The 2024 college football season is behind us, and already teams are gearing up for 2025.

In the Big Ten, the quarterback landscape will be particularly interesting, especially after the league sent 4 teams to the College Football Playoff. It’s also worth highlighting the QB formula used by those teams as we preview the 2025 season.

Three B1G teams used a 1-year transfer QB to get to the Playoff with Indiana (Kurtis Rourke), Oregon (Dillon Gabriel) and Ohio State (Will Howard) all providing key, veteran transfer pieces. The other B1G Playoff team — Penn State — benefitted from Drew Allar as a 2nd-year starter.

Translation? Experience matters.

And while the QB is just one piece to the puzzle, it’s important to recognize a trend when it surfaces. One year alone does not make a trend, but it does lend a bit of insight into how QB rooms are being structured.

So, let’s dive into each B1G program and take stock of the QB picture with spring practices on the horizon:

Illinois

In his 2nd season at Illinois, Luke Altmyer improved in many areas, including avoiding injury. He appeared in all 13 games of the 2024 season after making just 9 appearances in 2023.

While Altmyer’s overall completion percentage dipped this season (from 64.8% in 2023 to 60.8%), his efficiency improved this year. He had just 6 interceptions compared to 10 a season ago to go with 26 total touchdowns and 7.8 yards per attempt.

Altmyer will be back yet again in 2025, and that’s a big win for the Illini. The team did lose Donovan Leary, the primary backup from this season, to the transfer portal but replaced him with former NIU QB Ethan Hampton. A veteran with 22 career appearances, Hampton provides stability in the room, but 2025 is Altmyer’s show barring setback.

Indiana

Indiana’s historic 2024 season was powered by a historic QB season from Kurtis Rourke. However, the Hoosiers lost their top 2 passers from that season with Rourke heading to the NFL and primary backup Tayven Jackson leaving for UCF.

The good news is head coach Curt Cignetti is not bashful about mining the portal for incoming pieces, and he landed Indiana’s likely starter for 2025 in the former of ex-Cal starter Fernando Mendoza. He threw for 3,004 yards as a sophomore and finished 3rd in the ACC with 273.1 yards per game while cutting his interceptions from 10 as a freshman to 6 in 2024.

As a backup, Indiana also landed former Old Dominion QB Grant Wilson from the portal. He appeared in just 3 games in 2024 but threw for over 2,100 yards with 21 total touchdowns in 2023.

A lot is riding on Mendoza, but it looks like Cignetti’s group reloaded as best as possible to avoid the massive drop-off in 2025.

Iowa

Iowa is going through more QB turnover. Three QBs have entered the portal, including primary starter Cade McNamara, along with James Resar and Marco Lainez III.

While McNamara was the only contributor of that group, it left the Hawkeyes looking to Brendan Sullivan alone entering the 2025 season. Iowa has since added former Auburn QB Hank Brown and prolific FCS passer Mark Gronowski out of South Dakota State.

One potential red flag involves Gronowski, who might have the most potential but will be unavailable during spring practices due to offseason surgery. It could (and should) be a minor speedbump, but Iowa is again in a position of going through spring practices without the guy who could likely be the starter.

Maryland

Maryland regressed significantly in its first season without Taulia Tagovailoa under center, falling to 4-8 in 2024. The further issue for Mike Locksley is that his top 3 passers from 2024 — starter Billy Edwards Jr., primary backup MJ Morris and Cameron Edge — have all transferred.

Maryland added former UCLA QB Justyn Martin and true freshman 4-star prospect Malik Washington. Both players bring plenty of upside but equal question marks. Martin has just 35 career attempts as the most experienced player in the room.

That adds to a questionable outlook for 2025, and there are reasons to be concerned the Terps immediately rebound next season.

Michigan

Michigan’s 2025 outlook places a lot of weight on 5-star true freshman Bryce Underwood. As the nation’s top recruit for the cycle, Underwood is viewed as the short and long-term answer in Ann Arbor.

Michigan saw Alex Orji and Jayden Denegal depart, and Davis Warren sustained an ugly knee injury in the bowl game.

To add a safety net and some depth, the Wolverines added former Fresno State QB Mikey Keene, but this will be Underwood’s show sooner rather than later.

Michigan State

For better or for worse, Michigan State’s game plan at QB rests on the development of Aidan Chiles. After following Jonathan Smith from Oregon State, Chiles started all 12 games and showed flashes in 2024.

Unfortunately, turnovers were a major issue; Chiles led the Big Ten with 11 interceptions. The turnovers must drop while the efficiency and intermediate plays must go up for Chiles and the offense to take another step.

As for depth in the QB room, it’s possible the Spartans look in the spring window for a depth piece with primary backup Tommy Schuster exhausting eligibility in 2024.

Minnesota

Minnesota didn’t lose any QBs to the portal to start the offseason, but the Gophers must still replace 1-year starter Max Brosmer. Drake Lindsey, a true freshman backup to Brosmer, appeared in 3 games but attempted just 5 passes.

The Gophers added Zach Pyron out of Georgia Tech, a former 4-star recruit from the 2022 recruiting class. Pyron appeared in 19 career games for the Yellow Jackets but completed just 56.8% of his passes in limited action.

It should be a true QB battle throughout the offseason, and if a viable option surfaces in the portal, expect PJ Fleck and his staff to kick the tires.

Nebraska

Nebraska is in safe hands entering 2025 with Dylan Raiola anchored into the starting role.

While he tied for the Big Ten-lead with 11 interceptions, Raiola produced a positive season, particularly as a true freshman starter in a power conference. And with Dana Holgorsen added to the coaching staff, the expectation is there that Raiola can make that next stride in development in 2025.

Nebraska’s depth took a hit in 2 ways. Daniel Kaelin, a reserve, transferred. Primary backup Heinrich Haarberg, though still with the Huskers, is looking to change positions with his final season of eligibility.

Matt Rhule and his staff added former Purdue QB Marcos Davila, but he does not have any game experience. Additional depth is something to monitor during the spring portal window.

Northwestern

Jack Lausch is returning after starting much of the 2024 season. While he threw less touchdowns (7) than interceptions (8), the offense was noticeably improved with Lausch running things.

For insurance, Northwestern also added former SMU QB Preston Stone. He was bypassed by Kevin Jennings for the starting job last season, but Stone previously threw for nearly 3,200 yards with the program in 2023.

That’s about as much stability as Northwestern can hope for at the position in the modern era of college football. Now, it’s all about maximizing the pieces on hand.

Ohio State

Ohio State went from Kyle McCord to transfer Will Howard this past season. And while McCord broke through at Syracuse, Howard did just fine while finishing with a career-best 73% completion percentage and becoming just the 3rd Buckeye to eclipse 4,000 passing yards in a season.

Utilizing the portal this offseason is unlikely to produce Ohio State’s starter for 2025, but that’s because Ryan Day grabbed Julian Sayin out of the portal from Alabama last year after Nick Saban retired.

By most accounts, Sayin is largely expected to start as a redshirt freshman. And in a similar situation to the CJ Stroud/Kyle McCord battle of 2021, 5-star freshman Tavien St. Clair has a chance to be Sayin’s primary backup.

Lincoln Kienholz opting to remain at Ohio State would only deepen the QB room, but the Buckeyes should have elite talent at the position yet again in 2025.

Penn State

If Beau Pribula had not transferred to Mizzou, I would feel that much better about Penn State’s QB room. As it stands, getting Drew Allar back for a 3rd year as a starter is a massive win.

Allar has been incredibly healthy thus far and increased his efficiency and ability to use his legs during his junior season. If he can elevate his development even further in 2025, Penn State again should be a legitimate Playoff contender.

Losing Pribula stings not only as the primary backup but also as a QB with a specific package and role in the offense. The good news is that James Franklin has been vocal about the potential for Ethan Grunkemeyer, who likely slides into the backup position.

With a full offseason available, there should be plenty of time to prioritize Allar’s development and get Grunkemeyer up to speed as a backup.

Purdue

Ryan Walters’ 2-year tenure in West Lafayette leaves a mess for new head coach Barry Odom to deal with, and it includes a new QB room. Hudson Card is graduating, and Marcos Davila and Ryan Browne left via the portal.

Odom has brought in Evans Chuba, Malachi Singleton and EJ Colson to compete for the starting job. None of that trio has a great leg up on experience, and it will be an interesting battle this offseason.

Rutgers

Athan Kaliakmanis returns for Rutgers, and that is essentially the full game plan for the Scarlet Knights. He was the only player to attempt a pass for Rutgers this past season, and the Scarlet Knights did not add a QB in the portal.

Ajani Sheppard did register 3 carries, but he is squarely penciled in as the backup to Kaliakmanis.

UCLA

Even at 5-7 overall, UCLA had a better than expected season under first-year head coach DeShaun Foster. A lot of that had to do with QB Ethan Garbers, but he’s now off to the NFL. Further complicating matters, Justyn Martin transferred to Maryland.

The presumptive starter is Joey Aguilar, a 24-game starter at Appalachian State with 61 total touchdowns across 2 seasons. The drawback? Aguilar tossed 24 interceptions, including a nation’s worst 14 in 2024 — in just 11 games.

Even if Aguilar cuts back on the interceptions, the Bruins need some more proven depth, so look for them to be active in the spring window.

USC

USC enters 2025 in an intriguing spot at the QB position. Miller Moss, after a mid-season benching, left for Louisville, but Jayden Maiava remains after ending the year as the starter.

Maiava showed flashes (71% completion rate, 3 touchdowns vs. Nebraska) but also had turnover problems (5 interceptions across his final 2 games). A full offseason of prep should Maiava, but he’ll also be fending off the QB of the future in 5-star prospect Husan Longstreet.

Even if it were just Maiava and Longstreet available, Lincoln Riley would be better positioned than most teams. But just for insurance, USC also grabbed former 5-star prospect Sam Huard who has spent time at Washington and Utah.

Washington

All along, Washington was going to be Demond Williams Jr.’s team in 2025 and moving forward. His tenure began with a bang in the bowl game vs. Louisville, and it should be just the beginning as he settles into a full offseason as the starter.

Experienced depth was something Jedd Fisch and the Huskies needed entering the spring. The Huskies addressed that by picking up former Tulane QB Kai Horton, a player with 15 appearances across 4 seasons for the Green Wave.

The spring window could offer chances to add more depth, but the future is all about Williams.

Wisconsin

Wisconsin is one program dealing with massive QB overturn this offseason, though it’s somewhat expected given the OC change for the Badgers. Tyler Van Dyke (Wisconsin’s starter to open 2024) and Braedyn Locke (the team’s top passer) are off to new destinations, along with Mabrey Mettauer.

Those 3 players were the only Badgers to complete a pass in 2024, so Wisconsin need a fresh new group from the portal. They found their pieces in former Maryland starter Billy Edwards Jr. and former San Diego State star Danny O’Neil.

Both players present intriguing upside but need to take steps in their development in order to be consistent power conference starters. It should be a straightforward QB battle in Madison throughout the offseason, and the Badgers are another team who should strike fast if a better option surfaces in the spring window.