Ranking B1G QBs after Week 2: Who is heating up?
We saw a lot of strong quarterback performances in Week 2, including steady play from Billy Edwards Jr. and Aidan Chiles in the Michigan State-Maryland matchup, which was the lone B1G vs. B1G tilt of the weekend. Indiana’s Kurtis Rourke and Ohio State’s Will Howard also had standout efforts.
On the flip side, Iowa’s Cade McNamara and Michigan’s Davis Warren rode the struggle bus.
Here’s how each Big Ten quarterback stacks up heading into Week 3:
18. Mike Wright, Northwestern
The grad transfer, who was at Vanderbilt and Mississippi State before landing in Evanston, ended up losing his starting job after failing to consistently move the ball through the air. In last Friday night’s double-overtime loss to Duke, Wright went 20-of-36 passing for 158 yards with an interception. Head coach David Braun is turning the offense over to Jack Lausch, who will start this week against Eastern Illinois. Northwestern is 1 of 5 teams in the country still looking for its first TD pass of the season.
17. Ethan Garbers, UCLA
The Bruins had a bye this past week. But in his season debut under new offensive coordinator Eric Bieniemy, Garbers 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, which continues this week with a home game against Indiana before three straight ranked teams thereafter.
16. Davis Warren, Michigan
The Wolverines continue to be an offensive mess. In the loss to Texas, Warren completed 22-of-33 for 204 yards with a touchdown when the game was essentially over and 2 interceptions. Coach Sherrone Moore may be second-guessing himself for not finding an experienced quarterback in the transfer portal. It isn’t all Warren’s fault, however. The new-look offensive line is a major concern, especially because Warren isn’t getting much help in the run game.
15. Cade McNamara, Iowa
Everything looked rosy for McNamara in the opener. It appeared he bounced back nicely from his knee injury, and he looked to be a nice fit for new coordinator Tim Lester’s offense. He threw 3 touchdowns and 0 interceptions. But last week, he was a big reason Iowa State was able to overcome a 13-0 halftime deficit and beat the Hawkeyes. McNamara threw for just 19 yards in the second half, and he completed just 4 of his final 20 pass attempts. Will it be time to see Northwestern transfer Brendan Sullivan soon? Coach Kirk Ferentz said after the game that McNamara is still working his way back into shape.
14. Tyler Van Dyke, Wisconsin
Van Dyke’s Badgers debut wasn’t very sharp, but he followed that up by going 17-of-27 for 214 yards and a touchdown in a 27-13 win over South Dakota. It’s clear he possesses the athleticism and big arm to be an asset in this offense, but ball security will be key as the schedule ramps up starting this week with Alabama coming to town. We’ll see if he can ultimately be the answer for offensive coordinator Phil Longo after regressing at Miami.
13. Aidan Chiles, Michigan State
His season debut did not go very well, as he completed just 10 passes and threw 2 interceptions in an ugly 16-10 win over FAU. While he did throw 3 more picks against Maryland this past week (he’s tied for the national lead with 5), the Oregon State transfer threw for 363 yards and 3 scores in a last-second win on the road. And he made a couple of clutch throws to put the Spartans in position for the game-winning field goal. He was resilient and led an offense that outgained Maryland 493-339.
12. Max Brosmer, Minnesota
The New Hampshire grad transfer, who led the FCS in passing yards per game last year, shined in Minnesota’s 48-0 rout of FCS opponent Rhode Island last week. Brosmer completed 24-of-30 passes for 271 yards and 2 touchdowns in just three quarters of play after a solid Week 1 debut. Many thought the Minnesota staff might lean toward a more conservative approach offensively, but PJ Fleck leaned a lot on the passing attack and told the media after the win that he wants to get to a point where the Gophers can use the pass to set up the run.
11. Athan Kaliakmanis, Rutgers
Kaliakmanis struggled with accuracy during his time at Minnesota, but he played well in his Scarlet Knights debut. He followed that effort up by going 14-of-23 for 230 yards with 3 touchdowns and an interception in a 49-17 win over Akron. It was the second straight week he had 3 scoring passes; he leads the B1G with 6 TD passes. Kaliakmanis is a key part to a team that many believe could surprise in the new B1G because of its schedule.
10. Billy Edwards Jr., Maryland
The redshirt junior followed a strong effort against UConn by completing 26-of-34 pass attempts for 253 yards with 2 touchdowns and an interception against Michigan State. It was his first loss in 5 starts dating to last season. Despite the setback against the Spartans, he is giving the Terrapins hope that there could be some stability at the QB position.
9. Kurtis Rourke, Indiana
Curt Cignetti and the Hoosiers landed a top Group of 5 QB in Rourke, who amassed over 7,600 passing yards and 50 touchdowns at Ohio. After a solid debut in a season-opening win over Florida International, he helped lead Indiana to record-setting point total in 77-3 victory over Western Illinois. He went 15-of-17 for 268 yards with 2 touchdowns and added a rushing score, all of which came in the first half. One of the 2022 Mid-American Conference offensive player of the year’s scoring strikes was a 71-yarder to Elijah Sarratt. Rourke looks very comfortable in this offense.
8. Luke Altmyer, Illinois
The former 4-star transfer from Ole Miss began the new season with a 4-touchdown night against Eastern Illinois, and he followed by going 16-of-25 for 192 yards as the Illini rallied to beat No. 19 Kansas. It was the program’s first win over a ranked nonconference opponent at home since beating then-No. 22 Arizona State on Sept. 17, 2011. Altmyer found Pat Bryant for 37- and 28-yard completions on the game-winning drive. If he can cut down on his INT rate from last season, the Illini will be in good hands.
7. Hudson Card, Purdue
Card and the Boilermakers had a bye last week, but he had one of the best Week 1 efforts of any QB in the country. Against Indiana State, Card went 24-for-25 for 273 yards and 4 touchdowns. The former transfer from Texas looks good thus far under new offensive coordinator Graham Harrell.
6. Dylan Raiola, Nebraska
The 5-star true freshman immediately shined for the Cornhuskers in the opener, and he picked up where he left off in the thrashing of Colorado. He went 23-of-30 passing for 185 yards and a touchdown, and it appears he has fixed what was one of the worst passing offenses in the nation last season. Raiola next faces Northern Iowa, so expect another solid performance.
5. Will Rogers, Washington
The former Mississippi State standout is a great fit for Jedd Fisch’s offense. He had a very good start in the season-opening win over Weber State, and he followed by going 21-for-26 for 261 yards and 4 touchdowns in a 30-9 win over Eastern Michigan. The Huskies failed to score in the first quarter for the second straight week, but Rogers threw 3 scores in the second quarter, including 2 to Denzel Boston. He has completed 78% of his passes and has no interceptions in his first 2 games with the Huskies.
4. Will Howard, Ohio State
The K-State transfer showed off his dual-threat ability in the season-opening win over Akron, and he did the same this past weekend in a 56-0 rout of Western Michigan. He went 18-of-26 for 292 yards and a touchdown. He also added a rushing score. As he gets more familiar with Chip Kelly’s offense and the weapons around him, expect him to become even more lethal.
3. Miller Moss, USC
Moss proved he’s the real deal in last season’s Holiday Bowl. He picked up where he left off in the opener against LSU in Las Vegas, and he continued in last week’s 48-0 rout of Utah State. Moss passed for 229 yards and a touchdown before leaving early in the 3rd quarter. UNLV transfer Jayden Maiava finished up for Moss, rushing for a touchdown in the 4th quarter and passing for 66 yards. Expect the fireworks to continue in this offense.
2. Drew Allar, Penn State
Hiring Andy Kotelnicki as the new offensive coordinator is certainly paying dividends. Allar looked very comfortable in the season-opening win at West Virginia, and he continued that strong play last week against Bowling Green. Allar threw 2 touchdown passes and ran for another score in a 34-27 win. It looks like he is going to have a lot of opportunities to make big plays under Kotelnicki.
1. Dillon Gabriel, Oregon
In his first start with the Ducks, Gabriel threw for 380 yards and 2 touchdowns against Idaho. This past week, he threw for 243 yards and 2 more scores as once again Oregon struggled against Boise State, needing a field goal as time expired to win it. This is a team still searching for its identity, but Gabriel is a great fit for coordinator Will Stein’s offense. There is no need to panic yet in Eugene.