RADIO
Brant's early Big Ten quarterback rankings for 2026. His top 18 quarterbacks ranked from worst to first, including Dante Moore, Julian Sayin, Nico Iamaleava, Josh Hoover & more.
We did just wrap up the 2025 college football season and for the third year straight, a Big Ten team brought home the title. Michigan, Ohio State, and now Indiana - who is next in line? We have a whole offseason to debate.
It is very early in the process of wrapping up the 2025 season and setting sights on next year and there is bound to be more significant roster changes in the spring when the portal opens back up but as of right now, most Big Ten teams seem to be pretty set on who their starting quarterback will be in 2026.
From worst to first, read on to see how the Big Ten quarterback landscape looks to shake out heading into next season.
18. Ryan Browne, Purdue
2025 Stats: 58.9% completion, 2,153 passing yards, nine passing touchdowns, 10 interceptions, 206 rushing yards, four rushing touchdowns
While he did play in limited fashion in 2023 and 2024, 2025 was Ryan Browne’s first full season as a starting quarterback at Purdue. The results were underwhelming. Purdue won just two games, going 0-10 against power conference opponents. Excluding Wisconsin’s Hunter Simmons, he was the only Big Ten quarterback to throw more interceptions than touchdowns last season.
#Purdue HC Barry Odom on the QB situation:
“I believe in Ryan Browne.” pic.twitter.com/UcdJrOCsfz
— Zach Vogt (@ZachVogt30) January 23, 2026
Browne had a higher completion percentage than just Simmons and Maryland’s Malik Washington, a true freshman. New head coach Barry Odom did not grab a quarterback in the transfer portal so as of right now, it looks like it will be Browne under center again for the Boilermakers in 2026.
17. Jeremy Hecklinski, Iowa
2025 Stats: 100% completion, eight passing yards, 0 passing touchdowns, 0 interceptions, six rushing yards, one rushing touchdown
As of now, Jeremy Hecklinski projects as the only 2026 Big Ten starting quarterback without starting experience. A former four-star recruit, Hecklinski committed to Wake Forest out of high school but only stayed for one season and did not play at all. He joined Iowa this past offseason, but only made brief appearances in two blowout games (Wisconsin and Minnesota).
Kirk Ferentz expressed his faith in Hecklinski by not adding a transfer quarterback this portal cycle. The young signal caller is expected to start for the Hawkeyes this season, although he does face competition from former Auburn quarterback Hank Brown. Iowa’s offense will likely experience a drop-off with the departure of Mark Gronowski, but Hecklinski does offer some upside.
16. Dylan Lonergan, Rutgers
2025 Stats (Boston College): 66.9% completion, 2,025 passing yards, 12 passing touchdowns, five interceptions, -37 rushing yards, one rushing touchdown
Dylan Lonergan started his college career off at Alabama, sitting behind the likes of Jalen Milroe and Ty Simpson. Lonergan then transferred to Boston College for the 2025 season and won the starting job. He started off the season strong numbers-wise, but was not translating his performances into wins. When he started to struggle, he was benched although he did later regain the starting job.
Lonergan then entered the transfer portal and wound up at Rutgers, where he will replace the departed Athan Kaliakmanis. Rutgers seems like a good fit on paper for the former Alabama backup, although he is coming off of an up-and-down season at a similar-level program. It remains to be seen what the next chapter of the former blue-chip recruit’s story looks like.
15. Alessio Milivojevic, Michigan State
2025 Stats: 64.2% completion, 1,267 passing yards, 10 passing touchdowns, three interceptions, -59 rushing yards, one rushing touchdown
Alessio Milivojevic took over the starting role from Aidan Chiles late in the season. While he did go 1-3, the Spartans were a lot more competitive than they had been in previous weeks with an overtime loss to Minnesota and a late-game loss to Iowa.
Milivojevic projects as the starter as of now for new head coach Pat Fitzgerald in 2026, and the experience he gained in starting the last four games of the season for the Spartans will be invaluable heading into a new era of Michigan State football.
14. Drake Lindsey, Minnesota
2025 Stats: 63.2% completion, 2,382 passing yards, 18 passing touchdowns, six interceptions, -119 rushing yards, four rushing touchdowns
In his first year as a starter, Drake Lindsey was your typical Minnesota quarterback. He rarely made flashy plays, but he limited turnovers and won eight games as a redshirt freshman. Lindsey should be the man in Minneapolis for years to come.
The Golden Gophers did struggle against high-quality opponents, suffering an average margin of defeat of 35.3 points against Ohio State, Iowa, and Oregon, but Lindsey figures to improve as he gains more experience.
13. Aidan Chiles, Northwestern
2025 Stats (Michigan State): 63.1% completion, 1,392 passing yards, 10 passing touchdowns, three interceptions, 227 rushing yards, six rushing touchdowns
The only projected starter to transfer from one Big Ten school to another this offseason was Aidan Chiles, who took his talents from Michigan State to Northwestern. Paired with former NFL head coach Chip Kelly, this is a now-or-never moment for Chiles.
Formerly regarded as the future of Oregon State’s program, Chiles followed Jonathan Smith to East Lansing. It didn’t work out for coach or player, and now Chiles finds himself as the most talented quarterback to walk through the door for Northwestern in quite some time. Can he put it all together on the field with Kelly calling the shots?
12. Katin Houser, Illinois
2025 Stats (ECU): 65.9% completion, 3,300 passing yards, 19 passing touchdowns, six interceptions, 193 rushing yards, nine rushing touchdowns
After starting at ECU the past two seasons, Katin Houser returns to the Big Ten for his final season of eligibility. The former Michigan State quarterback only started for part of the season in 2023 before heading to ECU, where he gained most of his starting experience.
Houser will look to step into the void left by Luke Altmyer and is a great fit for Bret Bielema’s squad. Like Altmyer his numbers may not pop off the charts, but he should be a good game manager for the Illini.
11. Colton Joseph, Wisconsin
2025 Stats (Old Dominion): 59.7% completion, 2,624 passing yards, 21 passing touchdowns, 10 interceptions, 1,007 rushing yards, 13 rushing touchdowns
Colton Joseph may be the most underrated quarterback transfer in the entire NCAA, considering what Wisconsin has been dealing with at the position for the duration of the Luke Fickell era. Joseph took over the starting job at Old Dominion partially through the 2024 season and was one of the G5’s most electric signal callers from that point forward.
Wisconsin finally has a really fun QB in Colton Joseph from ODU.
Absolute dual threat QB. This past season he had 2,624 passing yards & 10TDs. Also added 1,007 rushing yards, 6.4 YPC, & 13TDs.
Can make accurate throws and explosive plays on the ground.
pic.twitter.com/UHnMv04POP— Garrett Armbrust (@4thandsaturday) January 4, 2026
During his season and a half as the Monarchs’ starter, Joseph threw for 4,251 yards, 32 touchdowns, and 15 interceptions while rushing for 1,654 yards and 24 touchdowns. Plugging him into a Badgers’ offense in dire need of any sort of playmaking should be a nice breath of fresh air for a fanbase badly needing something to root for.
10. Bryce Underwood, Michigan
2025 Stats: 60.3% completion, 2,428 passing yards, 11 passing touchdowns, nine interceptions, 392 rushing yards, six rushing touchdowns
Michigan’s golden boy, Bryce Underwood, did not dazzle as a true freshman. While the former five-star did show flashes of brilliance and possesses elite size and athleticism, his inexperience won out and he struggled anytime when faced with a tough defense. The Wolverines finished at 9-4 with their best win being at home against Washington.
With Kyle Whittingham in town for 2026, all college football fans are expecting Underwood to take a step up in performance with a year of experience now under his belt. He could be a major riser on this list from now until this time next year.
9. Anthony Colandrea, Nebraska
2025 Stats (UNLV): 65.9% completion, 3,459 passing yards, 23 passing touchdowns, nine interceptions, 649 rushing yards, 10 rushing touchdowns
After losing incumbent starter Dylan Raiola to the transfer portal, Nebraska landed on former Virginia and UNLV signal caller Anthony Colandrea to line up under center for the 2026 campaign. Colandrea started as a true freshman at Virginia in 2023 and while his play was rocky throughout his first two seasons, he put it all together for a career year under Dan Mullen out west.
Colandrea brings experience to Matt Rhule’s system. While he may not have the ceiling that Raiola has, he certainly gives the Cornhuskers a higher floor heading into next season.
8. Malik Washington, Maryland
2025 Stats: 57.7% completion, 2,963 passing yards, 17 passing touchdowns, nine interceptions, 303 rushing yards, four rushing touchdowns
Malik Washington was the Big Ten’s best true freshman quarterback this past season. That statement may spur controversy, but he had better numbers with a worse supporting cast. Washington may have won just one Big Ten game, but he showed plenty of flashes of talent that should continue to be developed over the next few seasons.
Mike Locksley was retained for the 2026 season solely to keep Washington in town, which speaks volumes about the type of player that ther Terrapins will be rolling out under center again in 2026.
7. Nico Iamaleava, UCLA
2025 Stats: 64.4% completion, 1,928 passing yards, 13 passing touchdowns, seven interceptions, 505 rushing yards, four rushing touchdowns
Nico Iamaleava took a major step back in production when moving from Tennessee in 2024 to UCLA in 2025 after an NIL dispute with the Volunteers caused him to enter the transfer portal last spring. While he did struggle at times in the three-win season, he was far from the problem for the Bruins.
FIVE TDS! 💥
Relive each of Nico Iamaleava's scores in @UCLAFootball's upset win over No. 7 Penn State. pic.twitter.com/LsovSrDkvk
— UCLA on BTN (@UCLAOnBTN) October 4, 2025
UCLA fired DeShaun Foster after just three games, then proceeded to beat undefeated Penn State two weeks later while sitting at 0-4. This spurred a three-game winstreak for Iamaleava and the Bruins, but they closed the season out with five more straight losses.
Coaching and surrounding talent were far from optimal in Los Angeles for the young quarterback, but that could change in 2026 as Bob Chesney takes the reigns at UCLA. We should see more of the 2024 Nico Iamaleava next season, who led his team to the College Football Playoff in his first year as a starter.
6. Jayden Maiava, USC
2025 Stats: 65.8% completion, 3,711 passing yards, 24 passing touchdowns, 10 interceptions, 157 rushing yards, six rushing touchdowns
Jayden Maiava’s first full season as a starter in Lincoln Riley’s system was up-and-down. There were some highs, like lighting up Michigan’s defense in a home win and orchestrating a comeback at home against Iowa. There were also some lows, like a dud performance in a narrow win over Nebraska and struggles against TCU in an Alamo Bowl loss.
He will lose top targets Makai Lemon and Ja’Kobi Lane to the NFL next season, but the Trojans are always reloading on pass catchers. Maiava will need to string together another strong season full of flashes in order to cement himself as being worthy of a high NFL Draft pick.
5. Rocco Becht, Penn State
2025 Stats (Iowa State): 60.5% completion, 2,584 passing yards, 16 passing touchdowns, nine interceptions, 116 rushing yards, eight rushing touchdowns
Like most of Iowa State’s team, Rocco Becht is following Matt Campbell to Penn State for the 2026 season, his last of eligibility. Becht instantly becomes one of the conference’s most experienced quarterbacks after starting for the past three seasons in Ames, throwing for 9,274 yards, 64 touchdowns, and 27 interceptions.
His experience should only help Campbell as he attempts to re-establish Penn State as a national contender and in a season where the Nittany Lions avoid Ohio State, Indiana, and Oregon, the stars may be aligning for a run in Becht’s final season of college football.
4. Demond Williams Jr., Washington
2025 Stats: 69.5% completion, 3,065 passing yards, 25 passing touchdowns, eight interceptions, 611 rushing yards, six rushing touchdowns
After allegedly being coerced into the transfer portal by Lane Kiffin after re-upping his deal at Washington, the offseason drama has come to a conclusion and Demond Williams Jr. will be back under center for the Huskies in 2026.
Breaking: Demond Williams Jr. will be returning to play at Washington, he announced on social media. pic.twitter.com/NFTP9EJYNx
— ESPN (@espn) January 9, 2026
Williams’ first season as the starter was a good one, as he led Washington to a 9-4 record while leaning into his dual-threat ability. While he is undersized at 5-foot-11, 190 pounds, he uses his size to his advantage and is a very fun quarterback to watch.
3. Josh Hoover, Indiana
2025 Stats (TCU): 65.9% completion, 3,472 passing yards, 29 passing touchdowns, 13 interceptions, four rushing yards, two rushing touchdowns
Josh Hoover has now started for the majority of the past three seasons at TCU, making him immediately one of the Big Ten’s most experienced quarterbacks.
NEWS: Former TCU quarterback Josh Hoover has committed to Indiana, per ESPN sources. He visited over the weekend and projects as the starting quarterback in 2026 if Heisman winner Fernando Mendoza goes to the NFL Draft, as expected. pic.twitter.com/VCOZuoQ64O
— Pete Thamel (@PeteThamel) January 4, 2026
Hoover has aired it out during his time in Fort Worth, passing for 9,629 yards, 71 touchdowns, and 33 interceptions. His experience should make him an incredible fit in Curt Cignetti’s system, which has seen transfer quarterbacks Kurtis Rourke (Ohio) and Fernando Mendoza (California) shine in the past two seasons.
2. Dante Moore, Oregon
2025 Stats: 71.8% completion, 3,565 passing yards, 30 passing touchdowns, 10 interceptions, 156 rushing yards, two rushing touchdowns
Projected as an early first-round pick and the second quarterback off of the board in the 2026 NFL Draft, Oregon’s Dante Moore opted to return to Eugene for another season as opposed to leaving for the league.
Dante Moore after realizing he'd probably end up on the Jets:pic.twitter.com/rr19MczeUg
— SleeperNFL (@SleeperNFL) January 27, 2026
While Moore overall had a great season statistically, he does have growing to do as a passer. Passing up NFL money and likely being a high first-round pick is not an easy decision to make, but it may have been the smart decision in the long-haul for Moore, who has only started 20 career games after sitting behind Dillon Gabriel a season ago.
The natural talent is uncanny, and Moore has made his fair share of impressive throws along with a good amount of boneheaded decisions. He has become known for not showing up in the Ducks’ biggest games, and returning to college can help him rewrite that narrative.
1. Julian Sayin, Ohio State
2025 Stats: 77.0% completion, 3,610 passing yards, 32 passing touchdowns, eight interceptions, -44 rushing yards, zero rushing touchdowns
Ohio State’s first-year starter blew away expectations as a redshirt freshman, leading his team to a 12-0 regular season record and earning an invitation to the Heisman ceremony in New York.
While Julian Sayin had a great first season under center, he did struggle in the Big Ten Championship and in the Cotton Bowl when faced with tougher defensive opponents. His lack of mobility and tendency to get locked in on his first read haunted him, but he was still just a first-year starter.
Sayin had the NCAA record for highest completion percentage heading into the postseason, but lost it with a few poor postseason showings. His accuracy puts him on the top of this list entering 2026.
