Big Ten quarterback rankings: Oregon leads the way, Ohio State and Indiana close behind

That's right: 36, not 18.

Second-stringers are the least important players on the team until they are the most important.

Whether it's a single drive or several games, QB2s could be tossed into critical situations with a playoff berth — or a conference title, or a bowl bid, or a winning season — on the line.

That reality is the inspiration for the Hotline’s Quarterback Comfort Quotient rankings (QBCQ), which take into account both the quality of the starter and the reliability of the backup.

By our count, there are nine returning starters across the Big Ten in 2026.

Several others have starting experience, either at their current school or with their previous team.

And half the second stringers have served as QB1 at some point in their careers.

All in all, it's a veteran collection that has several distinct tiers. But the Hotline doesn't care for tiers. We went with a straight ranking of 18 schools and 36 quarterbacks.

Here we go …

(Some designations are projections.)

1. Oregon

Starter: Dante Moore

Backup: Dylan Raiola

Comment: The Ducks have a 10-star quarterback room, with both players earning five-star recognition in high school. Moore opted for one more season in Eugene while Raiola sought a fresh start after two years at Nebraska. There is no controversy here — Moore is QB1. But if he’s injured for any stretch of time, the regression should be minimal. Raiola knows the conference and won't be wobbly on the big stage.

2. Ohio State

Starter: Julian Sayin

Backup: Tavien St. Clair

Comment: The difference between the Ducks and Buckeyes isn’t the star rating — Ohio State’s tandem also totals 10 — but the experience factor. We consider Moore vs. Sayin to be a push, but Raiola has thrown 660 career passes while St. Clair has thrown … two. Eventually, St. Clair might be the better player, but during a time of need this fall, we’d rather have Raiola.

3. Indiana

Starter: Josh Hoover

Backup: Grant Wilson

Comment: Yes, we considered slotting Indiana on top given the magic Curt Cignetti worked last year with Cal transfer Fernando Mendoza. Now here comes Hoover, who arguably has more arm talent than his predecessor but must become vastly more efficient from the pocket. Wilson, a former Old Dominion starter, has been in Indiana’s system for a year.

4. USC

Starter: Jayden Maiava

Backup: Sam Huard

Comment: It’s difficult to make a credible case for the Trojans to occupy the No. 1 position in the QBCQ rankings, but this projection could prove low by several spots. Maiava is one of the best in the conference while Huard has collected significant experience during his multi-stop career at Washington, Cal Poly and USC.

5. Penn State

Starter: Rocco Becht

Backup: Alex Manske

Comment: New coach Matt Campbell brought both quarterbacks from Iowa State. Becht doesn’t have elite arm talent, but he’s tough, poised under pressure and a proven winner who will be leading the barrage of former Cyclones who made the move to Happy Valley. Manske has limited experience on the field but knows Campbell's system.

6. UCLA

Starter: Nico Iamaleava

Backup: Madden Iamaleava

Comment: Let’s start with the backups, where Ty Dieffenbach, a transfer from Cal Poly, will challenge the younger Iamaleava for the QB2 role. As for Iamaleava the Elder, we suspect the coaching change (to Bob Chesney) will allow his considerable natural talent to emerge on a consistent basis.

7. Michigan

Starter: Bryce Underwood

Backup: Brayden Fowler-Nicolosi

Comment: Underwood is one of the most intriguing players in the conference, a former bluest of blue-chip prospects who played well last season but, for some, not well enough. How will he mesh with new playcaller Jason Beck, who followed Kyle Whittingham from Utah to Ann Arbor? Honestly, we’re slightly skeptical. Fowler-Nicolosi spent four years at Colorado State and passed for 6,900 yards. (Notably, he transferred to Michigan in January but is not yet listed on the roster.)

8. Washington

Starter: Demond Williams Jr.

Backup: Elijah Brown

Comment: We alternate between two forecasts for Williams: 1) a mega-talent who’s poised to blossom in his second season as UW’s starter; and 2) a dynamic athlete who lacks the pocket skills needed to become an elite playmaker in the Big Ten. Our hunch is the second scenario materializes, but the answer should become abundantly clear by the middle of October. As backups go, Brown, a Stanford transfer, qualifies as one of the best in the conference.

9. Minnesota

Starter: Drake Lindsey

Backup: Michael Merdinger

Comment: Lindsey warrants a spot on the short list of low-profile quarterbacks who could produce a breakthrough season following his impressive freshman year. (Maryland’s Malik Washington is also on that list.) Merdinger is on his third team in three years after playing sparingly at North Carolina and Liberty.

10. Maryland

Starter: Malik Washington

Backup: Devin Kargman

Comment: Washington, a former elite recruit lured to College Park to elevate Mike Locksley's program, showed numerous flashes of high-level talent during his rookie season. Consistency is required for the next step — he completed just 58% of his passes — but there’s a distinct possibility this projection looks downright moronic by the end of the season. Kargman threw 210 passes during four years with Kent State.

11. Nebraska

Starter: Anthony Colandrea

Backup: TJ Lateef

Comment: Colandrea has attempted almost 1,000 passes in his well-traveled college career, but will the Cornhuskers get the player who threw 20 interceptions in two unimpressive seasons at Virginia or the player who carved up the Mountain West at UNLV last year? Yes, the competition is stronger in the Big Ten, but he will be working with quarterback whisperer Dana Holgorsen. And if that experiment implodes, Lateef has starting experience.

12. Illinois

Starter: Katin Houser

Backup: Carson Boyd

Comment: Houser is a familiar name in the Big Ten, having spent two seasons at Michigan State before a multi-year stint at East Carolina. He’s perfectly capable of filling the void left by Luke Altmyer’s departure and keeping the Illini viable in Bret Bielema’s sixth season. Boyd is not a lock for the QB2 role; the competition could be stout.

13. Wisconsin

Starter: Colton Joseph

Backup: Ryan Hopkins

Comment: The reason to believe Joseph, a dual-threat transfer from Old Dominion, is the savior for coach Luke Fickell and the staggering Badgers: In the 2025 season opener, he rushed for 179 yards and two touchdowns against Indiana. The reason to believe he’s not the savior: In that same game, he threw three interceptions.

14. Rutgers

Starter: Dylan Lonergan

Backup: AJ Surace

Comment: Lonergan might not be a familiar name, but his background is notable: As a four-star prospect, he was one of two quarterbacks in Nick Saban's final recruiting class at Alabama. (The other was Eli Holstein.) After two years as a backup in Tuscaloosa, Lonergan bolted for Boston College, threw for more than 2,000 yards, then jumped to Rutgers and stands as the key to revitalizing the Greg Schiano tenure.

15. Michigan State

Starter: Alessio Milivojevic

Backup: Cam Fancher

Comment: The Spartans have a new coach, Pat Fitzgerald, a new playcaller, Nick Sheridan, and a semi-new quarterback with Milivojevic taking over. He served as the backup to Aidan Chiles for much of last season but was elevated in November and played well against a slew of second-tier opponents. How will he mesh with Sheridan, a disciple of Karen DeBoer? That’s anyone’s guess.

16. Northwestern

Starter: Aidan Chiles

Backup: Nicco Marchiol

Comment: Chiles left Michigan State during the coaching transition from Jonathan Smith to Fitzgerald and is seeking a fresh start at his third school. (His tenure at Oregon State feels like a decade ago.) His offensive coordinator is none other than Chip Kelly, and the position coach is Jerry Neuheisel. If they can maximize Chiles’ substantial natural talent, the Wildcats could be one of the conference’s biggest surprises.

17. Purdue

Starter: Ryan Browne

Backup: Evans Chuba

Comment: Browne opted to stick with the Boilermakers in 2026 after a statistically mediocre season. Then again, his performance (59% completions, 10 interceptions) wasn't as subpar as it might have appeared given the state of the program. Chuba spent two years at Washington State but did not play.

18. Iowa

Starter: Jeremy Hecklinski

Backup: Hank Brown

Comment: Hecklinski has thrown two passes in his career while Brown has thrown 73, so don’t be surprised if the latter emerges as QB1 in Iowa City. (The spring practice competition did not produce a clear frontrunner.) Either way, expectations should be limited. It’s the Hawkeyes, after all.