Big 12 power rankings: Where does Josh Hoover rank among the league’s best QBs?
There will be a deep crop of quarterbacks in the Big 12 for the 2025 season as most teams return experienced starters.
Nationally, quarterbacks like Texas’ Arch Manning and Penn State’s Drew Allar generating much of the preseason buzz, but that doesn’t mean the Big 12’s quarterbacks should be overlooked.
The quality of the quarterbacks is one of the many reasons experts are predicting another close conference race with potentially more than five contenders in the mix to be the Big 12 champions.
The key for the league and any title hopeful is which of these quarterbacks will elevate from good to elite? Here’s how the Big 12’s quarterbacks stack up:
1. Sawyer Robertson, Baylor
Breakdown: Robertson was a breakout star for the Bears as he helped stabilize the offense with his poise and above average mobility. Robertson threw for 3,071 yards and 28 touchdowns while adding four more rushing touchdowns. Robertson was a catalyst during Baylor’s six-game winning streak to end the regular season and he threw for more than 300 yards in three of his final four games.
2. Josh Hoover, TCU
Breakdown: There’s a case to be made that Hoover should be No. 1 on this list after setting a new single season school record for passing yards in a season. Only Shedeur Sanders threw for more yards than Hoover last season and Hoover will have a great shot at leading the league in passing yards in 2025. Hoover produced 3,949 yards and 27 touchdowns in the air, but he also threw 11 picks and had multiple fumbles. Cleaning up turnovers could be enough for him to move up to one.
3. Sam Leavitt, Arizona State
Breakdown: Leavitt didn’t put up the same raw numbers as others on the list, but Leavitt played a crucial role in leading the Sun Devils to the Big 12 championship along with Cam Skattebo. Leavitt accounted for over 3,300 yards of total offense and 29 total touchdowns. He’ll be expected to do more this season with Skattebo in the NFL.
4. Avery Johnson, Kansas State
Breakdown: There isn’t a quarterback with more upside in the conference than Johnson. Johnson is an electric rusher and ran for 605 yards and seven touchdowns last season. Johnson had his ups and downs as a passer as he only completed 58% of his passes and he also threw 10 interceptions. However, Johnson also threw 25 touchdowns and had 2,712 passing yards in a run heavy offense. If he takes another step as a passer, Johnson will shoot up this list.
5. Rocco Becht, Iowa State
Breakdown: Becht led the Cyclones to the Big 12 title game, where they fell to Arizona State as he had one of the best passing seasons in program history. Becht improved his 2023 numbers as he threw for 3,505 yards and 25 touchdowns. He also showcased more mobility with more than 300 yards on the ground.
6. Behren Morton, Texas Tech
Breakdown: After dealing with injuries in 2022 and 2023, Morton was finally able to get through most of the season healthy. Morton was extremely productive throwing for 3,335 yards and 27 touchdowns for the Red Raiders. Morton is at his best with a clean pocket, but his effectiveness drops when he’s forced to be on the move.
7. Noah Fifita, Arizona
Breakdown: Fifita regressed last season as the Wildcats struggled to make the transition to the Big 12. However, there were still times where his impressive arm talent showed up whenever he connected with Tetairoa McMillan. McMillan is gone now and Fifita will have to make due without one of the program’s best receivers. Fifita’s completion percentage dropped from 72.4% to 60.5% and his yards per game and quarterback rating all fell.
However, if Fifita can somehow get back to his 2023 form then he’ll be one of the best quarterbacks in the league.
8. Jake Retzlaff, BYU
Breakdown: Retzlaff posted a solid season for the Cougars as they nearly made the Big 12 title game. BYU was built on its defense and an above average run game, but Retzlaff did his part too with 2,947 passing yards and 26 total touchdowns. Retzlaff provided value a a rusher, but will need to be more efficient with his accuracy and ball security.
9. Jalon Daniels, Kansas
Breakdown: After injuries cut his 2023 and 2022 seasons short, Daniels was finally able to get through the season healthy last year for the Jayhawks. Daniels struggled early with his accuracy, but he rebounded to help lead Kansas to three straight wins over ranked opponents and he completed over 60% of his passes in two of those wins. Daniels threw 12 interceptions and only completed 57% of his passes, so there’s still room for improvement.
10. Kaidon Salter, Colorado
Breakdown: The Liberty transfer would’ve been higher if not for taking a major stepback in 2024. Salter was one of the country’s top dual-threats in 2023 with over 2,800 passing yards, over 1,000 yards on the ground and 44 touchdowns. Salter accounted for less than 2,500 yards and 22 touchdowns without Hugh Freeze leading the offense. Salter is also in a quarterback battle with true freshman Julian Lewis.
11. Brendan Sorsby, Cincinnati
Breakdown: Sorsby and the Bearcats started the season hot with a 5-2 record, but faltered by losing five straight to end the season. Sorsby was held under 200 yards in three of those games. Overall, Sorsby was an upgrade for what the Bearcats had previously had under center, but he doesn’t have the upside and didn’t generate the same amount of explosive plays as the quarterbacks ahead of him.
12. Conner Weigman, Houston
Breakdown: Weigman was a former five-star recruit that signed with Texas A&M in the Class of 2022. Things never clicked for Weigman in College Station as he never threw for more than 1,000 yards in his three seasons there and he was eventually benched for Marcel Reed. Maybe Willie Fritz has what it takes to bring out Weigman’s five-star talent, but that remains to be seen.
13. Devon Dampier, Utah
Breakdown: The New Mexico transfer should provide a different element to Utah’s offense as Dampier rushed for over 1,100 yards last season. The Utes also brought in Dampier’s offensive coordinator from New Mexico, so the Utes should run a scheme that fits him nicely. However, Dampier showed limitations as a passer as he threw 12 interceptions and completed less than 58% of his passes. Big 12 defenses will force him to beat them with his arm at some point.
14. Tayven Jackson, Central Florida
Breakdown: UCF will be the third school for Jackson who started his career at Tennessee and then transferred to Indiana. In 2023 Jackson threw for 914 yards, but he was intercepted five times while only throwing two touchdowns.
15. Nicco Marchiol, West Virginia
Breakdown: Marchiol is expected to win the starting job, but has only played sparingly as a Mountaineer with just one career start.
16. Hauss Hejny, Oklahoma State
Breakdown: Hejny will have to beat out Zane Flores to win the job and he’ll have a good shot with his talent as a dual-threat quarterback. The former TCU quarterback is the least experienced quarterback on this list and will have to play his way up the power rankings.
