Ranking the quarterbacks of the Big 12

I hate intros.

You read the headline, and you’re going to scroll down to the list anyways.

Here.

10. R-SR Thomas MacVittie, Kansas Jayhawks

Former high-profile recruit hasn’t panned out at the college level.

9. R-JR Jarrett Doege, West Virginia Mountaineers

Went 2-2 as a starter last season, going mistake-free up until TCU. Lack of mobility is a concern—he’s completely one-dimensional.

Ben Queen-USA TODAY Sports

8. SO Max Duggan, TCU Horned Frogs

Has talent, despite horrific completion percentage (53.4) and terrible touchdown-to-interception ratio (15:10).

7. SO Spencer Sanders, Oklahoma State Cowboys

Mediocre passer, adequate rusher with some potential to improve in both areas thanks to surrounding talent.

6. R-SR Skylar Thompson, Kansas State Wildcats

Thompson has improved in every way through each of his 27 seasons at K-State and has grown into a respectable threat both in the air and on the ground.

Alonzo Adams-USA TODAY Sports

5. R-FR Spencer Rattler, Oklahoma Sooners

Everyone wants to crown Rattler as the next Heisman winner from Oklahoma, but he’s thrown for just 81 yards in his career. Considering the accomplishments of some of the other QBs ranked lower than him on this list, a top-five finish is awfully generous.

4. R-SO Alan Bowman, Texas Tech Red Raiders

I think you could make a compelling argument Bowman is a top-3 QB in this league, but until he proves he can sustain his high level of play for longer than a few games, I can’t place him there just yet. Bowman is seriously talented and has incredible stats in limited action during his first couple of years in Lubbock. He’s unequivocally the most slept-on signal caller in the conference, with some sites ranking him as the 8th-best QB in the league, which is blasphemy-adjacent. We say this every year, but if he’s healthy, he has a chance to be the No. 1 quarterback in the Big 12 and perhaps the nation.

3. SR Sam Ehlinger, Texas Longhorns

Ehlinger is the Dak Prescott of college football. He’s fantastic against the teams he should beat, but place him against elite competition and he doesn’t seem to get the job done. Texas fans will say “but he beat Georgia two years ago and Utah last year” when both teams couldn’t care less about those bowl games, with many top players sitting out. Head-to-head matchups aren’t everything, but last year, Ehlinger lost QB duels against Charlie Brewer and Brock Purdy. With similar stats and abilities (although Ehlinger is surrounded by much better talent), I have to rank those other two quarterbacks above him for the time being.

Photo by Tim Warner/Getty Images

2. SR Charlie Brewer, Baylor Bears

He’s amassed 64 touchdowns in three years at Baylor—48 through the air and 16 on the ground—and almost single-handedly brought the Bears from college football’s basement back into conference contention. I don’t know how he’ll fare after the departure of head coach Matt Rhule, but he remains a dynamic playmaker behind center.

1. JR Brock Purdy, Iowa State Cyclones

Smart, efficient and mobile, Purdy doesn’t attract a lot of attention from national media, but has quietly developed into the Big 12’s top quarterback. After throwing for nearly 4,000 yards with 27 touchdowns through the air and eight on the ground, some outlets started taking notice, with Bleacher Report projecting Purdy to be the No. 10 player selected in the first round of the 2021 NFL Draft. The only thing scouts worry about is his arm strength, which is sure to have improved after a couple of years in a college weight room. Expect big things from Purdy this year.

Jasen Vinlove-USA TODAY Sports