Preseason Big 12 QB rankings: Where does TCU’s Jaden Craig rank?
There will be a changing of the guard at quarterback in the Big 12 next season, as six of the top 10 passing leaders from a year ago are gone.
Some like Baylor’s Sawyer Robertson and Kansas’ Jalon Daniels graduated, while others like former TCU quarterback Josh Hoover and Iowa State’s Rocco Becht transferred to other programs.
Even with those household names gone, there’s still plenty of quarterback talent in the league, even with the likely season-long suspension of Texas Tech quarterback Brendan Sorsby. The former Cincinnati quarterback is appealing his suspension for gambling on college football, but should be considered a long shot to play.
With that in mind, Sorsby won’t be included on this list. He would’ve been in the top three, but his absence creates room for others to move up.
Here’s how the quarterbacks stack up in the Big 12:
1. Noah Fifita, Arizona
Last year’s stats: Completed 64.1% of passes, 3,228 passing yards, 29 touchdowns, six interceptions, 222 rushing yards and three touchdowns.
Breakdown: Fifita responded from a lackluster 2024 season by setting career highs in passing yards and touchdowns while also helping the Wildcats bounce back from four wins to nine. Fifita ranked No. 3 in passing in the Big 12 last season and is the leading returner this season. While he’s not as much of a dual-threat option as some of his counterparts, Fifita is the most proven and consistent passer.
2. Bear Bachmeier, BYU
Last year’s stats: Completed 64.9% of his passes, 3,033 passing yards, 15 touchdowns, seven interceptions, 527 rushing yards, 11 touchdowns.
Breakdown: The freshman made the most of his opportunity after Jake Retzlaff’s decision to transfer after a seven-game suspension for violating BYU’s honor code. Bachmeier nearly led the Cougars to the College Football Playoff, and he seemed to improve with each week. His added dimension as a runner worked perfectly with BYU’s physical run game. Bachmeier’s return is among the reasons BYU is one of the preseason favorites for the league title.
3. Drew Mestemaker, Oklahoma State
Last year’s stats: Completed 68.9% of passes, 4,379 yards, 34 touchdowns, nine interceptions at North Texas
Breakdown: Mestemaker took the nation by storm last year in Denton, as he led the Mean Green to their best season in program history, coming up one game short of the CFP. Mestemaker threw it all over the yard with UNT’s explosive offense and followed his head coach Eric Morris to Stillwater. Why isn’t Mestemaker No. 1? He threw six total interceptions in UNT’s two toughest games against South Florida and Tulane.
It’s fair to wonder how he’ll transition to the Big 12 against better defenses.
4. Conner Weigman, Houston
Last year’s stats: Completed 65.2% of his passes, 2,705 passing yards, 25 touchdowns, nine interceptions, 700 rushing yards, 11 touchdowns.
Breakdown: The former five-star recruit had the best season of his career at Houston after transferring in from Texas A&M. Weigman’s dual-threat ability helped reshape an offense that was among the worst in the Big 12 in 2024. Weigman’s return makes the Cougars a dark horse contender in the conference.
5. Devon Dampier, Utah
Last year’s stats: Completed 63.5% of his passes, 2,490 passing yards, 24 touchdowns, five interceptions, 835 rushing yards and 10 touchdowns.
Breakdown: The New Mexico transfer was able to stabilize Utah’s offense last season. Dampier set career highs in completion percentage and passing touchdown while also being one of the most dynamic rushers in the league. Dampier threw for over 250 yards in each of the final three games last season.
6. Avery Johnson, Kansas State
Last year’s stats: Completed 59.8% of his passes, 2,385 passing yards, 18 touchdowns, six interceptions, 477 rushing yards and eight touchdowns.
Breakdown: Johnson may be the most electric athlete at quarterback in the league, but the Wildcats are still looking for more consistency from him as a thrower. His talent is undeniable, but Kansas State still needs more from one of the top recruits in program history.
7. Alonza Barnett, Central Florida
Last year’s stats: Completed 58.4% of his passes, 2,806 passing yards, 23 touchdowns, eight interceptions, 589 rushing yards and 15 touchdowns at James Madison.
Breakdown: Barnett played a key role in James Madison reaching the CFP. Barnett put on a show in the playoff loss to Oregon, throwing for 273 yards, rushing for 45 yards and accounting for three touchdowns against the Ducks’ talented defense. He’s a natural fit for Scott Frost’s scheme at UCF, but like Dampier and Johnson, he needs to be more consistent as a passer.
8. DJ Lagway, Baylor
Last year’s stats: Completed 63.2% of his passes, 2,264 passing yards, 16 touchdowns, 14 interceptions at Florida.
Breakdown: This could be a make-or-break year for the former five-star quarterback, who dealt with injuries, turnover problems and subpar coaching during his time in Gainesville. Lagway has shown flashes of why he was so highly rated coming out of high school, but it’s time for those flashes to turn into sustained periods of success or Lagway and Baylor head coach Dave Aranda could be out of Waco next season.
9. Jaylen Raynor, Iowa State
Last year’s stats: Completed 66.5% of his passes, 3,361 yards, 19 touchdowns, 11 interceptions, 423 rushing yards and seven touchdowns at Arkansas State.
Breakdown: Raynor had a career year with the Red Wolves, setting career highs in completion percentage, passing yards and passing touchdowns. Turnovers have been an issue for the dual-threat quarterback, as he’s thrown 21 interceptions in the past two seasons.
10. Cutter Boley, Arizona State
Last year’s stats: Completed 65.8% of his passes, 2,160 passing yards, 15 touchdowns, 12 interceptions at Kentucky.
Breakdown: Despite being at a severe talent disadvantage in most games, Boley had some good moments as a freshman for Kentucky. With a more quarterback-friendly system and more talent in Tempe, Boley could easily be a breakout candidate in the conference.
11. Jaden Craig, TCU
Last year’s stats: Completed 61.5% of his passes, 2,869 passing yards, 25 touchdowns, seven interceptions at Harvard.
Breakdown: Craig left Harvard as the most decorated passer in program history after leading the Crimson to the FCS playoffs. He is a strong-armed quarterback who is also mobile, but he’s completely unproven at the Power Four level. Craig was a bit of a mixed bag during spring practice for TCU, but there’s still plenty of optimism about his potential this season.
12. JC French, Cincinnati
Last year’s stats: Completed 63.8% of his passes, 2,929 passing yards, 20 touchdowns, eight interceptions, 315 rushing yards and six touchdowns at Georgia Southern.
Breakdown: French was a productive two-year starter at Georgia Southern and now will be tasked with replacing Sorsby. French doesn’t have the same upside as some of the passers ahead of him, but should be a solid bridge quarterback for the Bearcats.
13. Will Hammond, Texas Tech
Last year’s stats: Completed 63.3% of his passes, 680 passing yards, seven touchdowns, three interceptions, 299 rushing yards and five touchdowns in parts of eight games.
Breakdown: The development of Hammond suddenly became one of the biggest storylines in the conference with the suspension of Sorsby. Texas Tech’s roster is good enough to win the conference without Sorsby, but he was supposed to be the final piece to putting the Red Raiders into the next tier with Oregon and Texas. Now that task falls to Hammond, who is coming off an injury and won’t be ready until two weeks before the start of the regular season.
14. Scotty Fox Jr., West Virginia
Last year’s stats: Completed 59.4% of passes, 1,276 passing yards, seven touchdowns, six interceptions, 201 rushing yards and three touchdowns.
Breakdown: Fox took his lumps as a freshman last season as the Mountaineers struggled in head coach Rich Rodriguez’s first season back. Fox was inconsistent, as most young quarterbacks are, but he did throw for 301 yards against TCU.
15. Julian Lewis, Colorado
Last year’s stats: Completed 55.3% of his passes, 589 passing yards and four touchdowns in four games.
Breakdown: The former five-star recruit had a disappointing debut season in Boulder, as he failed to take over the starting job despite Colorado’s struggles at quarterback. It also isn’t a great look that the Buffaloes brought in Isaac Wilson from Utah to compete with him. Lewis and head coach Deion Sanders have a lot to prove this season.
16. Isaiah Marshall, Kansas
Last year’s stats: Completed 100% of his passes (3-for-3), 28 passing yards, no touchdowns, no interceptions, 160 rushing yards in limited action.
Breakdown: Marshall is the presumed starter for the Jayhawks, but will likely have to win the job during fall camp. He’s the most unproven quarterback on this list and will have to beat out Rice transfer Chase Jenkins. Jenkins was converted to quarterback from wide receiver and was dynamic as a rusher, but ranked No. 123 in the country in ESPN’s QBR metric.
