Coming into the new season, there was a lot of buzz about the expected high level of quarterback play in the expanded Big Ten. And while a few QB underwhelmed in Week 1, it appears the expanded conference is strong again at the QB position.

Let’s take a look at how each conference member’s quarterback stacks up heading into Week 2:

18. Ethan Garbers, UCLA

After 5-star quarterback Dante Moore transferred, Garbers really had no competition for the starting job. His season debut under new offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy didn’t go as smoothly as Bruins fans would have liked. He completed just 50% of his throws for 272 yards with a touchdown and 2 interceptions in a 3-point win over Hawai’i. Much more consistency from the offense as a whole will be needed as the Bruins navigate a difficult slate.

17. Mike Wright, Northwestern

The graduate transfer landed in Evanston after likely starter Brendan Sullivan left for Iowa. Wright had 38 appearances between his time at Vanderbilt and Mississippi State before making a start in the Wildcats’ season-opening win over Miami (Ohio). He led 3 scoring drives as the Wildcats won the first game in their temporary new lakefront home. He did most of the damage on the ground, rushing for 65 yards and a touchdown. The question remains just how well he can consistently move the ball through the air.

16. Aidan Chiles, Michigan State

It would be very surprising if Jonathan Smith and his offensive staff don’t oversee vast improvement of this unit over the course of the next few weeks. In limited action at Oregon State, Chiles displayed his arm strength and athleticism, and he walked into a Spartans offense that has some nice weapons. But his season debut did not go well at all. He completed just 10 passes and threw 2 interceptions in an ugly 16-10 win over FAU. First start jitters?

15. Athan Kaliakmanis, Rutgers

Kaliakmanis completed just 53.1% of his passes at Minnesota last season, but he played well in his Scarlet Knights debut. Sure, it came against Howard, but it was a promising start. He went 15-of-24 passing for 147 yards and 3 touchdowns, and he’s a key piece to a team that many believe could surprise in the new B1G because of its schedule.

14. Billy Edwards Jr., Maryland

The redshirt junior, who beat out NC State transfer MJ Morris for the right to succeed Taulia Tagovailoa, played well against UConn in the opener. He completed 20 passes for 311 yards and 2 touchdowns, giving the Terrapins hope that there could be some stability at the QB position after all.

13. Davis Warren/Alex Orji, Michigan

We’re going with a co-ranking here because the Wolverines are a bit of an offensive mess. Warren is more of the pro-style QB, while Orji brings the rushing dynamic. It appears both will be used for the foreseeable future. In a season-opening win over Fresno State, Sherrone Moore’s offense looked sluggish because the new-look offensive line really struggled. Warren went 15-of-25 passing for 118 yards with a touchdown and an interception, while Orji had a 3-yard touchdown pass and added 32 rushing yards. It appeared that the Wolverines could be a run-heavy offense this fall, but can the line create enough rushing lanes?

12. Max Brosmer, Minnesota

The New Hampshire transfer earned FCS second-team All-American honors last season and has proven he can do damage both through the air and on the ground. In his Gophers debut, he went 13-of-21 passing for 166 yards with a rushing touchdown. The Minnesota staff might lean toward a more conservative approach offensively, so it’ll be interesting to gauge Brosmer’s development at the FBS level.

11. Kurtis Rourke, Indiana

Curt Cignetti and the Hoosiers landed 1 of the top Group of 5 QBs in Rourke, who amassed over 7,600 passing yards and 50 touchdowns while completing over 66% of his throws for Ohio. He’s also a threat on the ground. In a season-opening win over Florida International, he went 15-of-24 passing for 180 yards and a touchdown to help Indiana pull away with a 24-point win.

10. Tyler Van Dyke, Wisconsin

Van Dyke’s Badgers debut was a little up and down. He displayed his athleticism and big arm, but he lost a fumble and had some near interceptions in a 14-point win over Western Michigan. He went 21-of-36 passing for 192 yards with a rushing touchdown, but ball security remains a concern. We’ll see if he can ultimately be the answer for offensive coordinator Phil Longo and the Air Raid offense. After his standout campaign with Miami in 2021, he has taken some step backs.

9. Luke Altmyer, Illinois

After making 9 starts for the Fighting Illini in 2023, the former 4-star transfer from Ole Miss began the new season with a 4-touchdown night against Eastern Illinois. All of the scores came in the first half to help the Illini build a 31-0 lead at the break. If he can cut down on his INT rate from last season, the Illini will be in good hands.

8. Cade McNamara, Iowa

The one concern surrounding McNamara was his injury history. But it looks like he has bounced back nicely from his knee injury, and at least for 1 week appears to be a nice fit for new coordinator Tim Lester’s offense. In a season-opening win over Illinois State, McNamara and the offense overcame a sluggish start to blow the game open in the second half. He went 21-of-31 passing for 251 yards with 3 touchdowns and 0 interceptions. It was certainly strange to see an Iowa offense actually click.

7. Hudson Card, Purdue

Card had one of the best Week 1 efforts of any QB in the country. While it wasn’t stiff competition (Indiana State), he displayed his skill set and playmaking ability, going 24-of-25 passing for 273 yards and 4 touchdowns. The former transfer from Texas could really break out under new offensive coordinator Graham Harrell if he is able to protect the football, which he struggled to do last season.

6. Dylan Raiola, Nebraska

The 5-star true freshman immediately fixed what was one of the worst passing offenses in the nation last season. Raiola completed 19-of-27 passes for 238 yards and 2 scores in the team’s season-opening win over UTEP, and he’ll likely find himself in a duel with Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders when Colorado comes to Lincoln to revive and old Big Eight/Big 12 rivalry Saturday.

5. Will Rogers, Washington

The former Mississippi State standout excel under Jedd Fisch’s tutelage. In Starkville, he set numerous single-game, season and career records, and he finished as the all-time leader with 12,315 passing yards and 94 touchdowns. Expect big numbers as he continues to get comfortable with his surrounding weapons in a new offense. In the season-opening win over Weber State, Rogers threw for 250 yards and a touchdown on 20-of-26 passing. Very good start.

4. Will Howard, Ohio State

The K-State transfer showed flashes of his dual-threat ability in the season-opening win over Akron. He went 17-of-28 passing for 228 yards and 3 touchdowns in the victory over the Zips. While the numbers weren’t eye-popping, he will continue to get familiar with Chip Kelly’s offense as well as the weapons around him.

3. Miller Moss, USC

Moss had his coming out party with a 6-touchdown effort in last season’s Holiday Bowl. He picked up where he left off in the opener against LSU in Las Vegas, leaving Trojans fans feeling pretty good despite the departure of No. 1 overall NFL Draft pick Caleb Williams. Moss passed for 378 yards and a touchdown in the showcase win over the Tigers, completing passes to 10 receivers. Expect the fireworks to continue in this offense.

2. Drew Allar, Penn State

Hiring former Kansas offensive coordinator Andy Kotelnicki already looks like it is paying dividends. Allar looked very comfortable in the 34-12 season-opening win at West Virginia. Last year the Nittany Lions looked a little too vanilla and conservative on offense, and Allar did not fare well in losses to Michigan, Ohio State and Ole Miss. But if Week 1 was any indication (216 yards and 3 touchdowns), he might have the opportunity to create more big plays in 2024.

1. Dillon Gabriel, Oregon

One of the top preseason Heisman Trophy contenders, Gabriel is the perfect fit for coordinator Will Stein’s offense. Entering his 6th college campaign, he is among the top 10 in NCAA history for total touchdowns, total yards, passing yards and passing touchdowns. He is a big reason the No. 7-ranked Ducks are considered national championship contenders. In his first start with the Ducks, he threw for 380 yards and 2 touchdowns. While they looked anything but national title contenders against Idaho, expect the Ducks to shake off the rust and be just fine.