Ranking Every Projected Big Ten Starting QB in 2026

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Big Ten Media Days, the three-day event held in Chicago, takes place this week, which means it’s the unofficial start of the college football season.

When the season does kick off, the Big Ten Conference is going to be full of star quarterbacks. Despite losing the reigning Heisman winner, Fernando Mendoza, the conference has reloaded with fresh talent, along with returning stars.

Here’s how the Big Ten starting QBs stack up against one another.

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No. 18: Jeremy Hecklinski OR Hank Brown (Iowa)

This is so Iowa. The Hawkeyes, who have lived and died by their defense and running game, are set to enter the 2026 season in yet another quarterback battle. One that involves two very inexperienced gunslingers.

Neither quarterback has played much football, and in typical Iowa fashion, the Hawkeyes are banking on their run game to be effective enough that they can run to open up the pass. Iowa will rely heavily on its defense once again this season, and it’s possible the Hawkeyes get more out of the quarterbacks than I think, but it might be a long year for the Iowa passing attack.

No. 17: Dylan Lonergan OR AJ Surace (Rutgers)

The second quarterback battle in the Big Ten resides at Rutgers. After losing Athan Kaliakmanis this past season, the Scarlet Knights went to the transfer portal and landed Boston College quarterback Dylan Lonergan. He is the likely starter, but Rutgers likes AJ Surace, too.

Lonergan played in 10 games last year for BC, throwing over 2,000 yards, along with 12 touchdowns and five interceptions. There is nothing special about his game, but having KJ Duff to throw the football to will only help him in 2026 if he gets the nod.

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No. 16: Ryan Browne (Purdue)

Ryan Browne has had struggles during his three seasons with Purdue. This past year, after entering the transfer portal and coming back, he threw for 2153 yards, nine touchdowns, and 11 interceptions. Browne does offer a dual-threat ability, rushing for 206 yards and four scores.

He has more experience than the other players who are in quarterback battles, but there is also minimal upside. Browne slots in at No. 16 due to him having a starting job, and the experience. Purdue has really struggled during Big Ten play, not winning a conference game since 2023. Browne hopes to fix that, but it will likely be another long season for the Boilermakers.

No. 15: Aidan Chiles (Northwestern)

Boy, has Aidan Chiles fallen. The former highly-rated prospect followed Jonathan Smith to Michigan State from Oregon State, but playing for the Spartans did Chiles zero favors. In fact, last season, he was benched in the final three games in favor of Alessio Milivojevic.

Chiles opted to transfer once again, and interestingly enough, he’s with prolific offensive coordinator Chip Kelly at Northwestern. Chiles has the arm talent and he’s elusive enough to make plays, but he has to show it consistently on the field. Playing for the Wildcats might not help his cause, as their talent is lesser than the Big Ten’s elite.

No. 14: Alessio Milivojevic (Michigan State)

Speaking of Michigan State, it was Milivojevic who replaced Chiles. He came in as the backup and spung some life into the Spartans’ offense. Milivojevic threw for 1267 yards, 10 touchdowns, and three interceptions during his second season in East Lansing.

Milivojevic isn’t going to offer much via the ground game, but he did inject a spark into Michigan State last year, and former Northwestern head coach Pat Fitzgerald hopes to get the most out of his young signal caller.

No. 13: Katin Houser (Illinois)

We are on a run of former Michigan State quarterbacks. Houser began his career with the Spartans before finishing the last two seasons at East Carolina. Illinois lost savvy veteran Luke Altmeyer to graduation and the Illini are hoping another veteran can fill his shoes.

Houser threw for 3300 yards last year, along with 19 touchdowns and six interceptions, but we’ve seen what he’s done in the Big Ten before, and it wasn’t pretty. Houser has hopefully learned from his mistakes, and Illinois is a good enough team where he can be adequate at worst.

No. 12: Anthony Colandrea (Nebraska)

Losing Dylan Raiola flat-out stings for Nebraska, but the Huskers went out and added a proven gunslinger. Anthony Colandrea began his career at Virginia, before finishing last year at UNLV. Playing for Dan Mullen, Colandrea threw for 3459 yards, 23 touchdowns and nine interceptions. He also ran for 649 yards and 10 scores.

Colandrea will have to prove he can play in a tough Big Ten Conference after being so-so in the ACC for Virginia. Replacing Raiola isn’t easy, but Nebraska could’ve certainly had a worse replacement than what it has.

No. 11: Nico Iamaleava (UCLA)

In his first season with UCLA in 2025, Iamaleava left a lot to be desired. He looked like a five-star gunslinger at times during his stint with Tennessee, but Iamaleava struggled mightily at times with the Bruins. He threw for 1929 yards, 13 touchdowns, and seven interceptions. He also ran for 505 yards and four scores.

Iamaleava is a former five-star recruit and with Bob Chesney now at UCLA, the hope is that things will fully click for him. And if it does, the Bruins are going to be a tough out for even the better teams in the Big Ten.

No. 10: Colton Joseph (Wisconsin)

Luke Fickell has struggled finding consistent quarterback play during his time with Wisconsin, but, on paper, he has landed quite a prolific dual-threat signal caller. Colton Joseph was quite impressive for Old Dominion the past two seasons.

In 2025, Joseph threw for 2624 yards and ran for over 1000. He totaled 23 total touchdowns this past season. Like most quarterbacks who come into the Big Ten, it’s a different style of football to learn. Defenses are fast and bigger and Joseph will have to adjust. But he should provide some entertainment for the Badgers.

No. 9: Drake Lindsey (Minnesota)

Drake Lindsey set some Minnesota quarterback records for a freshman a year ago, but I’ve yet to believe he has first-round NFL hype. Lindsey struggled against all three ranked teams Minnesota played last season: Ohio State, Iowa, and Oregon.

Lindsey is going to have to prove he can play against the better defenses in the Big Ten. He finished last season throwing for 2382 yards, 18 touchdowns, and six interceptions. The expectation is that Lindsey will only improve entering Year 2 as the starting quarterback for the Gophers, and now it’s just putting it all together.

No. 8 Bryce Underwood (Michigan)

The former No. 1 ranked prospect in the 2025 recruiting class had a disappointing season in Ann Arbor. It was full of turmoil, which led to Sherrone Moore losing his job. Underwood was left on an island with no quarterbacks coach, and new head coach Kyle Whittingham isn’t going to let that happen again.

Underwood now has a dedicated QB coach and the talent is there. But like Drake Lindsey, he has to show he can play well against the better opponents. Michigan has a tough schedule this year and all eyes will be on Underwood.

No. 7 Malik Washington (Maryland)

The four-star freshman had a great season in College Park. Washington got the start from the first game and never looked back. Despite not having a great cast of characters around him, Washington still managed to throw for 2963 yards, 17 touchdowns, and nine interceptions. He also rushed for over 300 yards.

Entering Year 2, Maryland is in must-win mode for Mike Locksley. He is on the hot seat, and Washington will need to even further elevate his game and cut down on the costly turnovers in order to become one of the best signal callers in the conference.

No. 6: Demond Williams (Washington)

In his first season as the starter, Williams did quite well. He threw for 3065 yards, 25 touchdowns, and eight interceptions, while running for 611 yards and six scores. The Huskies might not have done as well as they would’ve liked, but it was little fault of Williams.

He has played well now in his two seasons at the collegiate level, but there was some controversy that follows Williams. He signed a contract with Washington, but wanted to enter the portal. Now, back with Washington, his teammates have to learn to trust him again. The talent is there, but is the decision-making?

No. 5 Rocco Becht (Penn State)

Penn State was supposed to be among the best teams in the country last season, but things didn’t work out that way. It was a dreadful season in State College and James Franklin lost his job. The Nittany Lions went out and hired Iowa State head coach Matt Campbell, who brough Rocco Becht over.

Becht has all the experience in the world and knows how to run Campbell’s system. He has thrown for over 3000 yards in two seasons, hitting a wall this past year with the Cyclones, throwing for just over 2500 yards. Becht is a savvy veteran, and if he can get adjusted to Big Ten play, this was a big addition for Penn State.

No. 4: Josh Hoover (Indiana)

Curt Cignetti knows a thing or two about going out and landing a top transfer quarterback. In all three seasons, he will have a new starting gunslinger, who came from the portal. Josh Hoover’s last two years at TCU resulted in throwing for over 3400 yards and 3900 yards.

The Horned Frogs had their system set up for Hoover’s strengths, and that’s pushing the ball downfield. IU will likely do the same thing for Hoover, and it’s not out of the question that he could have a big season just like Fernando Mendoza.

No. 3: Julian Sayin (Ohio State)

Julian Sayin was nearly flawless for Ohio State last season. In his lone season of action, the former Alabama commit threw for 3610 yards, 32 touchdowns, and eight interceptions. Sayin had Jeremiah Smith and Carnell Tate at his disposal, which only helps, but he was also incredibly accurate.

Sayin has a case to be ranked even higher than he is here, but there are a couple of veterans who are going to get the nod.

No. 2: Jayden Maiava (USC)

The USC standout was sixth in the country, averaging over 285 yards per game passing. The Trojans’ offense allows for Maiava to use his strengths and play fast. He threw for over 300 yards four times last season, including a performance of over 400 yards.

Lincoln Riley might be under some heat entering the 2026 season, in need of a big season, and Maiava will be the reason the Trojans win games. He has an elite arm and can make any play in the book.

No. 1: Dante Moore (Oregon)

It was quite the transformation for Dante Moore looking back on his first season at UCLA compared to last year. Moore is possibly the No. 1 pick in the 2027 NFL Draft and he is playing for an Oregon team that can win the entire thing this year.

Moore has elite playmakers after throwing for 3565 yards a year ago. He threw for 30 touchdowns and 10 interceptions. If Moore can knock back the INTs by a couple in 2026, he will certainly be the top pick come draft day.

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