Joe Burrow's decision to transfer from Ohio State has sent ripple effects throughout college football in recent days, as a number of schools appear to be inquiring about his services already.
The Big Ten has traditionally been very hit and miss when it comes to the quarterback position in recent years. The last quarterback from the conference to be drafted in the first round of the NFL Draft was Kerry Collins, who was taken with the No. 5 overall pick in the 1995 draft.
With Burrow gone, Ohio State's assumed starter Dwayne Haskins appears to have NFL potential with his long frame and big arm. We decided to take a look around the Big Ten East at the rest of the quarterback situations in the Buckeyes' division, and what familiar or new faces OSU will be facing this season.
Michigan
We will start with perhaps the most intriguing quarterback "competition" in the Big Ten this season. Ole Miss transfer Shea Patterson had to wait the majority of spring ball to find out whether or not he would be eligible to play in 2018, but found out April 27 he will be able to suit up for the Wolverines this year.
Patterson brings a dynamic skill set to a Michigan offense that has lacked production from the position since Jim Harbaugh arrived on campus. Iowa transfer Jake Rudock has been the best signal-caller Harbaugh has had since 2015, with Wilton Speight (gone to UCLA), Brandon Peters and John O'Korn all competing last season for reps.
Patterson is the clear favorite to win the job in Ann Arbor and is even being projected as a first-round pick in the 2019 draft. I am not sure he will be a first-round talent, but at the rate quarterbacks get drafted nowadays, you can't completely rule it out. Patterson has a chance to be the top signal-caller in the Big Ten this season, but also has a ton of pressure to perform immediately on his shoulders.
In just seven games for Ole Miss last season, Patterson threw for 2,259 yards and 17 touchdowns with nine interceptions.
Michigan State
While the Wolverines scrambled (panicked?) with Patterson's eligibility, their in-state rivals have had their QB battle settled for awhile now.
Brian Lewerke battled with Tyler O'Connor for the job in a tumultuous 2016 season for the Spartans, before a broken tibia suffered against Michigan ended his redshirt freshman season. Lewerke returned to action in 2017, starting all 13 games for Michigan State and leading the Spartans to a 10-3 season. He compiled back-to-back 400-yard passing games against Northwestern and Penn State last season, before his team was dominated 48-3 in Columbus, a game in which he threw two interceptions.
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Lewerke returns as the unquestioned starter for the Spartans in 2018, and brings a strong arm and above-average pocket presence to Michigan State's pro-style offense. Lewerke isn't going to be a Heisman finalist by any stretch, but could prove to be the most consistent QB in his division, provided he gets some help from the skill players around him.
Maryland
In his second season as head coach, D.J. Durkin had the worst luck you could have at the quarterback position. First- and second-string quarterbacks Tyrrell Pigrome and Kasim Hill both tore their ACL's in the first two weeks of the 2017 season, forcing the Terps to play the majority of the year with third-stringer Max Bortenschlager under center.
Bortenschlager performed admirably, throwing for 1,313 yards and 10 touchdowns to five interceptions in 2017, but the Maryland offense clearly lacked explosiveness without either of its top two quarterbacks.
Neither Pigrome or Hill were able to participate in spring ball on the field, but are expected to be back to 100 percent by the end of May, according to Durkin. They are expected to battle it out for the starting job in preseason camp, a battle that just might be the most intriguing one left in the Big Ten. The Terps brought in offensive coordinator Matt Canada from LSU in the offseason, and open the 2018 campaign against Texas, a team they upset in last year's season opener.
If Pigrome and or Hill stay healthy, Maryland has the chance to be the surprise team in the Big Ten this year, as both Pigrome and Hill add an extra dimension to a Terps offense that desperately needs consistent QB play.
Indiana
Last season, Richard Lagow shredded Ohio State's secondary for 410 yards and three scores. Three weeks later, he lost his starting job.
Peyton Ramsey took over and brought a running element to an Indiana offense that, once known for its explosiveness under Kevin Wilson, had begun to stall at times. Before suffering a season-ending injury in a loss to Maryland on Oct. 28, Ramsey had given the Hoosiers a clear boost offensively with both his arm and legs.
Credit: Brian Spurlock-USA TODAY Sports
In eight games (four starts), Ramsey threw for 1,252 yards and 10 touchdowns to just five picks. He also rushed for 226 yards and a pair of scores in that span. That stat doesn't exactly stand out, but it was significantly better than Lagow's rushing stats (minus-50 yards in eight games).
Ramsey is the frontrunner to lead the Indiana offense in 2018, and with a few games as a starter under his belt, could be poised for a breakout season for the Hoosiers, if he can stay healthy.
Rutgers
Chris Ash has a decision to make, and he has plenty of options to choose from when it comes time to name a starting quarterback.
The Scarlet Knights have as many as five quarterbacks vying for playing time in 2018, as incumbent starter Gio Rescigno, sophomore Johnathan Lewis, freshmen Artur Sitkowski and Jalen Chatman and senior transfer Tom Flacco all appear to be in the mix as of spring 2018.
Sitkowski had the biggest spring game of the signal callers on Rutgers roster, throwing for 280 yards and three scores April 14 in Piscataway. Flacco added an impressive rushing touchdown in the game. However, it appears to be Sitkowski that has the Rutgers faithful buzzing with excitement. He was the highest-rated member of the Scarlet Knights' 2018 recruiting class, and appears to be the QB of the future for Rutgers.
For Ash and the Scarlet Knights, however, the future might be now as Sitkowski looks to be the best option right now.
Penn State
We saved the Nittany Lions for last because we all know who James Franklin is trotting out with the first-team offense in 2018.
Trace McSorely is the most proven and dynamic quarterback in the conference heading into the 2018 season. The biggest question with him is, can he be just as successful without Saquon Barkley next to him on every play?
McSorely threw for 3,570 yards and 28 touchdowns last season and added 491 yards and 10 touchdowns on the ground. He will likely be asked to do more with his legs this season with Barkley out of the picture, but he is more than capable of doing that.
