Big 12 QB Rankings 2023: Ranking the Projected Starting QBs for 2023
The Big 12 QB Rankings for 2023 offer a lot of hope but are in need of answers from some programs that haven't had QB questions in some time.
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Cam Mellor
February 2, 2023
What's In This Article?
1 2023 Big 12 QB Rankings
1.1 1) Dillon Gabriel | Oklahoma
1.2 2) Quinn Ewers | Texas
1.3 3) Jalon Daniels | Kansas
1.4 4) Will Howard | Kansas State
1.5 5) Blake Shapen | Baylor
1.6 6) John Rhys Plumlee | UCF
1.7 7) Hunter Dekkers | Iowa State
1.8 8) Kedon Slovis | BYU
1.9 9) Donovan Smith | Houston
1.10 10) Behren Morton, Tyler Shough | Texas Tech
1.11 11) Emory Jones, Evan Prater | Cincinnati
1.12 12) Garrett Greene, Nicco Marchiol | West Virginia
1.13 13) Alan Bowman, Garret Rangel, Gunnar Gundy | Oklahoma State
1.14 14) Chandler Morris, Josh Hoover | TCU
The Big 12 will be bigger and perhaps better than ever over the next couple of seasons. With Texas and Oklahoma soon to jump to the SEC, the conference has added four teams to bolster their level of play upon that day in 2024 or 2025. Until then, however, the Big 12 is a 14-team league with plenty to look forward to in 2023.
2023 Big 12 QB Rankings
Like the rest of our conference and national quarterback rankings, the list below considers every aspect of quarterbacking at the
college football level.
Statistics will be mentioned, but they are not the only deciding factor in ranking a player or team. This list prefers programs with one quarterback having done significant work against top-notch competition. It also dings schools with question marks at the position, even this early in the offseason.
Each quarterback’s game film factored into these rankings, as did injuries sustained, play-calling, level of competition, general QB mechanics, and other influential factors.
1) Dillon Gabriel | Oklahoma
Just under 800 yards shy of 12,000 career passing yards, Dillon Gabriel is set to become just the 31st quarterback all time to cross that illustrious mark. As an underrated dual-threat QB, Gabrel possesses some of the best arm talent in the country.
Gabriel can drop accurate downfield shots 50+ yards downfield or drive balls past defenders in tight coverage to the middle of the field. He’ll layer shots beautifully over trailing defenders outside the numbers and push footballs into zone coverage holes all the same.
He understands his arm talent and knows how to use it on any given down. Gabriel presents an incredibly high floor for a quarterback, as he’s averaged 3,463 passing yards in each fully-healthy season he has played.
Gabriel has also scored 14 career rushing touchdowns and had the best rushing season of his career in Norman last season, proving to be much more than a pocket passer with masterful control of his arm.
2) Quinn Ewers | Texas
There is no denying Quinn Ewers’ talent on the football field. In fact, had he remained healthy against Alabama, the result of that football game likely would’ve gone the other way for the Longhorns in Week 2 last season.
His injury notwithstanding, Ewers did see instances of both promise and decline a year ago. Still, the good far outweighed the bad, and even in his worst moments (four interceptions against Oklahoma State), Texas was in every game he started until the final whistle.
Ewers has the ability to drop accurate passes with a flick of his wrist and can play off-platform football with the best quarterbacks in the nation. Continuing to prove he can read defenses on the fly, play with more pace, and stay on time inside the Texas offense will do wonders for the Longhorns’ season and his eventual Heisman candidacy.
3) Jalon Daniels | Kansas
Fans of the Big 12 may not want to admit it, but Jalon Daniels had legitimate Heisman hopes before he suffered an injury against TCU last year. Daniels had the Kansas Jayhawks on the right path, winning over fans left and right in 2022.
He signed off a great season with a dramatic come-from-behind effort against Arkansas in a three-overtime Liberty Bowl classic. Still, there’s a lot left to be desired for Jayhawks fans and Daniels himself.
At his best, Daniels was a dominant passer to all levels and threw with great anticipation. His arm strength and accuracy are each at high levels, and his athleticism is uncanny. Daniels does a great job of maintaining vision downfield and always looks to pass first, a great step to maturing from an athlete to a quarterback.
The sky is the limit for the Jayhawks with Daniels at quarterback.
4) Will Howard | Kansas State
There is an effortlessness to Will Howard’s game. The fourth-year Wildcat rocketed to fame this season in relief of Adrian Martinez, pushing Kansas State to a Big 12 title. With the show all his in Manhattan, Howard is set to become a big star in the Little Apple.
Howard has prototypical size and plenty of arm strength to challenge defenses deep in the vertical passing game. He did a great job last season of pushing the ball away from defenders in both man and zone coverage looks, and his progressive reads improved each week.
As confidence grows, Howard’s only concern is his ability (or lack thereof) to play outside of the offensive structure. Most of, if not all, of his mistakes from a season ago came when he was forced off his spot. Playing well under pressure is the name of the game as the season wears on.
5) Blake Shapen | Baylor
After capping a dramatic run to the Big 12 Championship in 2021, Blake Shapen returned to the helm of the Baylor Bears with mixed success in 2022. Despite their season collapsing on them in November, there was still plenty to like from Shapen’s first full-time performance as a season-long starter.
Though he doesn’t wow with arm strength or ooze the swagger of a dominant downfield passer, Shapen can distribute over the middle of the field with the best of them. He wasn’t tasked with many downfield shots, as the majority of his work was done in the short and intermediate portions of the field. But he still flashed some impressive range at times.
Getting the ball out quicker and making faster reads in the pocket will do wonders for his game in 2023.
6) John Rhys Plumlee | UCF
John Rhys Plumlee gives new meaning to the term dual-threat at quarterback. Plumlee is likely among the fastest players whenever he steps on the field, and, given his experience at wide receiver while at Ole Miss, he’s one of the most dynamic players a defense has to gameplan for.
At times last season, Plumlee was unstoppable with his rushing ability, while at other points, he carved up defenses with his passing skills. In total, he accounted for 25 touchdowns and well over 3,000 total yards of offense.
Plumlee is arguably
the must-watch player coming to the Big 12 this season, and if he improves his accuracy and consistency in pass-first situations, he’ll win more than a handful of games in the conference.
7) Hunter Dekkers | Iowa State
Somehow, after Hunter Dekkers threw for over 3,000 yards in 2022, a quarterback controversy may be brewing in Ames. With the highly-touted J.J. Kohl entering the fold, Dekkers will be tasked with limiting mistakes and improving his downfield accuracy to keep his job.
It should be an easier task than some may guess, as Dekkers proved on multiple occasions to have enough arm strength and accuracy to get the ball into his receiver’s hands on the move. The left-hander is a hard ask to figure out for most defenses when he’s on his game and kept clean in the pocket.
More of that will be key to his keeping in favor of the Iowa State faithful. Some wins will certainly follow for the Cyclones.
8) Kedon Slovis | BYU
Quickly becoming the place to play among NFL-draft-hopeful talent, the BYU Cougars got a big pick-up in the transfer portal in Kedon Slovis. Formerly, Slovis dotted the field with impressive shots driven with accuracy and power at USC.
More recently, however, Slovis fell from grace in a simplified, pro-style offense at Pittsburgh that continually looked to run first. Slovis is still that quarterback that unseated JT Daniels at USC and had high-round draft aspirations.
When he’s at his best, Slovis can sling it with some of the best anticipation in all of college football. Tight window throws are no match for him, and every level of the field is within reach. How far gone is Slovis’ top-end play? That’s the only real question surrounding his game entering 2023.
9) Donovan Smith | Houston
The Donovan Smith experience will head to Houston after some ups and downs at Texas Tech. What started out so impressively in 2021 with the Red Raiders continued into 2022 before quickly fizzling out.
Smith is a dynamic athlete and has plenty of near-elite skills in his game. But ball security and decision-making plagued his time at Texas Tech. Ultimately, he took something off his passes down the stretch and wasn’t asked to test the field nor make too many plays with his arm, something that should be a staple of his game.
He’s a big-armed quarterback with plenty of stand-tall-in-the-pocket gusto to rely on. If the decision-making catches up to the arm strength, Houston may have found a gem in the portal.
10) Behren Morton, Tyler Shough | Texas Tech
No quarterback was asked for more but presented with less than Behren Morton last year. Morton was thrust into action against Oklahoma State and made several plus-starts for the Red Raiders last year.
However, the offensive game plan shifted dramatically when he was on the field for the Red Raiders. The reads were quicker, and the depth of the field shrunk. Among qualified quarterbacks at the Power Five level, he led all of them with the highest percentage of passes thrown at or behind the line of scrimmage.
When he did test the downfield depths, Morton’s confidence got the best of him, though rightfully so. He has tremendous arm talent and should be able to harness that on the field on Saturdays as he gains confidence.
11) Emory Jones, Evan Prater | Cincinnati
Four years at Florida and a year at Arizona State later, Emory Jones has ended up in Cincinnati for his final swan song in the college football ranks. Jones will battle Evan Prater in Scott Satterfield’s offense at Cincinnati, and the longtime veteran has a major leg up.
Jones has never quite lived up to the billing and struggled at Arizona State. The Sun Devils had their own struggles and became a run-first team in 2022, as their much-scrutinized program dealt with inner turmoil from the top down.
Jones’ film repertoire isn’t filled with highlight-reel plays more so than it’s chock full of what could’ve been during his time with the Gators and Sun Devils.
Prater, on the other hand, was unable to win the starting job and eventually finished the season starting only the final two games of the year. Despite his big, athletic frame, Prater still needs to make more adjustments to the college game’s speed.
12) Garrett Greene, Nicco Marchiol | West Virginia
The duo of Garrett Greene and Nicco Marchiol are set to battle for the starting spot in Morgantown this spring and into the fall. They’re different quarterbacks with differing styles of play and different throwing arms.
Greene hosts more experience and perhaps a better set of skills, as he’s a true dual-threat with the football. Over the last two regular season games, Greene drew both starts and threw three touchdowns against two interceptions. He also flashed his rushing ability with two touchdowns on the ground in those games.
Pressed into action a week prior, Greene also produced WVU’s biggest win of the season in a drama-filled victory over Oklahoma. Against the Sooners, he ran for over 100 yards and two scores as his legs took over.
Marchiol hardly had time to get in a rhythm a year ago, playing only a fair share of snaps in a scheduled every-third-series situation against Oklahoma State in the season finale. His throwing motion looked pure despite rainy conditions, but the game plan didn’t offer much in the way of creativity during his brief exposure.
This battle will be one of the marquee matchups to watch through the spring.
13) Alan Bowman, Garret Rangel, Gunnar Gundy | Oklahoma State
For the first time in a college football “forever,” the Oklahoma State Cowboys will start the year without Spencer Sanders at quarterback. Alan Bowman transferred in from Michigan, while youngster Garret Rangel will battle it out with head coach Mike Gundy’s son, Gunnar Gundy.
Bowman flashed brilliance at Texas Tech a few years ago before injuries hampered his development, and he left a beleaguered situation for Ann Arbor. He hasn’t played meaningful snaps since that 2020 season, throwing just 12 passes in two years with the Wolverines.
When Bowman is at his best, he’s clean and accurate with the football, showing well over the middle of the field specifically. However, his lack of shots downfield and unwillingness to test the deep portions of the field are what grew Red Raider fans tired.
Rangel, the highly-recruited passer, played just four games last year and started three of the final five outings. He struggled against West Virginia in rainy conditions but showcased impressive progressive abilities in outings against Kansas and Wisconsin.
Making the right decisions and trusting his arm as his confidence grows will do wonders for Rangel, as he likely has the leg up on this quarterback battle.
14) Chandler Morris, Josh Hoover | TCU
Sure, Chandler Morris started the season for the National Runner-Up Horned Frogs, so he has experience leading the charge. However, against a hapless Colorado team (at the time), Morris struggled with his passing ability and looked lost, at times, against the Buffs.
Morris has a lot to prove after Max Duggan took TCU to the College Football Playoff National Championship this past season. A lot of core pieces return for the Frogs, but they’ll be without their top skill players and most of their top offensive linemen.
Playing outside of the structure was not a strong suit of Morris’ in 2022’s debut or back in 2021, and he’ll have to hold on to the starting spot above Josh Hoover. One of the
top-ranked recruits from the state of Texas in the class of 2022, Hoover has a terrific two-sport pedigree and family ties to both college and professional football.
Don’t be surprised if the upside of Hoover grants him more than his fair share of attempts to crack the starting spot in Fort Worth this year.
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