As the 2018 season draws nearer by the day, it’s time to start taking a look at some of the top players to watch in the Big Ten Conference.
We begin our Ranking the Big Ten series today with the quarterbacks, which feature both some familiar and some new faces this season.
1. Trace McSorley, Penn State
McSorley has already built up quite the career for himself over the past three years, and this season could be his best - and most important - one yet.
With all-everything running back Saquon Barkley now with the New York Giants as the No. 2 overall pick, Penn State’s offense is entirely in McSorley’s hands entering his senior campaign in 2018.
The 6-foot native of Ashbury, Va., has already established himself as the most productive passer in school history and is preseason name to watch for the Heisman Trophy.
He holds PSU career records for touchdown passes (59), total touchdowns (77), and total offense (8,268) while currently holding a streak of 28 consecutive games with a touchdown pass, the longest-active streak in FBS.
McSorley was named second-team All-Big Ten last year, and he now vaults to the top of the Big Ten’s quarterback class.
2. Brian Lewerke, Michigan State
It took some time for Lewerke to find his groove last year, but once he got going, there weren’t many quarterbacks better in the Big Ten.
Lewerke took over as the starter last year and threw for nearly 2,800 yards and 20 touchdowns as a sophomore, earning MVP of the Holiday Bowl.
Earlier in the regular season, he set a school-record with 445 passing yards vs. Northwestern and then came back and tossed for 400 yards the following week vs. Penn State.
Those outings made him just the third Big Ten player ever to post back-to-back 400-yard games, joining only Purdue’s Drew Brees and Northwestern’s C.J. Backer. They also marked the top two single-game passing totals in MSU history.
He's already drawing comparisons to former MSU stars Kirk Cousins and Connor Cook, and some think he's ahead of both of those players at this point in his career.
3. Shea Patterson, Michigan
Michigan’s 2018 prospects kicked up significantly when it was learned that the Ole Miss transfer quarterback Patterson had been ruled immediately eligible to play this season.
Patterson tossed for 2,259 yards and 17 touchdowns in seven games with the Rebels last year before going down to injury, and he now joins the Big Ten as one of the league’s most intriguing players.
It remains to be seen how head coach Jim Harbaugh adapts his offense - if at all - to fit Patterson’s dual-threat ability, but the Wolverines will no doubt have one of the most dynamic playmakers in the conference under center.
If the transition goes as UM hopes, Michigan should be a major factor in the Big Ten East Division once again.
4. Clayton Thorson, Northwestern
When healthy, Thorson joins McSorley as one of the most experienced and accomplished quarterbacks in the Big Ten this season.
The issue with him, though, is how long it will take him to get back on the field again following a significant ACL injury in last year’s Music City Bowl.
Expectations are the senior will be ready to go by late September, but it will all depend on how his recovery progresses.
Assuming Thorson does come back full strength, the Wildcats will have their all-time winningest quarterback leading the charge with more than 7,500 passing yards and 44 touchdowns under his belt.
5. Dwayne Haskins, Ohio State
With record-setting quarterback J.T. Barrett finally moving on, the top storyline of Ohio State’s spring was the competition between Haskins and redshirt sophomore Joe Burrow for the starting job in 2018.
That battle went neck-and-neck all spring, but in the end, it was Haskins who won the job and Burrow transferred to LSU.
While Barrett was more of a zone-read mobile quarterback, Haskins is more of a pro-style pocket passer who also has the ability to run. That means the Buckeyes will be shifting their offensive scheme a bit this year in order to cater to Haskins’ strengths.
Seeing how he beat out Burrow for the job straight up, head coach Urban Meyer and staff clearly feel good about Haskins’ potential.
He saw action in eight games last season and completed 70 percent of his passes for 565 yards, four touchdowns, and one interception, so his limited game experience also impressed.
