The B1G is home to some good coaches, a few natties, and the reigning Heisman Trophy winner. Looking ahead to 2026, they are once again in a prime position to win another national championship and strike the Heisman pose again. Here at Last Word, we have been taking a deep dive into the B1G position group by position group. Today, we want to take a deep dive into the Top B1G Quarterbacks for 2026.
To compile our rankings of the top B1G quarterbacks, we considered a handful of factors. First, they can’t come in from the Portal. Sure, that worked for Fernado and the Hoosiers, but you have to come back to the team you played for in 2025. Next, we will take a look at what you did in 2025. Did you ooh and aah the folks, or show some flashes that might make you the next big thing? Finally, we will project, looking into our crystal ball, who is poised to break out in 2026. Ok, let’s get to our list by starting with who just missed getting their name bolded.
The Top B1G Quarterbacks for 2026
Just Missed:
Here are four names that just missed our top B1G quarterback list:
- Bryce Underwood, Michigan Wolverines: What will year two bring for the 12 million dollar man? Rumor has it that there is plenty of competition from Tommy Carr.
- Drake Lindsey, Minnesota Golden Gophers: Lindsey has a big arm and the makings of an NFL prospect. It’s tough to make noise in Minnesota, but a win against the SEC (ok, it’s Mississippi State, but it still counts) could help get the hype boat rowing!
- Nico Iamaleava, UCLA Bruins: Change is the only constant in Iamaleava’s life. He has a new coach at UCLA. He has had plenty of hype and promise; can he finally deliver in Westwood?
- Malik Washington, Maryland Terrapins: Maryland always seems to find wins in September. It’s finding them in October and November that proves more difficult. Washington set Freshman passing records in 2025 in College Park. What can he do for an encore?
#4 Desmond Williams Jr., Washington Huskies
Wait, isn’t that the guy who transferred to LSU? Not so fast, my friend. The (alleged) legalese of Williams’ NIL contract kept him in Seattle rather than taking his talents to Baton Rouge with the Lane Train. Williams and his Washington teammates have said all the right things and are singing Kumbaya heading into 2026. Williams had a nice year in 2025, throwing for over 3,000 yards, 25 touchdowns, and just eight interceptions. He will need to step up his game against ranked opponents, though. Williams saw his completion percentage and yards per attempt drop, and he threw more interceptions in a few games against ranked opponents.
#3 Jayden Maiava, USC Trojans
Lincoln Riley loves himself a quarterback that can run and throw. It has been a while, though, since the media or fans talked about Riley’s prowess as a quarterback whisperer. Instead, they have focused on how much he has underachieved since he took his talents to Los Angeles. Maiava has all the tools to be the next great Riley quarterback. He threw for over 3700 yards and 24 touchdowns last year. It was the 10 interceptions that were a concern. If Maiva can keep his passing to the “Men of Troy,” Lincoln and the Trojans may be able to “Fight On” to a CFB Playoff appearance.
#2 Julian Sayin, The Ohio State University Buckeyes
Ohio State has all the tools and talent to win a B1G and National Championship. They do every year. A big reason we are “Sayin” they have a chance is their signal caller. Sayin took full advantage of his frisbee-catching dawg wide receivers last year, throwing for over 3,600 yards and 32 touchdowns. Like his head coach, Sayin can put up plenty of numbers against other teams, but it’s what he does when the lights shine the brightest that matters most. In Ohio State’s losses to Indiana in the B1G Championship and to Miami in the Quarterfinals, (we are) Sayin just wasn’t good enough. Sure, he threw for over 200 yards in each game, but he threw for just two touchdowns and, even worse, three interceptions. That may be good enough for most places in the B1G, but not in Columbus. The standard is higher. Sayin and his teammates can meet that standard; anything less is just unacceptable.
#1 Dante Moore, Oregon Ducks
Who wants to be a New York Jet when you can be atop the list of top B1G Quarterbacks? Well, we know (allegedly) a big reason Dante Moore came back to Eugene was to avoid being the next QB of the J-E-T-S, Jets, Jets, Jets. While that is a fun chant, the experience has become the polar opposite. Moore himself put up big numbers in 2025 and was in the Heisman conversation for most of the season. He threw for more than 3500 yards and 30 touchdowns. It wasn’t enough, though, as Oregon suffered another humiliating CFB Playoff defeat, this time to Indiana in the semifinals. The junior from Detroit will look to get the Ducks’ offense flying again and could be the secret sauce to unlocking the Ducks’ first-ever national championship. The Ducks have a pair of nice B1G quarterbacks. Dylan Raiola will back up Moore after transferring in from Nebraska in the winter.
