Big Ten QB Rankings: JJ No. 1, MSU's Kim No. 13

Ridiculous though.  Mel Tucker has a long track record of developing QB's.  

VERY few, especially with the portal. I can't recall a year when IU recognized so few names of B1G QBs. 

I think the most interesting question raised by the list is where would Payton Thorne be? Perhaps sevenish? Certainly above 13. 

Joe Milton says hi

“If the offense can get humming along, McNamara should be the catalyst that brings the unit into the 21st Century. He will just have to overcome an offensive coordinator who only has his job due to nepotism.”

Not sure the Iowa offense is ever going to “hum”—it’s more like a tuneless mumbling. 

Serious shade to Brian Ferentz on the writeup for Cade:

"If the offense can get humming along, McNamara should be the catalyst that brings the unit into the 21st Century. He will just have to overcome an offensive coordinator who only has his job due to nepotism."

Hoooly crap what a list. JJ is a stud, Taulia is…something. McCord will put up amazing numbers but time will tell how talented he really is. Cade is solid but at Iowa. The rest is ugly

In terms of talent, the B1G is pretty loaded this year. Almost this entire list is former 4*+ recruits

Tanner Mordecai at Wisconsin should be an antagonist in a dairy-based Children of the Corn knockoff. 

Per Rico Beard, the last time MSU's over/under for wins was 4.5 was the Kenneth Walker season.  He's optimistic because of that...

McCord should be #6. Allar, McNamara and Mordecai are more known quantities than him. Also, if Kim is still behind #9-12 at season end, the $95mm man will continue being the gift that keeps on giving.

Adding in recruiting ratings (stars, rank, class per 247):

1. J.J. McCarthy, Michigan Wolverines (4*, #38, 2021)
2. Taulia Tagovailoa, Maryland Terrapins (4*, #180, 2019)
3. Kyle McCord, Ohio State Buckeyes (4*, #49, 2021)
4. Drew Allar, Penn State Nittany Lions (5*, #3, 2022)
5. Cade McNamara, Iowa Hawkeyes (4*, N/A, 2019; On3 says 4* and #278)
6. Tanner Mordecai, Wisconsin Badgers (4*, N/A, 2018; On3 says 4* and #266)
7. Hudson Card, Purdue Boilermakers (4*, #70, 2020)
8. Jeff Sims, Nebraska Cornhuskers (3*, N/A, 2020; On3 says 4* and #261)
9. Ben Bryant, Northwestern Wildcats (3*, N/A, 2018; On3 says 3* and #690)
10. Luke Altmyer, Illinois Fighting Illini (4*, N/A, 2021; On3 says 4*, #243)
11. Athan Kaliakmanis, Minnesota Golden Gophers 4*, N/A, 2021; On3 says 4*, #237)
12. Gavin Wimsatt, Rutgers Scarlet Knights (4*, N/A, 2021; On3 says 4*, #268)
13. Noah Kim, Michigan State Spartans (3*, N/A, 2020; On3 says 3* and #1050)
14. Tayven Jackson, Indiana Hoosiers (4*, #237, 2022)

I used On3's rankings in a few places. 

If we were to order them based on recruiting rankings only, irrespective of year:

1. Drew Allar 
2. JJ McCarthy
3. Kyle McCord
4. Hudson Card, PU
5. Taulia Tagovailoa
6. Tayven Jackson, IU
7. Athan Kaliakmanis, Minny
8. Luke Altmyer, UIUC
9. Jeff Sims, UNL
10. Tanner Mordecai, UW
11. Gavin Wimsatt, RU
12. Cade McNamara
13. Ben Bryant, NU
14. Noah Kim

Basically, Allar is the only 5 star. 

Then group JJ, McCord, Card, and Tagovailoa

Then it's a traffic jam of Jackson, Kaliakmanis, Altmyer, Sims, Mordecai, Wimsatt, and McNamara, all ranked from 237 to 278. Rankings-wise, they're pretty interchangeable.

Then it's Bryant after a big gap

Then it's Kim after a big gap. 

Basically, Kim is the lowest rated starting QB in the Big Ten and it's not close.  I know recruiting rankings aren't everything, but msu has an uphill climb at the QB position. 

If I'm doing this ranking, I'm inverting spots 3-8:

3. Jeff Sims

4. Hudson Card

5. Tanner Mordecai

6. Cade McNamara

7. Drew Allar

8. Kyle McCord

Anyone who has watched GA Tech the past few seasons knows that Jeff Sims is way too low on the actual list. If it turns out the problem was really the lack of talent/system around him (e.g., Jahmyr Gibbs) and Sims can stay healthy, that game in Lincoln looks far more daunting with an explosive dual threat at quarterback.

Sims is the only QB on that list after JJ or Taulia (other than maybe Drew Allar if he booms) that could be a legitimate difference-maker at the QB position and not just a run-the-offense guy.   

I also like Hudson Card more than most, and in Graham Harrell's air-raid offense, I think he has a chance to step in and have a really nice year at Purdue (who have spread guys already on the roster).

Allar and McCord are slotted behind Cade due to their lack of starting experience, with a slight edge given to Allar because he actually got game reps as a true sophomore last year, as opposed to McCord who has never taken a meaningful snap in his collegiate career.

That's a who's who list... as in, "who dat? who dat? who dat?"

Rated highly on potential and the fact that osu consistently churns out all-world receivers. They still have Emeka Egbuka, Marvin Harrison Jr, and Julian Fleming. That's the top WR room in the conference, probably the country. 247 says that Harrison, Egbuka, and Fleming are the #1, #2, and #14 preseason WR's for 2023. They're going to make McCord look pretty good.