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Oct 19, 2024; Morgantown, West Virginia, USA; West Virginia Mountaineers quarterback Nicco Marchiol (8) throws for a touchdown during the fourth quarter against the Kansas State Wildcats at Mountaineer Field at Milan Puskar Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Ben Queen-Imagn Images Ben Queen-Imagn Images

Ranking All 16 Starting Quarterbacks in the Big 12 From Worst to First

Originally posted on West Virginia Mountaineers on SI
By Schuyler Callihan | Last updated Jun 22, 2025 8:54 AM ET

We're just a little over two months away from the start of the 2025 college football season and another year of exciting play in the Big 12 Conference.

The high-flying, high-octane offenses in the Big 12 are more of a thing of the past, but there are still some good units and quarterbacks in the league. Today, I rank all 16 starting quarterbacks in the Big 12 heading into the 2025 campaign.

Note: This is under the assumption that Nicco Marchiol wins the starting job at West Virginia. If Jaylen Henderson were to win the QB battle, I would have him 14th on this list.

16. Hauss Hejny (Oklahoma State)

Hejny has yet to throw a single pass at the collegiate level, so it's hard to justify putting him any higher than the bottom spot. The young man can certainly run, but will he be a one-dimensional QB?

15. Tayven Jackson (UCF)

During his time at Indiana and Tennessee, Jackson appeared in 17 games and threw six touchdowns and six interceptions apiece. The talent is there, but ball security must improve in his expanded role.

14. Conner Weigman (Houston)

The former five-star recruit never panned out as the dude with Texas A&M, and I have a hard time seeing it going much better with a weaker supporting cast at Houston. Don't be surprised if there's a switch to Zeon Chriss at some point.

13. Nicco Marchiol (West Virginia)

Marchiol still has to win the job, but he's proven more than capable to lead an offense and win football games at this level. Still has a ways to go as a passer, but it's more about consistency than anything.

12. Noah Fifita (Arizona)

Fifita looked like he was on pace to be one of the top quarterbacks in the country two years ago, but took a significant step back in year one under Brent Brennan. He saw his completion percentage drop 12 percent and tied for the lead in the conference with 12 interceptions.

11. Jake Retzlaff (BYU)

For Retzlaff to gain more respect, he has to take better care of the football. He tied with Fifita in interceptions (12), while only completing 57% of his passes. If he doesn't take a step forward, BYU may be in for a disappointing season.

10. Devon Dampier (Utah)

Utah struggled mightily at quarterback a year ago, but may have its fix in Dampier. At New Mexico, he threw for 2,768 yards, 12 touchdowns, and 12 interceptions while rushing for 1,169 yards and 19 scores. If he becomes sharper in the passing game, the Utes are in business.

9. Kaidon Salter (Colorado)

Salter saw a big drop in production across the board last season at Liberty, throwing for 1,000 fewer yards and tossing 17 fewer touchdowns. With better weapons at Colorado, I believe he's in line for a big bounce-back season. He's always done a good job of protecting the ball, throwing just 17 interceptions in 702 attempts.

8. Brendan Sorsby (Cincinnati)

Sorsby is one of the most underrated quarterbacks in the league. The numbers may not jump off the page, but he's a talented dual-threat QB. He rushed for 447 yards and nine touchdowns last season to go with 2,813 yards and 18 touchdowns through the air.

7. Jalon Daniels (Kansas)

Jalon Daniels is still in college?!? This might be the football team's version of Perry Ellis. In all seriousness, when healthy, Daniels can be one of the better signal callers in the Big 12. Last year was a disappointment, completing just 57% of his passes with 14 touchdowns to 12 interceptions. He's too talented to not bounce back.

6. Avery Johnson (Kansas State)

Johnson is on the verge of becoming a top quarterback in the league. Now that he has a full year of starting under his belt, I expect him to make a big leap, specifically in the passing game. It might be a long shot, but there's Heisman potential here.

5. Rocco Becht (Iowa State)

Becht helped lead the Cyclones to their best season in school history in 2024 while showing his ability to produce with his legs, rushing for 318 yards and eight touchdowns. He may not strike fear in defenses as some of the others on this list do, but he's a winner.

4. Josh Hoover (TCU)

Hoover may have the best arm in the league, so I can't really argue if you believe he should be ranked higher. He nearly threw for 4,000 yards last season while completing over 66% of his pass attempts. Pretty darn impressive.

3. Sam Leavitt (Arizona State)

Leavitt came out of nowhere last season and was the driving force behind the Sun Devils' special season. This time a year ago, no one was 100% certain that he would even be the starter in Tempe, and now, he's widely viewed as one of the Big 12's best.

2. Behren Morton (Texas Tech)

I may have Morton a little higher than most, but I'm a big believer in his ability and can see his season ending as one of the most prolific quarterbacks in not only the Big 12, but the country.

1. Sawyer Robertson (Baylor)

Once October rolled around, few quarterbacks in the country were as dynamic as Robertson. He completed passes at a high rate and put up some big numbers, including a 445-yard performance in the bowl game vs. LSU. Throwing for 4,000 yards in 2025 isn't all that far-fetched.