and five touchdowns in wins over Michigan and Notre Dame in the Fiesta Bowl to close the 2015 campaign.
Those are the type of efforts head coach Urban Meyer was hoping to get from his starting signal-caller throughout the entire season and could result in a more open OSU offense in the coming year.
"I want to make some adjustments. I want more of a balance, like we were in 2014," Meyer said following the Fiesta Bowl. "We need to throw the ball. J.T. threw it 31 times. That's more what I'm looking for."
That could mean some big games for Barrett, which could ultimately land him in New York City as a Heisman Trophy finalist by season's end. But for now, he'll settle for knowing that he'll be the Buckeyes' starting quarterback, which wasn't always a given over the course of his sophomore season.
Penn State: Tommy Stevens
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For the first time since 2012, Penn State will enter a season with a starting quarterback other than Christian Hackenberg, who declared for the NFL draft following the Nittany Lions' loss to Georgia in the TaxSlayer Bowl.
In perhaps the most wide-open quarterback race in all the Big Ten, there's no clear-cut answer for who Hackenberg's successor will be, but one name to keep an eye on is redshirt freshman Tommy Stevens.
While Trace McSorley may have more playing time to his credit at this point, having served as Hackenberg's backup throughout the 2015 campaign, Stevens may ultimately have the higher upside of the two primary candidates head coach James Franklin will be choosing from.
A former 3-star prospect, Stevens was the nation's 21st-ranked dual-threat quarterback in the 2015 class and could be the best fit for the type of hybrid offense Franklin would prefer to run.
Of all the quarterback competitions in the conference about to begin, the one in Happy Valley has the most potential to drag into the 2016 campaign. At the moment, there is no shortage of questions when it comes to the state of Franklin's program, the most important of which might be who will be taking snaps behind center once next season begins.
Purdue: David Blough
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While there weren't many positives to take away from Purdue's 2-10 campaign in 2015, one player who did show promise for the Boilermakers last season was freshman quarterback David Blough. Playing in 10 games, the 6'1", 202-pounder from Carrollton, Texas, completed 57.7 percent of his passes for 1,574 yards, 10 touchdowns and eight interceptions while adding 94 yards and four touchdowns on the ground.
The highlight of Blough's freshman campaign came in a 55-45 win over Nebraska, which saw him throw for 274 yards and four touchdowns and add another score on the ground en route to earning Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week honors.
Entering 2016 as the Boilermakers' presumed starter, Blough will need more performances like his showing against the Cornhuskers to build on an otherwise solid, albeit unspectacular, 2015. Purdue possesses no shortage of holes on its roster entering its fourth season under head coach Darrell Hazell, but improved quarterback play could go a long way toward masking many of the Boilermakers' shortcomings.
Rutgers: Chris Laviano
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After an uneven 2015 that started with a suspension and ended with boos from fans, Chris Laviano enters 2016 as the front-runner to be new Rutgers head coach Chris Ash's first starting quarterback in Piscataway, New Jersey.
And while last season was short on highlights for the Scarlet Knights as a whole, Laviano did show promise at times, completing 60.9 percent of his pass attempts for 2,247 yards, 16 touchdowns and 12 interceptions.
Of course, playing quarterback is always easier when you're able to target a wide receiver like Leonte Carroo, whose time at Rutgers is now over. Laviano should get the first shot at resuming his role as the Scarlet Knights' starter, but if he falters, former LSU transfer Hayden Rettig's number could be called sooner rather than later.
Taking over a 4-8 program, Ash will have his work cut out for himself in a loaded Big Ten East. The task of turning Rutgers around, however, would be much easier with improved play from the Scarlet Knights' quarterback.
Wisconsin: Bart Houston
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While Joel Stave leaves Madison as one of Wisconsin's most accomplished signal-callers, there's a ready-made replacement waiting for the Badgers in fifth-year senior Bart Houston.
Having served as Stave's backup throughout the 2015 campaign, Houston showed glimpses of what he's capable of in a 24-13 win over Illinois. After Stave left the game because of injury in the first quarter, his understudy shone, with Houston completing 22 of his 33 pass attempts for 232 yards, two touchdowns and two interceptions.
"Yeah, I've been waiting years—three or four or something like that—so yeah, it's fun to play the game again," Houston said afterward, per ESPN.com.
Of course, there's a difference between playing in a single game and serving as a team's starter for an entire season. But so far, the returns on Houston have been impressive and enough for Wisconsin to still be considered one of the front-runners in the Big Ten West, despite a first-year starter set to take snaps behind center.
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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