All Gophers

Ranking 2024 Big Ten starting quarterbacks in six tiers

Where does Minnesota's QB1 stand within the conference?

Tony Liebert

Oregon quarterback Dillon Gabriel throws during warmups ahead of the Oregon Ducks’ Spring Game
Oregon quarterback Dillon Gabriel throws during warmups ahead of the Oregon Ducks’ Spring Game / Ben Lonergan/The Register-Guard / USA

With the spring transfer portal window officially closed, it's a great time to look at the brand new 18-team Big Ten, and where new Gophers' QB Max Brosmer could rank amongst other starting quarterbacks in the conference.

There are a lot of unknowns in the new-look Big Ten. There are potentially nine transfer quarterbacks that could start in Week 1 and three more that have never started a regular season game. Also, how will the West Coast teams fare?

Proven Elite

1. Dillon Gabriel, Oregon

2. Will Howard, Ohio State

UCF, then Oklahoma transfer Dillon Gabriel is the clear-cut, best QB in this conference. He has performed at an elite level at every stop he has been. With tremendous weapons in Eugune, the expectation should be nothing less.

Kansas State transfer Will Howard might be the wild card of the whole conference. He was replaced in Manhattan last season by star freshman Avery Johnson, but he still had 4,276 yards, 39 TD and 14 INT over the last two seasons. With star wide receiver Emeka Egbuka returning to Columbus, Howard has the chance to take another step.


Potentially Elite

3. Will Rogers, Washington

4. Drew Allar, Penn State

5. Miller Moss, USC

Mississippi State transfer Will Rogers leaves Starkville as the program's all-time leading passer (12,315 yards), but with new head coach Jedd Fisch in Seattle and a lot of moving parts, there are questions about how he will transition to the Big Ten. Drew Allar is one of the most talented players in the conference (247sports' No. 1 QB in 2022), but he struggled with consistency in his first season at the helm in 2023, he could be in line for an improved 2024. Lastly, Miller Moss flashed in last year's Holiday Bowl vs. Louisville (6 TDs) and with Lincoln Riley calling plays there is fair expectation for any QB to succeed in a USC uniform.


Proven Transfers

6. Max Brosmer, Minnesota

7. Tyler Van Dyke, Wisconsin

Max Brosmer comes to Minnesota as the FCS leading passer last season (3,459 yards) and a Walter Payton Offensive Player of the Year finalist. He has shown he can succeed at the D1 level with back-to-back 3,000+ yards and 25+ TD seasons, but the Big Ten might be a different discussion. His ceiling is still untapped and there is a bit unknown, so his combination of proven production and potential intrigue puts him higher on my list than most.

For example, Miami (FL) transfer Tyler Van Dyke struggled last season with a career-high 12 interceptions and only 19 touchdowns. He doesn't have a 3,000-yard season and he was surrounded by blue-chip talent throughout his career in Coral Gables. It wouldn't shock me if he performed near the top five signal callers in the conference, but I will take Brosmer's upside.


Unproven, high-upside

8. Aidan Chiles, Michigan State

9. Alex Orji, Michigan

10. Dylan Raiola, Nebraska

This might be the most fun group in the conference. Aidan Chiles followed new head coach Jonathan Smith to East Lansing from Oregon State and he might be one of the most hyped-up QBs in the conference. He was a talented top-150 high school recruit and just might be the guy to bring Sparty back. Alex Orji is another guy with zero starting experience, but at 6-foot-3, 240-pounds he could be one of the most exciting talents at the position. Lastly, Dylan Raiola has been dubbed the guy to bring Nebraska "back." Performing at an elite level as a true freshman has only been done a couple times, but the 5-star super prospect will have a chance to do just that in Lincoln.


Solid

11. Kurtis Rourke, Indiana

12. Luke Altmeyer, Illinois

13. Cade McNamra, Iowa

14. Hudson Card, Purdue

This is the group of quarterbacks that I feel pretty confidently in being capable starters, but I also feel like I know what their ceiling is. Ohio transfer Kurtis Rourke might have the highest upside under first-year head coach Curt Cignetti.

As for the other three, Altmeyer, McNamara and Card all are classic Big Ten West quarterbacks. They can run an offense and win you games, when your defense is playing well, but I don't think they can go out and win a game with their arm. All of them could perform like one of the top 6-10 options in the conference, but that would likely be because none of the "high upside" guys performed well.

Questions...

15. Ethan Garbers, UCLA

16. Athan Kaliakmanis, Rutgers

17. M.J. Morris, Maryland

18. Jack Lausch, Northwestern

Garbers and Kaliakmnis have both made a handful of starts, but haven't shown anything worth writing home about, while M.J. Morris is an inexperienced transfer from NC State. Lastly, Northwestern is probably the only team that might still add a QB from the transfer portal, as Lausch and returning Ryan Helsinki would probably put them near the bottom of the conference.

A bit more on Brosmer

When it comes to ranking Minnesota's Max Brosmer amongst the best in the conference it is a question of whether you value a 23-year-old with FCS experience or a 19/20-year-old based on high school potential. As a transfer, it is fair to rank him amongst Chiles, Van Dyke, Orji and Raiola as prospects, I personally value his age and experience compared to the rest.

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Tony Liebert
TONY LIEBERT