{"id":681190,"date":"2026-06-03T04:27:19","date_gmt":"2026-06-03T04:27:19","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/681190\/"},"modified":"2026-06-03T04:27:19","modified_gmt":"2026-06-03T04:27:19","slug":"big-12-qb-rankings-and-how-the-brendan-sorsby-saga-changes-things-deseret-news","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/681190\/","title":{"rendered":"Big 12 QB rankings and how the Brendan Sorsby saga changes things \u2013 Deseret News"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Big 12 quarterback scene has changed a lot this year compared to last season.<\/p>\n

Five programs return quarterbacks who started more than half of their team\u2019s games a year ago. Last season, there were nine starting quarterbacks returning in the league, many of whom who were among the nation\u2019s top projected signal callers. <\/p>\n

By comparison, about half of the conference this year is projected to have a new starting quarterback that arrived via the transfer portal this offseason.<\/p>\n

When former Cincinnati quarterback Brendan Sorsby transferred to Texas Tech, he was expected to be one of the country\u2019s best signal callers and lead the Red Raiders in their campaign to repeat as Big 12 champions and return to the College Football Playoff.<\/p>\n

With Sorsby\u2019s eligibility in serious question<\/a> after admitting to a gambling addiction, though, it\u2019s shaken up the QB situation around the league. At this point, the NCAA has denied Texas Tech\u2019s request to reinstate Sorsby\u2019s eligibility for the 2026 season and the school has filed an appeal.<\/p>\n

Whether or not Sorsby will be able to play for Texas Tech in 2026 should be answered sometime this month. <\/p>\n

For now, when ranking the quarterback situations for every Big 12 team (we\u2019ll eliminate Sorsby as a possibility), here\u2019s a look at where things stand conference-wide going into June. <\/p>\n

Time \u2014 and actual game experience \u2014 will change these rankings, but going into the summer, this provides a gauge on the confidence level at quarterback for each respective program.<\/p>\n

\"\"Utah Utes quarterback Devon Dampier (4) Utah Utes quarterback Byrd Ficklin (15) warm up prior to Utah and Cincinnati playing at Rice Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City on Saturday, Nov. 1, 2025. | Scott G Winterton, Deseret News 1. Devon Dampier, Utah2025 stats: 63.5% completion percentage, 2,490 passing yards, 24 touchdowns, 5 interceptions; 146 carries, 835 rushing yards, 10 touchdowns<\/p>\n

Dampier burst onto the scene last year in Salt Lake City after transferring from New Mexico and earned Big 12 Offensive Newcomer of the Year honors as the best true dual-threat quarterback in the conference. <\/p>\n

What will he do for an encore<\/a>? Dampier has a new offensive coordinator<\/a>, Kevin McGiven, after Jason Beck followed Kyle Whittingham to Michigan. Perhaps that, and having a new offensive line with all five starters gone, will lead to a dip in his numbers \u2014 then again, Dampier showed he can be the most electric playmaker on the field at any given time and make game-changing plays with his legs and his arm.<\/p>\n

The Utes also have the best overall QB situation in the league, with Byrd Ficklin back one year after he made big plays<\/a>, particularly in the running game, as a true freshman.<\/p>\n

\"\"Arizona quarterback Noah Fifita (1) in the first half during a game against Hawaii on Saturday, Aug. 30, 2025, in Tucson, Ariz. | Rick Scuteri, Associated Press 2. Noah Fifita, Arizona2025 stats: 64.3% completion percentage, 3,228 passing yards, 29 touchdowns, 6 interceptions; 114 carries, 216 rushing yards, 3 touchdowns<\/p>\n

Fifita isn\u2019t getting a ton of national recognition as one of the top returning quarterbacks in college football, but he should be. During a resurgent junior campaign in 2025, Fifita earned All-Big 12 first-team honors and he is the league\u2019s returning passing yards and passing touchdowns leader.<\/p>\n

Fifita shook off a sophomore slump to push his way back into the conversation as one of the conference\u2019s top quarterbacks last season and added a running element to his arsenal. Can the redshirt senior with 34 career starts make Arizona a Big 12 contender?<\/p>\n

\"\"North Texas quarterback Drew Mestemaker (17) evades a tackle by South Florida defensive lineman Josh Celiscar (63) in game Friday, Oct. 10, 2025, in Denton, Texas. | Richard W. Rodriguez, Associated Press 3. Drew Mestemaker, Oklahoma State2025 stats (at North Texas): 68.9% completion percentage, 4,379 passing yards, 34 touchdowns, 9 interceptions; 57 carries, 89 rushing yards, 5 touchdowns<\/p>\n

A former walk-on earning the No. 3 spot on this list? Yep, Mestemaker has earned it. After redshirting his first season at North Texas, he grabbed the starting spot for the Mean Green last year and led the country in passing yards while earning American Conference Offensive Player of the Year honors as North Texas came up just short of a conference title.<\/p>\n

There will be a learning curve jumping to the power conference level \u2014 and he\u2019s doing it at Oklahoma State, which hasn\u2019t won a Big 12 conference game in two years \u2014 but Mestemaker has some intriguing offensive weapons at his disposal and, more importantly, his head coach at UNT, Eric Morris.<\/p>\n

\"\"BYU quarterback Bear Bachmeier (47) prepares to throw the ball during warm ups before a game against the UCF Knights held at LaVell Edwards Stadium in Provo on Saturday, Nov. 29, 2025. | Isaac Hale, Deseret News 4. Bear Bachmeier, BYU2025 stats: 64.9% completion percentage, 3,033 passing yards, 15 touchdowns, 7 interceptions; 147 carries, 527 rushing yards, 11 touchdowns<\/p>\n

In these Big 12 QB rankings last offseason, I had BYU ranked No. 15<\/a>, and for good reason \u2014 after Jake Retzlaff withdrew from the program during the summer, the Cougars had little time to sort out their starting situation.<\/p>\n

Bachmeier had spent the spring at Stanford, but the true freshman came in as a transfer and won the job last season. He ended up earning Big 12 Offensive Freshman of the Year honors and proved to be just what BYU needed in leading the team to the conference title game and a 12-2 record.<\/p>\n

There will be high expectations on Bachmeier to improve this season and try to get the Cougars over the hump \u2014 both in the Big 12 chase and in the program\u2019s pursuit of a College Football Playoff berth. Last season, though, Bachmeier showed he had the moxie to deal with those expectations.<\/p>\n

\"\"Houston quarterback Conner Weigman (1) looks to throw a pass during game against Central Florida, Friday, Nov. 7, 2025, in Orlando, Fla. | Phelan M. Ebenhack, Associated Press 5. Conner Weigman, Houston2025 stats: 65.2% completion percentage, 2,705 passing yards, 25 touchdowns, 9 interceptions; 171 carries, 700 rushing yards, 11 touchdowns<\/p>\n

Weigman, a former five-star recruit, finally had his breakout season as a redshirt junior last year, leading Houston to 10 wins. He has the highest QB efficiency rating among returning Big 12 quarterbacks at 147.1.<\/p>\n

Weigman could be complemented this season by incoming five-star freshman Keisean Henderson \u2014 if Willie Fritz can find creative ways to get them both involved. The senior 6-foot-3 Weigman, though, has Houston\u2019s program on the upswing and can beat you with his legs and his arm. <\/p>\n

\"\"Kansas State quarterback Avery Johnson (2) runs the ball during game against Oklahoma State Saturday, Sept. 28, 2024, in Manhattan, Kan. | Charlie Riedel, Associated Press 6. Avery Johnson, Kansas State2025 stats: 59.8% completion percentage, 2,385 passing yards, 18 touchdowns, 6 interceptions; 109 carries, 477 rushing yards, 8 touchdowns<\/p>\n

Johnson is headed into his third season as Kansas State\u2019s starting quarterback, though the Wildcats are coming off a 6-6 season that fell well short of the team\u2019s projections entering the season.<\/p>\n

The senior QB will be playing for a new coach, though, with Colin Klein taking over for Chris Kleiman. Klein has extensive experience as a quarterbacks coach, which could be a boon for Johnson. Will he cap his career with his best season yet?<\/p>\n

\"\"Florida quarterback DJ Lagway (2) warms up before during a game against Florida State, Saturday, Nov. 29, 2025, in Gainesville, Fla. | John Raoux, Associated Press 7. DJ Lagway, Baylor 2025 stats (at Florida): 63.2% completion percentage, 2,264 passing yards, 16 touchdowns, 14 interceptions; 71 carries, 136 rushing yards, 1 touchdown <\/p>\n

Coming out of high school, Lagway was rated the No. 3 overall talent in the 2024 class and the top prep QB talent that year. Things didn\u2019t quite work out in Florida, though, and now he comes to Baylor as a junior looking for a fresh start.<\/p>\n

His 14 interceptions last season were the most in the SEC, and Lagway will need to show a better command of the offense than he did as a Gator. With 19 career starts to his name, though, and favorable measurables, Lagway has high-end potential \u2014 something Weigman had last year when he ended up being a strong transfer for Houston.<\/p>\n

\"\"TCU Horned Frogs head coach Sonny Dykes looks on before the game against BYU at LaVell Edwards Stadium in Provo on Saturday, Nov. 15, 2025. | Rio Giancarlo, Deseret News 8. Jaden Craig, TCU2025 stats (at Harvard): 61.5% completion percentage, 2,869 passing yards, 25 touchdowns, 7 interceptions; 48 carries, 78 rushing yards, 3 touchdowns<\/p>\n

The Horned Frogs hit the portal after Josh Hoover transferred to defending national champion Indiana. TCU found a veteran in Craig, who started 24 games over the past three years for the Crimson and helped them make the FCS playoffs last season.<\/p>\n

Craig could be a good fit in coach Sonny Dykes\u2019 offense, and his ball security acumen \u2014 he had 10 interceptions total over the past three years \u2014 will be welcome after Hoover threw a Big 12-worst 13 a year ago.<\/p>\n

\"\"Kentucky quarterback Cutter Boley warms up before a game against Auburn, Saturday, Nov. 1, 2025, in Auburn, Ala. | Butch Dill, Associated Press 9. Cutter Boley, Arizona State2025 stats (at Kentucky): 65.8% completion percentage, 2,160 passing yards, 15 touchdowns, 12 interceptions; 66 carries, 85 rushing yards, 2 touchdowns<\/p>\n

The Sun Devils had to rebuild their quarterback room with Sam Leavitt transferring to LSU and Jeff Sims running out of eligibility. Boley, who stands 6-foot-5, is an intriguing option to start for the Sun Devils after he started 10 games \u2014 and went 4-6 as a starter \u2014 for Kentucky as a redshirt freshman a year ago. He\u2019ll need to cut down on the turnovers, though.<\/p>\n

Mikey Keene, who was at Michigan last season, is in his fourth program in six years and joins ASU as a transfer quarterback who could push for playing time if Boley doesn\u2019t hold onto the job. He was a two-year starter at Fresno State in 2023 and 2024.<\/p>\n

\"\"James Madison quarterback Alonza Barnett III (14) looks to throw a pass over Oregon linebacker Matayo Uiagalelei (10) during College Football Playoff, Saturday, Dec. 20, 2025, in Eugene, Ore. | Mark Ylen, Associated Press 10. Alonza Barnett III, UCF2025 stats (at James Madison): 58.4% completion percentage, 2,806 passing yards, 23 touchdowns, 8 interceptions; 127 carries, 589 rushing yards, 15 touchdowns<\/p>\n

A banged-up Barnett missed all 15 spring practices as head coach Scott Frost said they wanted to \u201cmake sure that he\u2019s 100% ready to go before we put him out there,\u201d per Sports Illustrated<\/a>. Assuming he\u2019s healthy when the season starts, the redshirt senior showed at James Madison he can be an electric playmaker \u2014 just look at his rushing TD total last season. <\/p>\n

Barnett led the Dukes to the College Football Playoff in 2025 and has 27 career starts to his name. He\u2019ll have to fend off Florida International transfer Keyone Jenkins for the job, but Barnett is likely the quarterback with the most upside here, at least to begin the year.<\/p>\n

\"\"Colorado quarterback Julian Lewis (10) avoids Arizona defensive lineman Eduwa Okundaye (94) in the second half of a game Saturday, Nov. 1, 2025, in Boulder, Colo. | David Zalubowski, Associated Press 11. Julian Lewis, Colorado2025 stats: 55.3% completion percentage, 589 passing yards, 4 touchdowns, 0 interceptions; 24 carries, minus-35 rushing yards<\/p>\n

Lewis was primarily a backup for the Buffaloes last season \u2014 Kaidon Salter was the starter much of the year \u2014 but the true freshman did earn some playing time that primarily came in November. <\/p>\n

That included two starts, and Pro Football Focus named him the Big 12 QB of the Week after his 299-yard, two-touchdown day in a loss to West Virginia. Lewis, a five-star recruit out of high school, will need to show greater development, though, as he fully takes the reins of the Colorado offense.<\/p>\n

\"\"Texas Tech Red Raiders quarterback Will Hammond (15) drops back to throw during game against the Utah Utes at Rice-Eccles Stadium in Salt Lake City on Saturday, Sept. 20, 2025. | Rio Giancarlo, Deseret News 12. Will Hammond, Lloyd Jones Jr. or Kirk Francis, Texas TechHammond 2025 stats: 63.3% completion percentage, 680 passing yards, 7 touchdowns, 3 interceptions; 43 carries, 299 rushing yards, 5 touchdownsJones 2025 stats: 80% completion percentage, 74 passing yards, 2 touchdowns, 0 interceptions; 3 carries, 15 rushing yardsFrancis 2025 stats (at Tulsa): 60.2% completion percentage, 493 passing yards, 3 touchdowns, 4 interceptions; 9 carries, 1 rushing yard<\/p>\n

This is assuming that Sorsby ultimately is unable to play and that a position that was expected to be one of Texas Tech\u2019s strengths will instead have question marks. <\/p>\n

Hammond, who tore his ACL in late October last season, is presumed to be the starter at some point sans Sorsby, once he\u2019s healthy. Texas Tech will need others like Francis or Jones to step up early in the season.<\/p>\n

In eight games before getting hurt, Hammond showed a strong command of the offense, particularly in a 34-10 win at Utah<\/a> when he played nearly the entire second half for an injured Behren Morton.<\/p>\n

For now, Texas Tech\u2019s QB situation is fluid \u2014 though it could end up being among the best in the Big 12 if the right circumstances line up.<\/p>\n

\"\"Arkansas State quarterback Jaylen Raynor (1) runs with the ball during a game against Kennesaw State on Saturday, Sept. 20, 2025 in Kennesaw, Ga. | Stew Milne, Associated Press 13. Jaylen Raynor, Iowa State2025 stats (at Arkansas State): 66.5% completion percentage, 3,361 passing yards, 19 touchdowns, 11 interceptions; 154 carries, 423 rushing yards, 7 touchdowns<\/p>\n

There is tons of change in Ames after former coach Matt Campbell left for Penn State and took a large portion of the roster with him. The biggest hole from an experience standpoint is at signal caller, as three-year starting quarterback Rocco Becht also became a Nittany Lion.<\/p>\n

Raynor was the starter the past three seasons at Arkansas State and he can help fill that experience gap, after he averaged 2,898 passing yards and 394 rushing yards per season for the Red Wolves. He looks like the favorite to lead the Cyclones offense in 2026, though Oklahoma State transfer Zane Flores, who started eight games a year ago, could also get a shot.<\/p>\n

\"\"Georgia Southern quarterback JC French IV (12) looks to pass during game against James Madison on Saturday, Sept. 27, 2025, in Harrisonburg, Va. James Madison won 35-10. | Mike Buscher, Associated Press 14. JC French IV, Cincinnati2025 stats (at Georgia Southern): 63.8% completion percentage, 2,929 passing yards, 20 touchdowns, 8 interceptions; 133 carries, 315 rushing yards, 6 touchdowns<\/p>\n

When Sorsby hit the transfer portal following his redshirt junior season and ultimately moved to another Big 12 school in Texas Tech, that left the Bearcats in need of finding a starting quarterback. <\/p>\n

French comes to Cincinnati with 26 career stats at Georgia Southern and nearly 6,000 career passing yards, to go along with 600 rushing yards. If he falters, the Bearcats also brought in former Penn quarterback Liam O\u2019Brien, who has 10 career starts, this offseason.<\/p>\n

\"\"West Virginia quarterback Scotty Fox Jr. warms up on the sideline during game against Arizona State Saturday, Nov. 15, 2025, in Tempe, Ariz. | Ross D. Franklin, Associated Press 15. Michael Hawkins Jr. or Scotty Fox Jr., West VirginiaHawkins 2025 stats (at Oklahoma): 55.6% completion percentage, 167 passing yards, 3 touchdowns, 0 interceptions; 15 carries, 58 rushing yards, 1 touchdownFox 2025 stats: 59.4% completion percentage, 1,276 passing yards, 7 touchdowns, 6 interceptions; 84 carries, 201 rushing yards, 3 touchdowns<\/p>\n

This could be one of the more fun quarterback situations to monitor in the Big 12. There\u2019s the incumbent Fox, who started five games a season ago, and Hawkins, who started four games over two years in Norman but sought a fresh start.<\/p>\n

Fox led West Virginia to wins over Houston and Colorado and became the first West Virginia true freshman QB to start a game since 1952, but he also had a couple games where he really struggled. Hawkins\u2019 athleticism is a bit reminiscent of former Mountaineer quarterback Pat White, though he needs to prove it on the field. <\/p>\n

\"\"Kansas quarterback Cole Ballard runs the ball during game against Kansas State Saturday, Nov. 18, 2023, in Lawrence, Kan. | Charlie Riedel, Associated Press 16. Isaiah Marshall or Cole Ballard, KansasMarshall 2025 stats: 100% completion percentage (on 3 attempts), 28 passing yards, 0 touchdowns, 0 interceptions; 15 carries, 160 rushing yardsBallard 2025 stats: 45.5% completion percentage, 108 passing yards, 1 touchdown, 1 interception; 15 carries, 92 rushing yards<\/p>\n

Jalon Daniels is no longer at Kansas, ushering in a new era at quarterback for the program. Unlike most every other Big 12 school that has a QB opening, though, the Jayhawks look more likely to go with an internal candidate versus a transfer to take over.<\/p>\n

Ballard, a redshirt junior headed into his fourth year in the program, has only seen spot duty in his time at Kansas. The same goes for the redshirt sophomore Marshall, who did start one game a year ago. The Jayhawks did bring in Rice transfer Chase Jenkins, and he could factor into the situation as well.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"The Big 12 quarterback scene has changed a lot this year compared to last season. Five programs return…\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":681191,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[67],"tags":[399,398,396,397,8793,99],"class_list":["post-681190","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","category-ncaa-football","tag-football","tag-ncaa","tag-ncaa-football","tag-ncaafootball","tag-news-feed-national","tag-sports"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/681190","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=681190"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/681190\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/681191"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=681190"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=681190"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.newsbeep.com\/us\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=681190"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}