JonDMiller
Publisher/Founder
We are starting out 'Best in the B1G' series with the best quarterbacks in the league for 2011. These are my opinions and if you disagree, feel free to tell me why.
This series is going to take the best player, by position, from each Big Ten team and then rank them from 12 to 1. Some positions have multiple participants; for example, there are five offensive linemen per team and three linebackers per team (most of them) but we are taking each team's best and then ranking them. We'll combine safeties into one position (not the best free or strong, just the best safety) and there will be some other quirks along the way.
These are my 'preseason' rankings, not necessarily how I predict things to look at the end of the year. This is based on what I know (in most cases) right now, plus a summary at the bottom.
12. Dusty Kiel/Ed Baker-Wright, Indiana: These sophomores are looking to replace Ben Chappell, who had a monster season for Indiana. Without him, Indiana would have been...horrible. Little is known of these two or even which will win the starting spot.
11. Jon Budmayr, Wisconsin: He played in three games last year and is very much unproven. Wisconsin's offense did not score a single point in the spring game, and while the Badger faithful feel they will have a salty defense, it's not THAT good, sans JJ Watt. Keep this name in mind: Russell Wilson, former NC State quarterback who threw for more than 8,000 yards for the Wolfpack over three seasons. He is playing professional baseball right now but wants to come back and play quarterback one more year. He can 'transfer' from NC State without having to sit out as he will be a fifth year senior with his undergrad degree in tow, so he'd just need to find a college masters program at another school that NC State does not offer and he can transfer without penalty. You can read more about that angle at this link. This position is the reason why I am skeptical of the lofty preseason prognostications for the Badgers.
10. MarQueis Gray, Minnesota: He was as dual threat quarterback coming out of high school and took some 'Wildcat' snaps last year, if you want to call it that. He also played receiver so he could get on the field, as he is a great athlete. Whether or not he can be a consistent passer in this league will be the big question and one that will not be answered until October.
9. Rob Henry, Purdue: In 11 games last year, he threw for just under 1000 yards but rushed for 540, leading the decimated Boilers in rushing. Robert Marve threw for over 500 in four games before injuring his ACL. Both return as does junior Caleb TerBush, but Henry will enter fall camp at #1. Marve was rusty and risky in his early action last year after transferring from Miami. Henry was gutty, but gutty can't always cut it.
8. Rob Bolden/Matt McGloin, Penn State: Both started multiple games last year and it was McGloin who relieved then true frosh Bolden of his duties. This off season, Bolden intended to transfer, but Penn State didn't release him and instead talked him into staying. The spring game didn't tell much as the weather was brutal and no one in any Penn State camp is confidently picking one over the other. Penn State already benched Bolden in favor of the walk on McGloin, so that Rubicon is no longer an obstacle. When Iowa visits Happy Valley, my bet is McGloin will be the starter.
7. Nathan Scheelhaase, Illinois: I liked what he was able to do last year for the Illini and he will certainly be their spark plug this year as their running game will take some time to get powered back up with the departure of Mikel Leshoure. Scheelhaase threw for over 1800 yards as a freshman, completing better than 58% of his passes with an impressive 17/8 TD to INT ratio as a freshman. He also ran for 868 yards...yeah, not a typo. He is one of three Big Ten quarterbacks who might rush for 1,000 yards in 2011.
6. James Vandenberg, Iowa: JVB has two starts in his career, the last two regular season games of the 2009 season. One of those starts, at Ohio State, showed Iowa fans a lot of promise. I wrote after that game and still maintain that JVB has a better physical tool box than did Ricky Stanzi, but we'll have to see his leadership abilities and feel for the game take form. He was not without error in The Horseshoe and will have to prove he can make that throw over the linebackers and in front of the safeties in zone coverage. If he can, he'll have a huge year. Iowa's offensive line might be the best in the Big Ten and that, along with a running game, are a young quarterback's best friend. He'll have excellent and big targets to throw to as well. He'll have a chance to move up in this rankings if he lives up to his promise. If he doesn't, Iowa could struggle to win seven games.
5. Taylor Martinez, Nebraska: This was a tough one, and Martinez earned the spot mostly through his experience under center; he has more than those listed earlier. He was 116-196 for 1631 yards, 10 passing touchdowns and 7 INT's last year. He's not a great passer, not hardly. If it's third and long, it's about ready to be 4th and punt. However, his legs...those legs is what makes him dangerous and I am excited to see if he can run the way he did last year in a league that prides itself on defense. He ran for 965 yards and at times proved to be as dynamic as Michigan's Denard Robinson...but Robinson is a much better thrower. If we run these rankings at the end of the year, Martinez probably drops a few spots because I think there are better QUARTERBACKS in the traditional sense of the word who will bloom, but don't yet have as much experience to earn this slot.
4. Denard Robinson, Michigan: He put together the best five game start by a quarterback in college football history last year. Then the real Big Ten schedule started for Michigan. He was still dynamic, but his stats dropped off and Michigan went just 2-6 after their 5-0 start. Yet Robinson still set the all time record for rushing yards by a quarterback and he improved immensely as a passer over his part time duties as a freshman. He threw for 2570 yards and completed 62.5% of his passes for 18 TD's to 11 INT's to go along with 1702 yards on the ground and 14 scores. He's dangerous, and it will be interesting to see what Michigan does offensively to take advantage of his skill set. I have hard time believing they will turn him into a pro-style pocket passer.
3. Kirk Cousins, Michigan State: Cousins will be a senior this year and had a very, very good junior campaign, completing 226-338 for 2825 yards, 20 touchdowns and 10 INT's. He will probably throw to more wide open receivers this year than any quarterback in the league due to the power running game the Spartans can throw at you. He is one dimensional as he is not going to take off and run but when he is on top of his game, he can sling the rock into tight windows. As a sophomore he had a quarterback rating of 142.6 then last year it was 150.7, with his accuracy greatly improving. I think his YPA will go up this year due to their play action game that is going to be on fire.
3. Terrelle Pryor, Ohio State: The play Pyror made against Iowa in the fourth quarter last year proves why he is one of the most dangerous players in the nation. He needed 10 or 11 yards on fourth down or the Buckeyes string of Big Ten titles and BCS bowls might have come to an end. He did that with his legs, kept the drive alive and ultimately led OSU to a touchdown and they won the game. He did manage to complete 65% of his passes last year (210-323) which surprises me and he threw for 27 touchdowns to just 11 interceptions for a quarterback ranking of 157.9. That's an unreal year and when you factor in he ran for 754 yards, you are probably wondering why I don't have him at #1. Well, he will miss at least five games due to a suspension, that's the main reason. Plus I think my #1 ranked player is just a better overall quarterback than is Pryor and does not have the supporting cast Ohio State provides year in and year out. Not even hardly...
1. Dan Persa, Northwestern: Last season he completed 222-302 passes (73.5%!) for 2581 yards, 15 touchdown to just four interceptions, giving him a passer rating of 159. He did that in nine games as he missed the Cats last three due to the Achilles injury he suffered late against Iowa, which came on a wicked touchdown pass that put the Cats ahead of the Hawks for good. He also ran for 519 yards last season along with nine rushing touchdowns. He is more important to his team than any other player in the Big Ten and I don't think it's close. He's also the best the Big Ten has to offer this year. That's not to say he is going to be the best pro, because he won't. But he is a master of Northwestern's system and gives them a fighting chance to win eight or nine games. Without him, they'd be lucky to finish above .500.
SUMMARY: Iowa defensive coordinator Norm Parker said 2010 was the 'Year of the Quarterback' in the Big Ten. Top to bottom, I had no argument for that; it was stacked last year. This year? Some good players but not as much depth top to bottom. Gone are Ricky Stanzi, Ben Chappell, Scott Tolzein and Adam Weber, each at least a two year starter for their school. Stanzi, Weber and Chappell put up some stats that place them in All Timer conversations for their schools. This isn't to say that Scheelhaase, Martinez, Gray or Vandenberg can't rise up and be consistent weapons in their own right. Out of this entire group, there might be three future NFL possibilities at quarterback...or less.
This series is going to take the best player, by position, from each Big Ten team and then rank them from 12 to 1. Some positions have multiple participants; for example, there are five offensive linemen per team and three linebackers per team (most of them) but we are taking each team's best and then ranking them. We'll combine safeties into one position (not the best free or strong, just the best safety) and there will be some other quirks along the way.
These are my 'preseason' rankings, not necessarily how I predict things to look at the end of the year. This is based on what I know (in most cases) right now, plus a summary at the bottom.
12. Dusty Kiel/Ed Baker-Wright, Indiana: These sophomores are looking to replace Ben Chappell, who had a monster season for Indiana. Without him, Indiana would have been...horrible. Little is known of these two or even which will win the starting spot.
11. Jon Budmayr, Wisconsin: He played in three games last year and is very much unproven. Wisconsin's offense did not score a single point in the spring game, and while the Badger faithful feel they will have a salty defense, it's not THAT good, sans JJ Watt. Keep this name in mind: Russell Wilson, former NC State quarterback who threw for more than 8,000 yards for the Wolfpack over three seasons. He is playing professional baseball right now but wants to come back and play quarterback one more year. He can 'transfer' from NC State without having to sit out as he will be a fifth year senior with his undergrad degree in tow, so he'd just need to find a college masters program at another school that NC State does not offer and he can transfer without penalty. You can read more about that angle at this link. This position is the reason why I am skeptical of the lofty preseason prognostications for the Badgers.
10. MarQueis Gray, Minnesota: He was as dual threat quarterback coming out of high school and took some 'Wildcat' snaps last year, if you want to call it that. He also played receiver so he could get on the field, as he is a great athlete. Whether or not he can be a consistent passer in this league will be the big question and one that will not be answered until October.
9. Rob Henry, Purdue: In 11 games last year, he threw for just under 1000 yards but rushed for 540, leading the decimated Boilers in rushing. Robert Marve threw for over 500 in four games before injuring his ACL. Both return as does junior Caleb TerBush, but Henry will enter fall camp at #1. Marve was rusty and risky in his early action last year after transferring from Miami. Henry was gutty, but gutty can't always cut it.
8. Rob Bolden/Matt McGloin, Penn State: Both started multiple games last year and it was McGloin who relieved then true frosh Bolden of his duties. This off season, Bolden intended to transfer, but Penn State didn't release him and instead talked him into staying. The spring game didn't tell much as the weather was brutal and no one in any Penn State camp is confidently picking one over the other. Penn State already benched Bolden in favor of the walk on McGloin, so that Rubicon is no longer an obstacle. When Iowa visits Happy Valley, my bet is McGloin will be the starter.
7. Nathan Scheelhaase, Illinois: I liked what he was able to do last year for the Illini and he will certainly be their spark plug this year as their running game will take some time to get powered back up with the departure of Mikel Leshoure. Scheelhaase threw for over 1800 yards as a freshman, completing better than 58% of his passes with an impressive 17/8 TD to INT ratio as a freshman. He also ran for 868 yards...yeah, not a typo. He is one of three Big Ten quarterbacks who might rush for 1,000 yards in 2011.
6. James Vandenberg, Iowa: JVB has two starts in his career, the last two regular season games of the 2009 season. One of those starts, at Ohio State, showed Iowa fans a lot of promise. I wrote after that game and still maintain that JVB has a better physical tool box than did Ricky Stanzi, but we'll have to see his leadership abilities and feel for the game take form. He was not without error in The Horseshoe and will have to prove he can make that throw over the linebackers and in front of the safeties in zone coverage. If he can, he'll have a huge year. Iowa's offensive line might be the best in the Big Ten and that, along with a running game, are a young quarterback's best friend. He'll have excellent and big targets to throw to as well. He'll have a chance to move up in this rankings if he lives up to his promise. If he doesn't, Iowa could struggle to win seven games.
5. Taylor Martinez, Nebraska: This was a tough one, and Martinez earned the spot mostly through his experience under center; he has more than those listed earlier. He was 116-196 for 1631 yards, 10 passing touchdowns and 7 INT's last year. He's not a great passer, not hardly. If it's third and long, it's about ready to be 4th and punt. However, his legs...those legs is what makes him dangerous and I am excited to see if he can run the way he did last year in a league that prides itself on defense. He ran for 965 yards and at times proved to be as dynamic as Michigan's Denard Robinson...but Robinson is a much better thrower. If we run these rankings at the end of the year, Martinez probably drops a few spots because I think there are better QUARTERBACKS in the traditional sense of the word who will bloom, but don't yet have as much experience to earn this slot.
4. Denard Robinson, Michigan: He put together the best five game start by a quarterback in college football history last year. Then the real Big Ten schedule started for Michigan. He was still dynamic, but his stats dropped off and Michigan went just 2-6 after their 5-0 start. Yet Robinson still set the all time record for rushing yards by a quarterback and he improved immensely as a passer over his part time duties as a freshman. He threw for 2570 yards and completed 62.5% of his passes for 18 TD's to 11 INT's to go along with 1702 yards on the ground and 14 scores. He's dangerous, and it will be interesting to see what Michigan does offensively to take advantage of his skill set. I have hard time believing they will turn him into a pro-style pocket passer.
3. Kirk Cousins, Michigan State: Cousins will be a senior this year and had a very, very good junior campaign, completing 226-338 for 2825 yards, 20 touchdowns and 10 INT's. He will probably throw to more wide open receivers this year than any quarterback in the league due to the power running game the Spartans can throw at you. He is one dimensional as he is not going to take off and run but when he is on top of his game, he can sling the rock into tight windows. As a sophomore he had a quarterback rating of 142.6 then last year it was 150.7, with his accuracy greatly improving. I think his YPA will go up this year due to their play action game that is going to be on fire.
3. Terrelle Pryor, Ohio State: The play Pyror made against Iowa in the fourth quarter last year proves why he is one of the most dangerous players in the nation. He needed 10 or 11 yards on fourth down or the Buckeyes string of Big Ten titles and BCS bowls might have come to an end. He did that with his legs, kept the drive alive and ultimately led OSU to a touchdown and they won the game. He did manage to complete 65% of his passes last year (210-323) which surprises me and he threw for 27 touchdowns to just 11 interceptions for a quarterback ranking of 157.9. That's an unreal year and when you factor in he ran for 754 yards, you are probably wondering why I don't have him at #1. Well, he will miss at least five games due to a suspension, that's the main reason. Plus I think my #1 ranked player is just a better overall quarterback than is Pryor and does not have the supporting cast Ohio State provides year in and year out. Not even hardly...
1. Dan Persa, Northwestern: Last season he completed 222-302 passes (73.5%!) for 2581 yards, 15 touchdown to just four interceptions, giving him a passer rating of 159. He did that in nine games as he missed the Cats last three due to the Achilles injury he suffered late against Iowa, which came on a wicked touchdown pass that put the Cats ahead of the Hawks for good. He also ran for 519 yards last season along with nine rushing touchdowns. He is more important to his team than any other player in the Big Ten and I don't think it's close. He's also the best the Big Ten has to offer this year. That's not to say he is going to be the best pro, because he won't. But he is a master of Northwestern's system and gives them a fighting chance to win eight or nine games. Without him, they'd be lucky to finish above .500.
SUMMARY: Iowa defensive coordinator Norm Parker said 2010 was the 'Year of the Quarterback' in the Big Ten. Top to bottom, I had no argument for that; it was stacked last year. This year? Some good players but not as much depth top to bottom. Gone are Ricky Stanzi, Ben Chappell, Scott Tolzein and Adam Weber, each at least a two year starter for their school. Stanzi, Weber and Chappell put up some stats that place them in All Timer conversations for their schools. This isn't to say that Scheelhaase, Martinez, Gray or Vandenberg can't rise up and be consistent weapons in their own right. Out of this entire group, there might be three future NFL possibilities at quarterback...or less.
