College football long ago morphed from a game in which the running back was the glamour position to one in which the quarterback is more often than not the feature of an offense. In fact, it's hard to raise banners and rain down confetti without a dynamic player under center.
One of the metrics we like to look at each week in determining how quarterbacks are playing is ESPN's Total QBR rating. This year, the Big Ten has some pretty special players under center. First-year quarterbacks at schools like Ohio State, Michigan, Oregon, USC, Washington, and Indiana have lit up the conference. But how effective has each really been?
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementWe have just one week left in the 2025 regular season, and the clear leaders have emerged. Here's a look at all Big Ten quarterbacks ranked by ESPN's Total QBR after Week 13 as we get ready to watch things unfold during Rivalry Week.
As usual, we go from worst to first. As an important note, there are only 16-of-18 teams represented because Wisconsin and Penn State no longer have a quarterback that qualifies because of the lack of number of plays per game, mainly because of injury.
No. 16 - Ryan Browne, Purdue
Aug 30, 2025; West Lafayette, Indiana, USA; Purdue Boilermakers quarterback Ryan Browne (15) throws the ball over Ball State Cardinals linebacker Caden Johnson (6) during the second half at Ross-Ade Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Marc Lebryk-Imagn ImagesInside the Numbers
Total QBR: 55.3
Previous Total QBR: 57.9
Previous Ranking: No. 13 ⇩
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementPurdue started to be pretty competitive as the season wore on, but then started to fall off in the last few weeks. That has coincided with Browne running out of gas a little bit, and you have to wonder if he often felt like he had to do too much.
No. 15 - Mark Gronowski, Iowa
Iowa Hawkeyes quarterback Mark Gronowski (11) looks to pass the ball against the Massachusetts Minutemen at Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City, Iowa.Inside the Numbers
Total QBR: 55.9
Previous Total QBR: 57.3
Previous Ranking: No. 14 ⇩
Listen, you kind of know what you are going to get from an Iowa quarterback based on the culture and identity of the program under Kirk Ferentz. Gronowski has been a good leader for this team, but everything is built around the defense and ball control, and the result is what you get.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementNo. 14 - Malik Washington, Maryland
Maryland quarterback Malik Washington throws a pass during the third quarter of their game against Wisconsin, Saturday, Sept. 20, 2025 at Camp Randall Stadium in Madison, Wisconsin.Inside the Numbers
Total QBR: 56.8
Previous Total QBR: 55.6
Previous Ranking: No. 15 ⇧
Washington is going to be better as he develops, but it's hard for a freshman not to feel the pinch of a long, tough season in the rough and tumble Big Ten, and that feels like what we've seen with Washington and Maryland towards the tail-end here.
No. 13 - Preston Stone, Northwestern
Aug 30, 2025; New Orleans, Louisiana, USA; Northwestern Wildcats quarterback Preston Stone (8) passes against Tulane Green Wave during the second half at Yulman Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Stephen Lew-Imagn ImagesInside the Numbers
Total QBR: 59.2
Previous Total QBR: 49.9
Previous Ranking: No. 17 ⇧
Stone started off with some significant struggles for Northwestern, and as he has gotten better, so too has the team. He isn't ever going to go out there and sling the ball all over the place, but his ability to make plays when needed in the passing game more consistently late in the season has gotten Northwestern to bowl eligibility.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementNo. 12 - Nico Iamaleava, UCLA
Aug 30, 2025; Pasadena, California, USA; UCLA Bruins quarterback Nico Iamaleava (9) following the loss against the Utah Utes during the second half at Rose Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn ImagesInside the Numbers
Total QBR: 61.3
Previous Total QBR: 65.0
Previous Ranking: No. 11 ⇩
Man, is Iamaleava talented, if not inconsistent. A lot of that has to do with the lack of talent around him and some injuries. If UCLA can upgrade the talent a bit at the skill positions, he could be even more dangerous next year.
No. 11 - Drake Lindsey, Minnesota
Sep 13, 2025; Berkeley, California, USA; Minnesota Golden Gophers quarterback Drake Lindsey (5) confers with tight end Jameson Geers (86) at the line of scrimmage during the fourth quarter against the California Golden Bears at California Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: D. Ross Cameron-Imagn ImagesInside the Numbers
Total QBR: 62.8
Previous Total QBR: 58.4
Previous Ranking: No. 12 ⇧
Lindsey has been up and down for P.J. Fleck, and that's to be expected with a freshman. He, too, should be better in the years to come, but right now he's still learning how to read defenses and make the right decisions, and that becomes very evident against the better teams in the league.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementNo. 10 - Dylan Raiola, Nebraska
Aug 28, 2025; Kansas City, Missouri, USA; Nebraska Cornhuskers quarterback Dylan Raiola (15) passes against the Cincinnati Bearcats during the first quarter at GEHA Field at Arrowhead Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Dylan Widger-Imagn ImagesInside the Numbers
Total QBR: 64.0
Previous Total QBR: 65.5
Previous Ranking: No. 10 ⇔
Raiola is shut down for the year with an injury, but if we're being fair, he never quite had the production Nebraska fans were hoping for. The talent and ability are evident, and now we see what kind of development occurs to see him get the ball down the field more. Oh, and will he stay in Lincoln? There are rumors.
No. 9 - Aidan Chiles, Michigan State
Sep 20, 2025; Los Angeles, California, USA; Michigan State Spartans quarterback Aidan Chiles (2) throws against the Southern California Trojans during the second half at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Gary A. Vasquez-Imagn ImagesInside the Numbers
Total QBR: 68.1
Previous Total QBR: 68.5
Previous Ranking: No. 8 ⇩
Michigan State has yet to win a Big Ten game with just one week left, and that has led to some controversy about Chiles and even a benching. He's also dealing with an injury, and it's so hard when faith has seemingly been lost, no matter how athletically gifted Chiles is.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementNo. 8 - Athan Kaliakmanis, Rutgers
Rutgers Scarlet Knights quarterback Athan Kaliakmanis (16), runs with the ball, Thursday, August 28, 2025.Inside the Numbers
Total QBR: 68.2
Previous Total QBR: 71.1
Previous Ranking: No. 6 ⇩
Kaliakmanis has been pretty good and actually throwing the ball around more than you would expect from a Greg Schiano-coached Rutgers team, but as the competition level has risen, he's found it harder to be as effective.
No. 7 - Bryce Underwood, Michigan
Michigan quarterback Bryce Underwood (19) makes a pass against running back Justice Haynes (22) against New Mexico during the second half at Michigan Stadium in Ann Arbor on Saturday, August 30, 2025.Inside the Numbers
Total QBR: 74.5
Previous Total QBR: 66.0
Previous Ranking: No. 9 ⇧
The Michigan quarterback has shown the inconsistency you would expect from a developing freshman, but we have seen him start to figure things out a little bit. His ability with his legs allows an extra dimension, but he still has to get better at decision-making and accuracy down the field.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementNo. 6 - Dante Moore, Oregon
Oregon Ducks quarterback Dante Moore carries the ball as the Oregon Ducks host the Oregon State Beavers Sept. 20, 2025, at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Oregon.Inside the Numbers
Total QBR: 75.0
Previous Total QBR: 69.4
Previous Ranking: No. 7 ⇧
It feels like everyone kind of lost track of Moore after that loss to Indiana, but he's still been doing some very good things for Oregon. Maybe the numbers aren't there like some of the recent Duck quarterbacks, but when the team needs a play to be made, he seems to be able to deliver at a high level.
No. 5 - Demond Williams Jr., Washington
Aug 30, 2025; Seattle, Washington, USA; Washington Huskies quarterback Demond Williams Jr. (2) escapes a potential sack by Colorado State Rams linebacker Jacob Ellis (44) during the second quarter at Husky Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-Imagn ImagesInside the Numbers
Total QBR: 76.9
Previous Total QBR: 77.6
Previous Ranking: No. 5 ⇔
Because Washington hasn't really been in the limelight in the Big Ten, Williams has been kind of a forgotten player out in the Pacific Northwest. He's so quick and agile, though, and has had some games where his ability to put the ball in small windows. He's a lot of fun to watch and is going to be a big-time playmaker over the next three years.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementNo. 4 - Luke Altmyer, Illinois
Aug 29, 2025; Champaign, Illinois, USA; Illinois Fighting Illini quarterback Luke Altmyer (9) takes a snap against the Western Illinois Leathernecks during the first half at Memorial Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ron Johnson-Imagn ImagesInside the Numbers
Total QBR: 82.3
Previous Total QBR: 84.7
Previous Ranking: No. 4 ⇔
Altmyer continues to be underrated, and that's mostly because Illinosis fell out of the conference title hunt midway through the season. He's very experienced, makes great reads, and has thrown for a ton of yards and a lot of touchdowns. For a Bret Bielema-coached team, that's saying something. He clearly trusts Altmyer and for good reason.
No. 3 - Fernando Mendoza, Indiana
Indiana's Fernando Mendoza (15) during the Indiana versus Old Dominion football game at Memorial Stadium on Saturday, Aug. 30, 2025.Inside the Numbers
Total QBR: 88.8
Previous Total QBR: 88.1
Previous Ranking: No. 3 ⇔
Mendoza makes Indiana go and is most likely the leading Heisman candidate at the moment. He's been taken out of some games early because of how dominant Indiana has been, or his numbers could be even better. He's got the measurables, the arm talent, the mindset, and the accuracy. He might just take Indiana to a Big Ten title and more.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementNo. 2 - Julian Sayin, Ohio State
Ohio State Buckeyes quarterback Julian Sayin (10) throws during the first half of the NCAA football game against the Washington Huskies at Husky Stadium in Seattle on Sept. 27, 2025.Inside the Numbers
Total QBR: 90.3
Previous Total QBR: 91.4
Previous Ranking: No. 1 ⇩
Sayin has been the most productive freshman in the entire country at the quarterback spot and is statistically the most accurate passer in the history of college football right now. He would most likely be the leader in the Heisman clubhouse if it weren't for a couple of weeks in a row when his production wasn't quite as good, with his two best receivers dealing with injuries and unavailable.
No. 1 - Jayden Maiava, USC
Sep 13, 2025; West Lafayette, Indiana, USA; Southern California Trojans quarterback Jayden Maiava (14) talks with Southern California Trojans head coach Lincoln Riley before the game against the Purdue Boilermakers at Ross-Ade Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Marc Lebryk-Imagn ImagesInside the Numbers
Total QBR: 91.4
Previous Total QBR: 90.6
AdvertisementAdvertisementAdvertisementPrevious Ranking: No. 2 ⇧
Maiava has been the Total QBR leader in the Big Ten and country for most of the season before Sayin took that over about three weeks ago. He's back on top now and will most likely end there unless Sayin does something remarkable over the next couple of weeks. Maiava can spin it and is a big play waiting to happen downfield.
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This article originally appeared on Buckeyes Wire: Big Ten quarterbacks ranked by Total QBR after Week 13: Who's on top?
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