Where every Big Ten QB ranks in The Athletic’s 2026 rankings

Talking season brings a ton of fun lists across college football. Ranking quarterbacks is right up there, which The Athletic recently did. Not only on the national level but they also looked specifically at signal-callers in the Big Ten. All 18 quarterbacks were ranked by The Athletic. They also provided tiers on where each quarterback stands, which is when compared to others across the country. So, without further ado, let’s check out the full list. We start with two Tier 1 guys in college football, both of which play for national championship-caliber programs. 1. Dante Moore, Oregon (Tier 1) Moore easily could have been competing for a starting job in the NFL this summer. Instead, he opted to return to Oregon for another season under Dan Lanning. Now, everyone is expecting another round of big performances. Looking nationally, there are only eight quarterbacks in The Athletic‘s top tier. Moore slots in at No. 2 overall and tops the Big Ten. 2. Julian Sayin, Ohio State (Tier 1) Being a returning starting quarterback at Ohio State under Ryan Day usually brings fantastic results. Sayin wants to be the next guy, entering his third year overall in the program and second as the starter. It certainly helps to have the high-end skill position guys around him. Sayin certainly still has areas of his game that need improvement. But with another full offseason under his belt, you have to imagine folks in Columbus are excited. 3. Jayden Maiava, USC (Tier 2) Maiava finished top-five nationally in passing yards with 3,711. Additionally, nobody in the Big Ten was better in the category, which should not be too big of a surprise considering offensive-minded Lincoln Riley is the head coach. Outside of the Big Ten, Maiava is No. 9 overall, the top spot in Tier 2. He was just on the brink of breaking into Tier 1 but still earns a great deal of respect. 4. Josh Hoover, Indiana (Tier 2) Hoover represents the first first-year transfer on the list. The previous years of his career were spent down in Fort Worth with the TCU Horned Frogs. Now, he becomes the third transfer quarterback at IU in as many years. Almost nothing but success has come from the guys before Hoover. Fernando Mendoza capped his journey off with a national championship. Hoover, a Tier 2 guy, has the ability to help Indiana reach the CFP mountain again. 5. Demond Williams, Washington (Tier 3) Just a few months ago, Washington did not know if Williams would be playing for them. He announced his intention to enter the portal before the Huskies began to play defense. Thankfully for everyone in Seattle, the situation cooled down. Williams now enters the 2026 season as a top-five quarterback in the Big Ten. His talent is evident, which is proven by both his portal flirtation and Washington fighting so hard to keep him. 6. Malik Washington, Maryland (Tier 3) If there is hope for Maryland moving forward, it’s because of Washington. He got the starting nod as a true freshman and impressed in a big way. Maryland clearly trusts him, giving Washington the most pass attempts in the Big Ten last year. Washington is looking to take another step forward in the second season. If he can accomplish the goal, the Terrapins can do the same thing, from a team-wide perspective. 7. Rocco Becht, Penn State (Tier 3) You will see a lot of crossover between Penn State and Iowa State this offseason. Matt Campbell brought familiar faces with him to Happy Valley. No name was bigger for him than Becht, securing a Year One quarterback. Becht had a down campaign at Iowa State and was looking to bounce back, no matter where he played college football. Doing so in the Big Ten will be a big test. 8. Nico Iamaleava, UCLA (Tier 3) For the first time in a while, Iamaleava did not find himself in national headlines. Whether it was about stepping up at Tennessee or his high-profile transfer, news constantly surrounded Iamaleava. He can instead focus on just playing football. With a brand new head coach, too. UCLA hired Bob Chesney from James Madison to revamp the program. Thankfully, Iamaleava will remain a constant. 9. Drake Lindsay, Minnesota (Tier 3) Folks at Minnesota might feel like their guys should be a lot higher. Lindsay is a returning starter for them after throwing for 2,382 yards, 18 touchdowns, and six interceptions. Lindsay might not be too high on the list. He is still receiving some NFL Draft love, though, as a potential high draft pick. Which should tell everyone how high the ceiling is. 10. Bryce Underwood, Michigan (Tier 4) Not too long ago, Underwood was the Big Ten’s flashiest name. Michigan won a big-time recruiting battle to land the former Five-Star Plus+ quarterback. Underwood then became the guy, only to run into some struggles. This ranking reflects as such, being No. 10 in the conference and in the fourth tier. Underwood will certainly be looking to be a whole lot higher in the same exercise next offseason. Ranking Big Ten quarterbacks: No. 11-18 11. Colton Joseph, Wisconsin (Tier 4)12. Anthony Colandrea, Nebraska (Tier 4)13. Katin Houser, Illinois (Tier 4)14. Alessio Milivojevic, Michigan State (Tier 6)15. Aiden Chiles, Northwestern (Tier 6)16. Jeremy Hecklinksi, Iowa (Tier 7)17. Dylan Lonergan, Rutgers (Tier 7)18. Ryan Browne, Purdue (Tier 7)