Ranking the Big 12's Quarterbacks for the 2023 Season

Quarterbacks are pivotal in leading their teams to college football glory, and as the new season approaches, the spotlight is on the top gunslingers of each university.

We’re ranking the Big 12’s best quarterbacks heading into this season.

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1. Dillon Gabriel, Oklahoma

The Oklahoma Sooners fell apart in Year 1 under Brent Venables, but I wouldn’t blame Dillon Gabriel, Jeff Lebby, or almost anyone on the offense. The left-handed gunslinger does not possess the raw talent of some others on this list, but he’s highly experienced as a five-year starter who has thrown for 11,205 passing yards and 95 touchdowns in his career while adding 687 more yards and 14 touchdowns on the ground. He has the best combination of experience, production, and ability in the Big 12, which narrowly earns him the top spot. 

2. Tyler Shough, Texas Tech

If the best ability is availability, then you’re probably dropping Tyler Shough down your list. Not for me, as Texas Tech‘s QB1 is primed for a huge year if he stays healthy in 2023. Offensive coordinator Zach Kittley called the shots for Bailey Zappe‘s record-breaking season at Western Kentucky in 2021. The Red Raiders may be set to explode offensively, and Shough has good size and mobility while being capable of making throws to all areas of the field. 

3. Jalon Daniels, Kansas

Jalon Daniels was a huge part of the Kansas Jayhawks‘ resurgence a year ago. He’s a dual threat who completed 66.1% of his passes and averaged 8.8 yards per attempt while chipping in 425 rushing yards and seven touchdowns on only 77 carries while playing in nine games. He’s not getting enough credit after leading an offense that led the nation in EPA per Pass in 2022 and returns its top nine pass catchers. 

4. Quinn Ewers, Texas

Quinn Ewers possesses tremendous potential as a former five-star quarterback playing in an offense helmed by Steve Sarkisian that is loaded at the skill positions and returns all five starters up front. However, this is a massive season for Ewers, as he wasn’t outstanding in his first year as a starter in 2022. His 70.9 passing grade, per PFF, ranked below former maligned Notre Dame quarterback Drew Pyne, for example. Expect to see vast improvement in 2023. 

5. John Rhys Plumlee, UCF

If this were a ranking of the coolest quarterbacks in the conference, JRP would be atop this list. After starring in the outfield for UCF‘s baseball team, he’s back for his second year as the starting quarterback, and that means he’ll once again be one of the country’s biggest rushing threats at the position. He’s rushed for 2,051 yards and 26 touchdowns in his career, including his freshmen season in the SEC when he put up 1,023 yards and 12 touchdowns.

6. Will Howard, Kansas State

The sample size isn’t great, but Will Howard looked tremendous over the season’s last seven games. Kansas State went 5-2 with him as QB1, losing to Alabama and National Championship runner-up TCU. He averaged 8.2 yards per attempt through the air, and offensive coordinator Collin Klein likes rushing his quarterback, so expect him to contribute on the ground in 2023. 

7. Chandler Morris, TCU

It seems like forever, but Chandler Morris won TCU‘s starting quarterback job last Fall. That was short-lived, as he lost the reigns in his first game of the year, only for Max Duggan to lead the Horned Frogs to the National Championship game. We haven’t seen a ton from Morris, making him difficult to project, but he’s shown a high ceiling in limited playing time and will play for a bright offensive staff that could unlock his best performances.

8.  Kedon Slovis, BYU

Kedon Slovis is ultra-experienced, having attempted 1,268 passes in his career for 9,973 yards and 68 touchdowns. He’ll look to regain his freshman form when he completed 71.9% of his passes for 3,502 yards (8.9 yards per attempt) and 30 touchdowns for the USC Trojans. He’s seemingly regressed every year since and has a 21:17 touchdown-to-interception ratio across the last two seasons. 

9. Blake Shapen, Baylor

There were high hopes for Blake Shapen a year ago after he broke out in the 2021 Big 12 Championship game by completing 23 of 28 attempts (82.1%) for 180 yards and three touchdowns in a nearly flawless performance. It was slightly disappointing, then, to see him throw 18 touchdowns compared to 10 interceptions. The former high school baseball star will look to improve in Year 2 as the starter. 

10. Donovan Smith, Houston

Dana Holgorsen usually gets the best out of his quarterbacks, which could mean Texas Tech transfer Donovan Smith is in for a big season as Houston’s QB1. Last year, he averaged just 6.8 yards per attempt while throwing 12 touchdowns to eight interceptions and mustered just 1.5 yards per rush despite being considered a dual threat. 

11. Emory Jones, Cincinnati 

Emory Jones‘s seventh year in college football could be his best. After falling out as the starter for Florida and Arizona State, he gets his last shot for a Cincinnati Bearcats offense in dire need of experience and production. 

12. Garrett Greene, West Virginia

We haven’t seen much from the 5-foot-10 quarterback, as he attempted just 78 passes last year (6.3 yards per attempt). He’s a talented rusher, however, after posting 45 rushes for 276 yards and five touchdowns — including 119 yards and two scored against Oklahoma. Expect Neal Brown to lean on his team’s rushing attack this season. 

13. Alan Bowman, OR Gunnar Gundy, OR Garret Rangel

Mike Gundy has not named a starting quarterback yet and said it’s likely that multiple signal-callers will see the field this season. Alan Bowman, who has been at Texas Tech and Michigan, is the favorite to lead the room but has not started a game since 2020, and his 34:18 career touchdown-to-interception ratio leaves a bit to be desired. 

14. Rocco Becht, OR JJ Kohl, Iowa State

Returning starter Hunter Dekkers isn’t with the team, leaving true freshman JJ Kohl, a 6-foot-7 four-star, and Rocco Becht, who completed seven of 15 attempts for 65 yards and an interception, in a dead-heat for this competition. 

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