Ranking the Big Ten's starting QBs: Patterson, Fields, Martinez have No. 1 potential
Last year, Ohio State's Dwayne Haskins became the first Big Ten signal-caller to be selected in the first round of the NFL draft since 1995. Haskins, who threw for 4,831 yards, also finished third in Heisman Trophy voting.
No Big Ten quarterback is favored to win the award in 2019, but at least three schools - Michigan, Nebraska, and yes, Ohio State again - have pivots who could make a run at it this fall.
14. Rutgers - Artur Sitkowski or McLane Carter
Quarterback play was just one of the many issues for a 1-11 Rutgers team last season. When you dive into the numbers, it's hard to imagine the Scarlet Knights being worse at the position in 2019.
Artur Sitkowski was thrown into the fire as a freshman. He proceeded to complete less than half of his passes while tossing just four touchdowns against a whopping 18 interceptions. As a team, Rutgers threw for less than 100 yards in five of 12 games.
Sitkowski, who had a number of power-conference offers when he chose his home-state school, is back this year. But he's still in competition with Texas Tech transfer McLane Carter, who began last season as the Red Raiders' starter before an injury opened the door for Alan Bowman. Carter has recorded four touchdowns and four interceptions on 97 career passing attempts.
13. Illinois - Brandon Peters
Brandon Peters earned his second chance to be a Big Ten starting quarterback by beating out true freshman Isaiah Williams for the job at Illinois camp this summer.
A former four-star recruit, Peters started four games for Michigan in 2017, but then transferred after Shea Patterson arrived in Ann Arbor and seized the job.
There's certainly room for Peters to rise up this list if he shows some of what made him a prized recruit. At this point, all we have is a small sample size from his time at Michigan, where he completed 58 of 109 passes for 680 yards, four touchdowns, and three interceptions.
12. Wisconsin - Jack Coan
Wisconsin named junior Jack Coan its starting quarterback on Sunday, less than a week before its season opener against South Florida.
It appears the Badgers are hoping experience will lead to better results in 2019, as Coan beat out hyped four-star freshman Graham Mertz for the job.
Coan started four games last season in place of Alex Hornibrook - who transferred to Florida State this offseason - and threw for 515 yards with five touchdowns. However, the results were mixed. While Coan completed 75 percent of his passes and tossed two scores against Purdue, he recorded a 9-of-20, two-interception clunker in a loss to Penn State.
He'll benefit from playing alongside the most productive running back in the game in Jonathan Taylor, but Coan's ability to keep defenses honest will determine how high Wisconsin finishes in the Big Ten West.
11. Minnesota - Tanner Morgan
After splitting time with Zack Annexstad in 2018, Tanner Morgan is entering this season as coach P.J. Fleck's starting QB.
Morgan, a 6-foot-2 sophomore, posted an impressive 9.2 yards per attempt last year. However, he'll need to improve on his completion percentage (58.6).
Meanwhile, Minnesota hasn't had a quarterback throw at least 20 touchdowns in a season since Adam Weber in 2010.
10. Indiana - Michael Penix
Indiana made its decision Monday, naming redshirt freshman Michael Penix the starting quarterback for its season opener against Ball State.
He beat out last year's starter, Peyton Ramsey, in camp.
Penix appeared in three games during his redshirt campaign, completing 21 of 34 passes for 219 yards and a score before his season ended with an ACL injury in October.
The southpaw was originally a three-star recruit from Tampa, Fla.
Ramsey entered this year with 16 career starts on his resume, but tied for second in the Big Ten last season with 11 interceptions in conference games.
9. Purdue - Elijah Sindelar
Purdue will miss David Blough, who passed for 9,734 yards over four campaigns. He was instrumental in helping the Boilermakers to a bowl last season - a year that included a 49-20 win over Ohio State.
However, Jeff Brohm's program should be pleased to be bringing back an experienced pivot in Elijah Sindelar.
The 6-foot-4 senior is entering 2019 with nine career starts on his resume, including eight in 2017. He threw 18 touchdowns and seven interceptions that year, which was highlighted by a 396-yard performance in a Foster Farms Bowl victory over Arizona.
With Rondale Moore at receiver, Sindelar has the luxury of playing alongside one of the best playmakers in the country. The Sindelar-to-Moore connection will get an early proving ground when Purdue faces Vanderbilt and TCU in nonconference play.
8. Penn State - Sean Clifford
The Penn State job appeared to be Sean Clifford's to lose as soon as Tommy Stevens transferred to Mississippi State this offseason.
Clifford still had to beat out redshirt freshman Will Levis in camp, and he's now set to open the season under center.
The sophomore is entering 2019 with plenty of hype as Trace McSorley's replacement. Clifford was a four-star recruit in high school and showed a knack for finding the end zone in his (very) brief appearances last season, with 195 yards and two touchdowns on just seven attempts.
The Nittany Lions might be a year away from challenging at the top of the Big Ten East, but Clifford's ceiling is high enough that they could beat any conference opponent in 2019.
7. Northwestern - Hunter Johnson or TJ Green
From 2015-18, Northwestern averaged nine wins per season and won the wide-open Big Ten West last year before veteran quarterback Clayton Thorson graduated.
Still, the Wildcats have one of the highest-rated quarterback recruits in the conference in Hunter Johnson - a former five-star recruit who transferred from Clemson.
The 6-foot-2 sophomore sat out last season and could continue Northwestern's stretch of consistency under Pat Fitzgerald. However, Johnson hasn't been named the starter as he competes with the son of a former NFL QB.
That would be TJ Green, the son of Trent Green. He backed up Thorson last season, completing 20 of 36 passes for 169 yards and an interception.
6. Michigan State - Brian Lewerke
Which Brian Lewerke will the Spartans get in 2019? The answer will determine whether his placement on this list is too high or too low.
Lewerke was impressive as a sophomore in 2017, throwing for 2,793 yards and 20 touchdowns while running for 559 more. Michigan State won 10 games, including victories over Michigan and Penn State.
However, injuries took away Lewerke's effectiveness in the second half of last season. He threw his last touchdown pass on Oct. 13 against Penn State and finished with more interceptions (11) than TDs (eight). The Spartans dropped to 7-5.
If Lewerke stays healthy, there's reason to believe Michigan State will get back to a nine- or 10-win level in 2019.
5. Maryland - Josh Jackson
New coach Mike Locksley attempted to bring in Jalen Hurts as a transfer this offseason. Virginia Tech transfer Josh Jackson is a nice consolation.
Jackson started 16 games for the Hokies before an injury ended his 2018 season. As a freshman in 2017, he threw 20 touchdown passes, ran for 324 yards with six scores, and helped the team to nine wins.
He also looked good to begin 2018, completing 62.1 percent of his passes in three games while tossing five touchdowns.
Jackson hasn't officially been named Maryland's starter for the opener against Howard, but it would be a surprise if he isn't taking the first snap.
4. Iowa - Nate Stanley
Nate Stanley holds the distinction of being the most experienced quarterback in the Big Ten this season with 26 starts under his belt over the last two seasons at Iowa.
With the Hawkeyes, Stanley's numbers remained consistent as he tossed 52 total touchdowns to just 16 INTs.
He looked especially solid late last season, completing 63.6 percent of his passes in four November games. Stanley then followed that up with a 214-yard, three-touchdown outing in an Outback Bowl win over Mississippi State.
3. Nebraska - Adrian Martinez
How does a team earn a ranking in the preseason AP Top 25 a year after going 4-8?
The answer: Start a quarterback like Adrian Martinez.
Martinez lived up to his billing as 2018 progressed, throwing 11 touchdowns to only three interceptions over Nebraska's final six games. He ran for more than 100 yards twice, including a 125-yard performance in a 53-28 win over Minnesota.
And, he was only a true freshman - a fact that has Cornhusker fans seeing a Heisman ceremony in Martinez's not-too-distant future.
2. Ohio State - Justin Fields
Justin Fields has never started a college football game. However, the glimpses he showed as a backup at Georgia last season indicated he has the potential to be as good as any quarterback in the Big Ten.
The former five-star recruit threw for 328 yards and four touchdowns on 39 turnover-free attempts. He also ran for 266 yards and four scores, including 100 against UMass.
He's now taking over for Haskins at the helm of an Ohio State team that's built to contend for the College Football Playoff yet again.
1. Michigan - Shea Patterson
Don't let the way last season ended fool you - Shea Patterson is entering 2019 as the top quarterback in the Big Ten.
Patterson has the experience, with 23 career starts at Mississippi and Michigan combined. He also has the production, ranking first among returning quarterbacks in the conference in yards per attempt and quarterback rating, and second in completion percentage and touchdown passes.
Sure, the 2018 campaign ended with losses by 23 and 26 points to Ohio State and Florida, respectively. But there's a reason that many consider Michigan the team to beat in the conference this season. The addition of offensive coordinator Josh Gattis (who came over from Alabama) could lead to more production, too.
Previous installments in this series:
• Ranking the SEC's quarterbacks