A Look at the Recruiting Rankings for Every Big Ten Quarterback That Threw a Pass for Their Team in 2020

Aside from Ohio State and Northwestern, every other Big Ten team has a quarterback with at least some experience throwing for that team. We decided to take a look back at how highly touted they were as recruits.

To qualify for this article, a player needed to be returning to a team he threw a pass for in 2020. So newly arrived transfers, incoming freshmen or players on the roster that didn’t see action don’t count. No, we’re not counting skill position players that threw one pass on a trick play or something. All rankings referenced were 247Sports composite rankings. They’ll be sorted by star rating, national ranking (for all prospects in that draft class, not just quarterbacks), other offers and 2020 stats.

We’ll make an exception for both schools without experienced field generals so every school can be represented. We'll delve into the former recruiting rankings of all four Ohio State quarterbacks in contention for the starting job and will feature Hunter Johnson for Northwestern since he played in 2019 even though he didn’t throw a pass in 2020. 

Ohio State

C.J. Stroud, redshirt freshman 

• Recruiting ranking: Four-star recruit, No. 42 overall in class of 2020
• Other offers: Georgia, Michigan, Baylor, Boise State, Boston College, California, Colorado, Colorado State, Kansas, Kansas State, Michigan State, Oregon, Oregon State, UCLA, USC, Utah, Washington State, Yale
• 2020 passing stats: N/A

Kyle McCord, freshman

• Recruiting ranking: Five-star recruit, No. 28 overall in class of 2021
• Other offers: Arizona, Baylor, Central Michigan, Maryland, Michigan, Michigan State, Mississippi State, North Carolina, Pittsburgh, Penn State, Rutgers, Syracuse, Temple, Texas A&M, Virginia Tech, West Virginia
• 2020 passing stats: N/A

Jack Miller III, redshirt freshman 

• Recruiting ranking: Four-star recruit, No. 334 overall in class of 2020. 
• Other offers: Alabama, Arizona, Arizona State, Auburn, Florida State, Louisiana Tech, Louisville, LSU, Memphis, Michigan, Michigan State, North Carolina, Oklahoma State, Ole Miss, South Carolina, Syracuse, Texas A&M
• 2020 passing stats: N/A

Quinn Ewers, freshman (I know, I know, not officially on the roster yet) 

• Recruiting ranking: Five-star recruit, No. 1 overall in the class of 2021
• Other offers: Texas (originally committed), Alabama, Arizona State, Auburn, Baylor, Florida, Georgia, LSU, Miami, Michigan, Michigan State, Mississippi State, Missouri, NC State, North Texas, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Ole Miss, Penn State, SMU, TCU, Tennessee, Texas A&M, Texas State, USC, Virginia Tech, Washington, Washington State
• 2020 passing stats: N/A

Michigan

Cade McNamara, junior 

• Recruiting ranking: Four-star recruit, No. 268 overall in class of 2019
• Other offers: Notre Dame, Alabama, Georgia, Hawaii, Nevada, San Diego State, Tennessee, USC, Wisconsin
• 2020 passing stats: 43-for-71, 425 yards, five touchdowns, zero interceptions

Indiana 

Michael Penix Jr., redshirt junior

• Recruiting ranking: Three-star recruit, No. 548 overall in class of 2018
• Other offers: Florida State, Tennessee, Arizona, Florida Atlantic, Georgia State, Oregon, Rutgers, Samford, Toledo, USF
• 2020 passing stats: 124-for-220, 1,645 yards, 14 touchdowns, four interceptions

Jack Tuttle, redshirt junior 

• Recruiting ranking: Four-star recruit, No. 167 overall in class of 2018
• Previous school: Utah
• Other offers: Alabama, Arizona, Arizona State, Boston College, Colorado State, LSU, Missouri, Nebraska, Nevada, Oregon State, San Diego State, USC, Vanderbilt, Washington State, Wisconsin
• 2020 passing stats: 44-for-72, 362 yards, two touchdowns, one interception

Maryland

Taulia Tagovailoa, junior

• Recruiting ranking: Four-star recruit, No. 180 overall in class of 2019
• Previous school: Alabama
• Other offers: Florida, Florida Atlantic, Hawaii, LSU, Michigan, Nebraska, Oklahoma State, Ole Miss, Oregon, South Carolina, Syracuse, Tennessee, Utah
• 2020 passing stats: 75-for-122, 1,011 yards, seven touchdowns, seven interceptions

Eric Najarian, junior

• Recruiting ranking: None, walk-on for Maryland
• Other offers: N/A
• 2020 passing stats: 12-for-23, 218 yards, two touchdowns, zero interceptions

Michigan State

Payton Thorne, redshirt sophomore

• Recruiting ranking: Three-star recruit, No. 1,096 in class of 2019
• Other offers: Western Michigan, Bowling Green, Central Michigan, Cincinnati, Kent State, NC State, New Mexico, Toledo
• 2020 passing stats: 48-for-85, 582 yards, three touchdowns, three interceptions

Penn State 

Sean Clifford, redshirt senior

• Recruiting ranking: Four-star recruit, No. 196 in class of 2017
• Other offers: Akron, Auburn, Boston College, Cincinnati, Kentucky, Louisville, Michigan State, Missouri, North Carolina, Northwestern, Pittsburgh, Rutgers, Syracuse, Toledo, UCF, West Virginia
• 2020 passing stats: 152-for-251, 1,883 yards, 16 touchdowns, nine interceptions

Rutgers 

Noah Vedral, senior 

• Recruiting ranking: Three-star recruit, No. 1970 overall in the class of 2017
• Previous schools: Nebraska, UCF
• Other offers: Air Force, Colgate, Illinois State, Navy, Ohio, South Dakota, South Dakota State
• 2020 passing stats: 136-for-221, 1,253 yards, nine touchdowns, eight interceptions

Johnny Langan, junior

• Recruiting ranking: Three-star recruit, No. 1,217 in the class of 2018
• Previous school: Boston College
• Other offers: Buffalo, Georgia State, Rutgers, Syracuse, Temple
• 2020 passing stats: 10-for-13, 92 yards, two touchdowns, one interception 

Illinois 

Brandon Peters, senior

• Recruiting ranking: Four-star recruit, No. 61 in the class of 2016
• Previous school: Michigan
• Other offers: Arkansas, Boston College, Indiana, Iowa, Louisville, LSU, Miami (OH), Nebraska, Vanderbilt, Virginia Tech, Wisconsin
• 2020 passing stats: 39-for-80, 429 yards, three touchdowns, zero interceptions

Isaiah Williams, junior (he’s since switched to wide receiver but played QB last year)

• Recruiting ranking: Four-star recruit, No. 116 in the class of 2019
• Other offers: Alabama, Auburn, Bowling Green, Clemson, Dartmouth, Florida, Florida State, Indiana, Iowa, Iowa State, Kansas, Kentucky, Louisville, Maryland, Memphis, Michigan, Michigan State, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Carolina, Northwestern, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Ole Miss, Oregon, Penn State, Purdue, San Diego State, South Carolina, Stanford, Syracuse, TCU, Tennessee, Texas, Texas A&M, UCF, Virginia, Western Michigan, Wisconsin
• 2020 passing stats: 26-for-63, 393 yards, four touchdowns, two interceptions

Coran Taylor, senior (he’s since switched to defensive back but played QB last year)

• Recruiting ranking: Three-star recruit, No. 870 overall in the class of 2018
• Other offers: Illinois State, Miami (OH)
• 2020 passing stats: 23-for-46, 379 yards, three touchdowns, two interceptions

Matt Robinson, senior

• Recruiting ranking: Three-star recruit, No. 2,233 overall in class of 2018
• Other offers: Montana, Coastal Carolina, Dayton, FIU, Northern Arizona
• 2020 passing stats: 3-for-4, 22 yards, zero touchdowns or interceptions

Iowa 

Spencer Petras, junior

• Recruiting ranking: Three-star recruit, No. 421 overall in class of 2018 
• Other offers: Oregon State, California, Colorado State, Cornell, Fresno State, Hawaii, Louisville, Nevada, San Diego State, San Jose State, Syracuse, UNLV, Wyoming
• 2020 passing stats: 140-for-245, 1,569 yards, nine touchdowns, five interceptions

Alex Padilla, sophomore

• Recruiting ranking: Three-star recruit, No. 1,150 overall in class of 2019
• Other offers: Central Michigan, Colorado State, Columbia, Cornell, Dartmouth, Georgia, Nevada, North Texas, Northern Colorado, Pennsylvania, South Dakota, UNLV, Yale
• 2020 passing stats: 1-for-2, 12 yards, zero touchdowns or interceptions

Minnesota 

Tanner Morgan, redshirt senior

• Recruiting ranking: Three-star recruit, No. 1,185 overall in class of 2017
• Other offers: Western Michigan, Akron, Bowling Green, Cincinnati, Louisville, Wake Forest
• 2020 passing stats: 106-for-183, 1,374 yards, seven touchdowns, five interceptions

Nebraska 

Adrian Martinez, junior

• Recruiting ranking: Four-star recruit, No. 139 overall in class of 2018
• Other offers: Tennessee, California, Alabama, Arizona, Arizona State, Boise State, Colorado, Colorado State, Fresno State, Georgia, Louisville, Miami, Missouri, Nevada, Oklahoma, Ole Miss, Oregon, Oregon State, Rutgers, San Jose State, UCF, Utah, Vanderbilt, Washington State, West Virginia
• 2020 passing stats: 108-for-151, 1,055 yards, four touchdowns, three interceptions

Northwestern 

Hunter Johnson, senior

• Recruiting ranking: Five-star recruit, No. 30 overall in class of 2017
• Previous school: Clemson
• Other offers: Tennessee, Alabama, Cincinnati, Florida, Indiana, Iowa, Kentucky, Miami, Miami (OH), Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, NC State, Nebraska, North Carolina, Northwestern, Notre Dame, Oklahoma, Penn State, Purdue, Vanderbilt, Western Michigan
• 2020 passing stats: N/A, but in 2019 he completed 50 of 108 passes for 432 yards, one touchdown and four interceptions

Purdue

Aidan O’Connell, senior

• Recruiting ranking: Unranked
• Other offers: N/A
• 2020 passing stats: 88-for-136, 916 yards, seven touchdowns, two interceptions 

Jack Plummer, junior

• Recruiting ranking: Three-star recruit, No. 556 overall in class of 2018
• Other offers: Arizona, Boise State, Cincinnati, Colorado State, Georgia State, Memphis, New Mexico State, Oregon State, South Carolina, UNLV
• 2020 passing stats: 88-for-124, 938 yards, eight touchdowns and two interceptions

Wisconsin 

Graham Mertz, redshirt sophomore 

• Recruiting ranking: Four-star recruit, No. 65 overall in class of 2019
• Other offers: Alabama, Arizona State, Clemson, Georgia, Iowa, Kansas, LSU, Miami, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Notre Dame, Ohio State, Oklahoma State, Ole Miss, Oregon, Tennessee, Texas A&M
• 2020 passing stats: 118-for-193, 1,238 yards, nine touchdowns, five interceptions

Chase Wolf, junior

• Recruiting ranking: Three-star recruit, No. 1,016 overall in class of 2018
• Other offers: Akron, Boston College, Central Michigan, Cincinnati, UConn, Iowa State, Kent State, Maryland, Miami (OH), Missouri, Ohio, Pittsburgh, Rutgers, South Carolina, Temple, Western Michigan
• 2020 passing stats: 6-for-8, 29 yards, one touchdown, two interceptions