The landscape of college football keeps shifting, especially at quarterback. The transfer portal and NIL deals have made things unpredictable and, honestly, pretty exciting. Looking ahead to 2026, the Big Ten is set to roll out a mix of battle-tested veterans and promising new faces. Here’s a look at the likely starting quarterbacks for each Big Ten team, along with a few thoughts on their past and what might be next.
Top Quarterbacks in the Big Ten
The Big Ten boasts two quarterbacks who, at this point, are among the best in the country: Ohio State’s Julian Sayin and Oregon’s Dante Moore. These guys aren’t just conference standouts—they’re also high on NFL draft boards for 2026.
Julian Sayin: Ohio State
Julian Sayin is back in Columbus after a redshirt freshman season that was, frankly, ridiculous. He posted a 92.9 PFF grade, the highest for any college quarterback in the country, and hit on 74.2% of his passes with pinpoint accuracy—a record since PFF started tracking this stuff in 2014.
Sayin is the only Heisman finalist returning to school, which makes him the clear top quarterback heading into this season. There’s a confidence about him that’s hard to miss.
Dante Moore: Oregon
Oregon’s new place in the Big Ten brings in Dante Moore, who’s just a tick behind Sayin in terms of raw talent. Moore earned a 90.2 PFF passing grade, landing him sixth nationally, and nobody in America topped his 98.5 passing grade on deep balls.
His choice to return to Eugene, even though he was projected as a top-three NFL pick, caught a lot of people off guard. It definitely makes the Big Ten a bit more interesting.
New Starters in the Big Ten
There are eight new starting quarterbacks set to take the field in the Big Ten this season. Each brings something a little different to the table.
Illinois: Houser
With Luke Altmyer moving on after three years, Houser steps in at Illinois. He closed out his time at East Carolina with an 82.3 PFF passing grade, which put him 17th in the FBS.
His 23 big-time throws last year were also among the top 20 nationwide. So, expectations are pretty high for his run at Illinois.
Indiana: Hoover
Replacing Fernando Mendoza won’t be easy for Indiana, given Mendoza’s Heisman and national title. Hoover, who’s coming over after three seasons starting at TCU, is the guy they’re asking to do it.
He posted an 85.0 PFF passing grade at TCU, second-best in the Big 12. Only Shedeur Sanders was better there.
Iowa: Hecklinski
After Mark Gronowski left, Iowa’s got a QB competition on its hands. Hecklinski leads the pack for now, having beaten out Hank Brown for the backup job last season.
Hecklinski only threw two passes for eight yards last year, so there’s not much to go on. He’ll have to hold off freshman Tradon Bessinger, who came in as a top-15 recruit nationally.
Maryland: Washington
Washington arrived at Maryland with a lot of hype as the No. 11 quarterback in his high school class. He grabbed the starting job as a freshman and didn’t look out of place.
He finished second among all true freshmen quarterbacks with 15 big-time throws. Not bad for a first year.
Michigan State: Milivojevic
Milivojevic took over as Michigan State’s starter from Aidan Chiles in Week 10 last season. The redshirt freshman ended up with a 72.7 PFF grade, good for ninth in the Big Ten.
He’ll be looking to take another step in 2026. It’s a big ask, but there’s some optimism here.
Minnesota: Lindsey
Lindsey had a roller-coaster debut season as Minnesota’s quarterback. He started out hot, with an 89.7 PFF passing grade through five weeks.
But things got rough down the stretch. He’s aiming for more consistency as a redshirt sophomore.
Nebraska: Colandrea
With Dylan Raiola heading to Oregon, Nebraska turned to Colandrea. His time at Virginia was pretty average, but he broke out at UNLV, winning Mountain West Offensive Player of the Year.
Colandrea posted a 90.1 PFF grade last season. He’s got a shot to make some noise in Lincoln.
Northwestern: Chiles
Chiles is now at Northwestern after starting the last two years at Michigan State. His passing numbers haven’t wowed anyone—he managed just a 61.7 PFF passing grade over those seasons.
Still, he brings experience to a Wildcats team that could use some stability.
Returning Starters and Their Prospects
Some Big Ten teams are sticking with familiar faces at quarterback. There’s something to be said for continuity, right?
Penn State: Becht
Penn State’s new head coach, Matt Campbell, will have Becht as his starter. Becht was Iowa State’s guy for the past three years, putting up an 83.0 PFF grade in that span.
His 79.1 passing grade was fourth-best in the Big 12. He’s a steady presence for the Nittany Lions.
Purdue: Browne
Browne saw a fair bit of action as a backup in 2024, then took over as Purdue’s starter last season. His 69.1 PFF grade as a redshirt sophomore isn’t eye-popping, but he’s got time to grow.
Rutgers: Lonergan
After Athan Kaliakmanis’ solid run, Rutgers is turning to Lonergan, a transfer from Boston College. He put up a 71.7 PFF passing grade last year as a redshirt sophomore.
He’ll have some help, too, with talents like wideout KJ Duff and running back Antwan Raymond in the mix.
Wisconsin: Joseph
This season feels like a crossroads for Wisconsin’s head coach, Luke Fickell, who’s betting on Joseph, an Old Dominion transfer. Joseph ran for 1,097 yards last season—fifth among all quarterbacks nationally.
His 71.4 PFF passing grade leaves a bit to be desired, but you can’t ignore the upside. There’s a lot riding on how this works out.
Conclusion
The 2026 Big Ten football season could be a wild ride. There’s a real blend of seasoned veterans and some fresh faces eager to make their mark.
Julian Sayin and Dante Moore are already making waves, but it’s the newcomers, like Houser and Hoover, that have people talking. The conference might just see some of its best quarterback play in years.
If you’re curious about every team’s next move at quarterback, check out the full article on PFF’s website. It’s worth a look, honestly.
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