The Big 12 will have a new look this year, and not only because it will welcome four new schools.
This fall, the conference will also have at least five programs making a quarterback change. That number could rise depending on how quarterback battles play out this August. With this much turnover, it can be hard to stack up the quarterback landscape heading into 2023.
BYU will have transfer quarterback Kedon Slovis taking over the helm. And everything out of spring indicated that Slovis lived up to expectations both on the field and in a tricky environment off of it.
So where does he rank in this new conference?
One analysis from the Austin American-Statesmen puts him at sixth right now. That is right behind UCF’s two-sport sensation John Rhys Plumlee and ahead of Iowa State’s Hunter Dekkers.
Generally, that feels about right. Certainly, Slovis should be ranked behind all of the Big 12′s proven quarterbacks. Even with Slovis’ breakout freshman season at USC, where he briefly flirted with the Heisman Trophy field, this is still a guy coming off of his worst statistical season in college. Also, no matter how fluid the transition to BYU has been, this is a new offense for Slovis and nobody has seen him play a game yet.
So, it would make sense to put Kansas’ Jalon Daniels, Oklahoma’s Dillon Gabriel and Kansas State’s Will Howard ahead of him. Each has a track record at their school.
But after that, you can get into a debate. Does Slovis’ body of work in college — throwing for nearly 10,000 yards — count for more than, say, what Quinn Ewers has done at Texas? Ewers has shown flashes of being very good (think Alabama last year), but also hasn’t played a full season. You also have to account for the fact that Ewers will be playing with a loaded roster this year.
Essentially, after you get past the proven quarterbacks, you can pick which trait you value the most. Do you want plenty of college snaps? Do you look for scheme fit and roster talent? Do you look for continuity at a given school? Depending on how you answer, you can get a much different list. Here is where I would rank Slovis in the new Big 12 for now:
1. Dillon Gabriel (OU) — Gabriel has both the continuity (going into his second season as the Sooners’ starter) and the body of work. This will be his fifth year after starting his first three seasons at UCF. He has passed for over 12,000 yards in his career. Plus, OU should be better this season and has a softer schedule.
2. Jalon Daniels (KU) — You could make the argument for Daniels to be No. 1. He led Kansas to a 5-0 record last year before injuring his shoulder and can put his resume against anyone. He is going into his fourth year in Lawrence and just threw for over 2,000 yards while boasting an 18:4 touchdown to interception ratio.
3. Will Howard (KSU) — Leading your team to the Big 12 championship game and winning it over TCU should earn you some respect. Plus, KSU was able to hang on to offensive coordinator Collin Klein after an overture from Notre Dame. It bodes well for Howard. Something to watch: the Wildcats will be without RB Deuce Vaughn, who is now on the Dallas Cowboys.
4. Quinn Ewers (Texas) — The talent with Ewers is obvious. It is what made him a highly-touted recruit out of Southlake Carroll (Texas). It is also what popped against Alabama last year. Ewers has an injury history. But he has been in Steve Sarkisian’s system two years now and will have weapons around him. I give him the nod for No. 4.
5. Hunter Dekkers (ISU) — This could be a risk, but ISU should have a new identity this year after Matt Campbell overhauled his staff. Combine that with Dekkers being the Big 12′s third-leading passer last year and it could work. Dekkers is not a finished product, but he could make a leap this season.
6. Tyler Shough (TTU) — Shough wasn’t great last year, but he also wasn’t awful. He is an Oregon transfer going into his third year in Lubbock. With Joey McGuire in his second year, Tech should be better. Plus, Shough did flash at the end of the last year. He threw for 436 yards against OU. Say whatever you want about OU’s defense, that is still impressive. Shough could pop this fall.
7. Kedon Slovis (BYU) — This is where you get into the new quarterbacks in the Big 12. Slovis’ scheme fit and body of work should put him ahead of other transfers to the Big 12. Plus, Slovis has played against Power Five competition. The jump to the Big 12 shouldn’t be that big for him.
8. John Rhys Plumlee (UCF) — Leading UCF into the Power Five, Plumlee will be in his second year as the starter. He transferred to Orlando from Ole Miss and threw for over 2,500 yards last year.
9. Blake Shapen (Baylor) — BYU saw Shapen last year in Provo, and it wasn’t always pretty. Shapen will have to revert back to what he was in 2021 for Baylor to be contenders again. The Bears brought in a transfer to compete with him this spring, but Shapen won the job.
10. Chandler Morris (TCU) — Morris is not Max Duggan. It is hard to replace that. But he is a quarterback in Sonny Dykes’ system and that should count for something. Beyond that, Morris did beat out Duggan last summer for the job before he got hurt. Offensive coordinator Garrett Riley (who architected Dykes’ offensive at SMU and TCU) is gone to Clemson, so that will be something to monitor.
11. Alan Bowman (OSU) — Bowman is a journeyman in the era of the transfer portal. He went to Michigan and Texas Tech before this. You remember him in 2018 with Kliff Kingsbury at Tech? He threw for 2,638 yards and 17 touchdowns. But still, it has been awhile since we have seen Bowman be productive. At OSU, he will have the system to do it. Can he catch lightning in a bottle again?
12. Emory Jones (Cincinnati) — Another two-time transfer from Florida and Arizona, it is hard to say what Jones can do this year. There will be a new coach and a system in Ohio.
13. Donovan Smith (Houston) — Clayton Tune, Houston’s highly-productive passer for the last four years, is gone. Smith could win the job, but it is not decided. It is tough to put Smith any higher than this until Houston names a starter.
14. Garrett Greene (WVU) — JT Daniels is off to Rice, leaving Greene the duties as the quarterback. Still, Greene might not be the only quarterback taking snaps. With WVU’s offensive system that doesn’t always favor the pass, it is unclear what type of year he will have.
