Now that spring football is over and we start the long summer process before fall camp in August, the starting quarterback situations among the 14 Big 12 teams is set – for the most part.
There are still a few battles to be had for the starting job, but we can take a good guess now as to how those will shake out.
Where does Kansas star Jalon Daniels fit in among the rest of the conference starters?
As long has he can stay healthy, and if he gets a little more help after a down season, he’s got the experience and upside to be one of the league’s top stars.
We’ll do this again just before the season, but for now, here’s our post-spring ranking of the Big 12 quarterbacks and where Daniels belongs.
16 Tayven Jackson, UCF Knights
61.5%, 1,300 yards, 6TD, 6 INT, 62 rushing yards, 5 TD, 3 seasons.
This one’s going to be a fight. Jackson wasn’t all that amazing when he had his chances at Indiana, and he still has to hold off former Florida Atlantic starter Cam Fancher to run Scott Frost’s offense.
15 Hauss Hejny, Oklahoma State Cowboys
65 rushing yards for TCU, 1 season
It’s Oklahoma State, so the job is open until it’s not – there are a few other options in the mix. But the former TCU Horned Frog was brought in to be a dangerous all-around playmaker who adds more mobility to the Cowboy attack.
14 Nicco Marchiol, West Virginia Mountaineers
58.2%, 742 yards, 8 TD, 5 INT, 285 rushing yards, 3 TD, 3 seasons
In his fourth year with the program, he has yet to take the job and make it his. However, he fits the Rich Rodriguez offense and he appears to be the one ready to have fun in the high-powered attack … for now.
13 Sawyer Robertson, Baylor Bears
60.7%, 3,958 yards, 30 TD, 13 INT, 299 rushing yards, 5 TD
The big former Mississippi State recruit settled in last year with Baylor. He’s big, can run, and put up a great year with 28 touchdown passes and over 3,000 yards. Auburn’s Walker White might give Robertson a fight, but the gig should be relatively settled.
12 Brendan Sorsby, Cincinnati Bearcats
61.2%, 4,408 yards, 33 TD, 13 INT, 715 rushing yards, 13 TD, 2 seasons
The former Indiana Hoosier took to the Cincinnati gig right away. He’ll have to battle to keep the gig in fall camp, but he showed over the first half last season the upside and all-around tools to be a terrific playmaker.
11 Conner Weigman, Houston Cougars
60%, 2,694 yards, 19 TD, 7 INT, 261 rushing yards, 2 TD
Can he finally make a team his? The former Texas A&M Aggie has NFL tools and upside, but he wasn’t able to put it all together in his time in College Station. He’s getting the chance to crank up the passing game in Houston.
10 Behren Morton, Texas Tech Red Raiders
61.7%, 6,209 yards, 49 TD, 22 INT, 75 rushing yards
Morton is an interesting case. He’s a good veteran who can run an offense, but he might be a whole lot better than just fine this season. Texas Tech has gone massive in the portal for top talent, especially for the offensive line. He’ll have a ton of time to work.
9 Noah Fifita, Arizona Wildcats
65.2%, 5,955 yards, 44 TD, 18 INT, 1 rushing TD, just over 2 seasons
It wasn’t his fault Arizona was a massive disappointment last year, but it was a rough run after the coaching change. Now he’s without Tetairoa McMillan and Tacario Davis to throw to, but he’s a good veteran who should bounce back with a much, much stronger year.
8 Jake Retzlaff, BYU Cougars
56%, 3,595 yards, 23 TD, 15 INT, 533 rushing yards, 9 TD, 2 seasons
While not nearly as talented as a slew of the top Big 12 quarterbacks, he’s a playmaker who time and again showed his toughness in clutch spots. There are too many mistakes, but he’ll make up for it with plenty of big plays – his receiving corps is loaded this year.
7 Rocco Becht, Iowa State Cyclones
60.7%, 6,690 yards, 48 TD, 18 INT, 383 rushing yards, 11 TDs, just over 2 seasons
Sort of glossed over because of all the quarterbacking star power in the Big 12, Becht has put together back-to-back seasons of over 3,000 yards. He had NFL talent at receiver to work with, but was still the main man of the attack.
6 Avery Johnson, Kansas State Wildcats
58%, 3,191 yards, 30 TD, 10 INT, 901 rushing yards, 14 TD, 2 seasons
A rising superstar who’s becoming the franchise guy Kansas State is working around, he took his game up several notches last season. If he can be a bit more consistent and cut down on the picks, he could be a national superstar.
5 Josh Hoover, TCU Horned Frogs
64.8%, 6,157 yards, 42 TD, 20 INT, 6 rush TD, 2 seasons
He’s not a runner, but last year he showed he could throw the heck out the ball in a terrific breakthrough season. The numbers will be great in a loaded attack.
4 Kaidon Salter, Colorado Buffaloes
58.7%, 5,889 yards, 56 TD, 17 INT, 2,006 rushing yards, 21 TD, 4 seasons
No pressure, just follow Shedeur Sanders and be amazing without Travis Hunter to throw to. The former Liberty star isn’t Sanders throwing the ball – although he did crank up 32 touchdown passes in 2023 – but he’s far, far more dangerous on the move.
3 Jalon Daniels, Kansas Jayhawks
61.3%, 6,751 yards, 45 TD, 24 INT, 1.041 rushing yards, 19 TD, 5 years
There were changes at offensive coordinator last season, the team didn’t have a true home game, he played like he had all the pressure on his shoulders – and now he should go back to being among the most electric superstars in college football.
With Jim Zebrowski taking over the offensive coordinator duties, look out. If Daniels can stay healthy – a problem throughout his career before last season – he’ll take the Kansas attack to another level.
2 Devon Dampier, Utah Utes
58.6%, 3,293 yards, 18 TD, 12 INT, 1,494 rushing yards, 23 TD, 2 seasons
Possibly the biggest signing by anyone this offseason – and it got zero attention – the former New Mexico star should be the difference between Utah being mediocre, like it was last year, and on its way to the College Football Playoff.
1 Sam Leavitt, Arizona State Sun Devils
61.9%, 3,024 yards 26 TD, 8 INT, 510 rushing yards, 5 TD, 2 seasons
He was supposed to be a star at Michigan State, but that lasted a year before going to Arizona State. Last year he helped lead the way to a Big 12 title and the College Football Playoff. Feisty, mobile, and experienced, he’s a baller’s baller who’ll be the star of another great attack.
This post was originally published on this site be sure to check out more of their content.
