Ohio State and 6 other Big Ten teams will carry their quarterback competitions into the fall

By Canadian Press on April 29, 2025.

Eleven Big Ten teams have settled on their starting quarterbacks. The other seven, including defending national champion Ohio State, will carry competitions into preseason practice.

Illinois’ Luke Altmyer, Michigan State’s Aidan Chiles, Nebraska’s Dylan Raiola, Penn State’s Drew Allar, Rutgers’ Athan Kaliakmanis, Southern California’s Jayden Maiava and Washington’s Demond Williams Jr. are returning starters.

Indiana, Iowa, UCLA and Wisconsin brought in transfers who will go into the fall as No. 1s — the Hoosiers’ Fernando Mendoza (California), the Hawkeyes’ Mark Gronowski (South Dakota State), the Bruins’ Nico Iamaleava (Tennessee) and the Badgers’ Billy Edwards Jr. (Maryland).

Julian Sayin appears to have an edge over Lincoln Kienholz at Ohio State, where coach Ryan Day is waiting until August to name his starter. Sayin, a dual-threat rated as a five-star prospect out of high school, has been the presumed 2025 starter since he left Alabama when Nick Saban announced his retirement in January 2024.

Dante Moore is favored to beat out Austin Novosad for the Oregon job. Moore was a five-star who transferred from UCLA after the 2023 season and played 29 snaps over five games last year. Novosad played a total of 16 snaps over three games.

Heralded freshman Bryce Underwood has the inside track at Michigan against Mikey Keene and Jadyn Davis. Keene, who started 23 games at Fresno State the past two years, missed the spring game because of injury. The Wolverines hope to have more of a vertical passing game with new offensive coordinator Chip Lindsey.

No starter has been named at Minnesota, but it would be a surprise if it weren’t Drake Lindsey following the transfer of Zach Pyron two weeks ago. Max Shikenjanski and Dylan Wittke also are in the mix.

Northwestern has a three-man race between SMU transfer Preston Stone and holdovers Jack Lausch and Ryan Boe.

Malachi Singleton looked like the guy at Purdue until Ryan Browne, who started two games last season, transferred back after going through spring practice at North Carolina. Singleton, Browne and Washington State transfer Evans Chuba will compete for the job.

Freshman Malik Washington appears to be the front-runner at Maryland, where UCLA transfer Justyn Martin also is competing.

Odom’s odyssey

Barry Odom takes the momentum of leading UNLV to its best back-to-back seasons in its Division I history into his new job at Purdue, which was 5-19 overall and 3-15 in Big Ten play in two years under Ryan Walters.

Odom has signed 44 players out of the transfer portal to help replace the 56 who left. Leading rusher Devin Mockobee and defensive lineman Jamarius Dinkins are the only returning starters.

Walters, fired on Dec. 1, is now defensive coordinator at Washington. Purdue visits the Huskies on Nov. 15.

Portal prizes

Oregon brought in the top-ranked group of transfers in the Big Ten, according to 247Sports. Among the incoming players were OL Isaiah World (Nevada), S Dillon Thieneman (Purdue) and OL Emmanuel Pregnon (USC).

UCLA landed the No. 1 transfer in Iamaleava.

Other notable transfers: TE Max Klare (Purdue) to Ohio State, CB Tacario Davis (Arizona) to Washington, WR Dane Key (Kentucky) to Nebraska, DL Williams Nwaneri (Missouri) to Nebraska, DL Keeshawn Silver (Kentucky) to USC, RB Justice Haynes (Alabama) to Michigan, OL Phillip Daniels (Minnesota) to Ohio State and OL Elijah Pritchett (Alabama) to Nebraska.

Season openers

Aug. 28: Nebraska vs. Cincinnati, at Kansas City, Missouri; Miami (Ohio) at Wisconsin; Ohio at Rutgers; Buffalo at Minnesota.

Aug. 30: Texas at Ohio State; Montana State at Oregon; Old Dominion at Indiana; Nevada at Penn State; Western Illinois at Illinois; Albany at Iowa; New Mexico at Michigan; Missouri State at Southern California; Colorado State at Washington; Western Michigan at Michigan State; Utah at UCLA; Northwestern at Tulane; FAU at Maryland; Ball State at Purdue.

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AP Sports Writers Dave Campbell in Minneapolis, Andrew Destin in Seattle, Larry Lage in Ann Arbor, Michigan, Steve Megargee in Madison, Wisconsin, Anne M. Peterson, in Eugene, Oregon, and Joe Reedy in Columbus, Ohio, contributed to this report.

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Eric Olson, The Associated Press

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