Ranking the Big Ten’s starting quarterbacks heading into 2022

12. Tommy DeVito-Illinois

This is one of the three new transfers to the Big Ten, formerly from the ACC with Syracuse. Tommy lost his starting job last October and hasn’t played a lot since. He missed basically the entire 2020 season with an injury, so he’ll have to prove himself.

The job won’t just be handed to him, but I still expect him to win since Illinois needed a QB transfer after former Michigan football QB Brandon Peters ran out of eligibility (and he seemed like he was in the Big Ten for 10 years).

I put Tommy slightly higher than the last QB on the list, Northwestern’s QB Ryan Hillinski, just because I think Illinois has a slightly better-receiving corps, and overall team talent. I don’t think Illinois will ever be great, but Bret Bielema will at least make Illinois respectable in my opinion. 6-7 wins a season is attainable eventually.

11. Connor Bazelak-Indiana

This is another transfer from a different conference. Connor came from the SEC, at Missouri, so he does bring some SEC experience with him to the Big Ten. He will probably win the starting job because Indiana basically has nobody else capable of starting.

For being in the super rough SEC, Connor didn’t have a terrible season, all things considered. It’s Missouri, after all. His final stat line last year for Missouri: 2,548 yards, 16 TDs, and 11 interceptions.

If Connor can at least be average in the Big Ten and cut down on his turnover rate, maybe in half, Indiana could win 6-7 games this year.

Indiana’s one of those annoying teams that has given Michigan serious problems in the past (even though the team has never been great) and if Connor is at least average, it could happen again this year, especially because Michigan travels to Bloomington this year. We’ll see though.