Pre-Spring Big 10 QB Rankings
WoolleyDoog
Member, Swaye's Wigwam Posts: 4,236 
Some ridiculous Athlon list came out ranking Demond as the 10th best QB in the Big 10 going into 2025. I don't think it's dooging to call that out as ridiculous. Here's a better look at how I think it lines up. It's not a great field going in. Allar is the unquestioned #1 and he's kind of just a guy with great physical tools who hasn't put it together in a ton of starts.
Doing these rankings you have to do some speculation on guys progressing or jumping out real quick but I do think they tend to overrate guys on potential and underrate guys sometimes who have actually produced.
- Drew Allar Sr. Penn State - I guess. He played in three playoff games though and never completed more than 175 yards or more than 60% of his passes, and two of those games were against Boise State and SMU.
- Luke Altmyer Sr. Illinois - The definition of a guy who deserves to be here going into the season but 5-6 of the younger guys could progress past him.
- Demond Williams Jr. So. Washington - at this point you have to pick one of the young guys who you think looks best. Demond to me is the best combination of proven and potential.
- Dylan Raiola So. Nebraska - I obviously didn't watch as much of him as Demond, but I wasn't super blown away. I trust that he was rated so high for a reason though.
- Dante Moore So. Oregon - I watched a decent chunk of him at UCLA and didn't see too much, but I'll go the same with Raiola that I have to trust that he was that highly rated for a reason.
- Fernando Mendoza Jr. Indiana - He made plays at Cal and I think Cig will use him really well.
- Mark Gronowski Sr. Iowa - He did enough at a lower level powerhouse to assume he will be an upgrade at Iowa. I think.
- Jayden Maiava Jr. USC - He showed some promise as the season ended at USC and he took over for Miller Moss. Certainly not enough to make me overly confident though.
- Aidan Chiles Jr. Michigan State - DeBoer and co really wanted this guy but we haven't seen much. He didn't have a great cast around him though in East Lansing last year so he could develop more as time godson
- Billy Edwards Jr. Sr. Wisconsin - He was serviceable at Maryland with some actually good WRs last year. He should be an upgrade at Wisconsin, who was atrocious at QB last year after their starter got hurt.
- Bryce Underwood Fr. Michigan - Huge recruit. Don't know what else to say. These guys are more of a mixed back than the media likes to act.
- Julian Sayin Fr. Ohio State - This guy was an all world recruit and is hyped as the next guy at OSU. He has some of the shittiest aura I've ever seen for a big time QB recruit since JT Daniels. Apparently DeBoer wanted nothing to do with him.
Nothing much to say about the rest of these guys.
13. Preston Stone Sr. Northwestern
14. Athan Kaliamankis Sr. Rutgers
15. Joey Aguilar Sr. UCLA
16. Justyn Martin Jr. Maryland
17. Drake Lindsey Fr. Minnesota
18. Malachi Singleton So. Purdue
Comments
@DerekJohnson
You do need to consider how fun the players name is to say in the manner of Munangai. Instant boost to a mid player like Mendoza and obviously Gronkowski will have a certain cache to him as well
How many times in the past 10ish years have we seen a youngish USC QB come in as a replacement, light it up and get hyped only to fall off in the following season and get replaced by the next guy in the cycle?
I think Darnold might be the only guy to not get replaced as the starter.
This is a great observation though there's also Caleb Williams. Outside of Barkley, Darnold, and Williams it seems like that's been their thing for 15+ years and Darnold was one of the guys who replaced a hyped up guy (Max Browne).
USC latest was the guy who lit up their bowl game then got benched last season
Allar is a loser.
Front running + head in hands demeanor is even worse than Browning's, and his coach seems to be trying to force that he can win through his QB or at a minimum force a 200/300 rush/pass ratio.
I've watched Allar about half dozen times and never been impressed. He really seemed best as a battering ram in their run game. He and his coach might as well have their middle names changed to "I guess they're ok."
This list serves as a reminder that UW really needs to not squander another year of playing shit QBs by having no offense themselves and a defense that can't make play on third and long.
Demond and Dante 1-2. Chiles can get up in the top 3 if he stops turning the ball over.
I think there's a good chance this could be the case by the end of the season. I did like what I saw from Chiles when they put him in when he was at Oregon State and I trust in DeBoer and Grubb wanting him bad. I suspect the skill position guys around him at Michigan State suck though.
I couldn’t remember Barkley’s career enough and then of course Williams who I forgot existed.
Allar is a better prospect than JJ McCarthy. He could become a Josh Allen.
USC has absolutely no patience with their QBs. After USC loses, I love to go on USC YouTube vids and attack the losing USC QB non-stop, but I defend Lincoln Riley as much as possible.
I wish UW would give Demond a better OL.
comments on sayin are great. Debonner wanted nothing to do with him.