In a recent list from Pro Football Focus, six members of the Big 12 Conference earned placements inside the top 20 on PFF’s complete top 70 Power Five quarterbacks ranking list.
The highest-ranked quarterback from the Big 12 Conference was awarded to Colorado’s Shedeur Sanders, who was awarded the No. 3 spot. Following Sanders is a close battle for second.
NO. 3 – SHEDEUR SANDERS, COLORADO
“Sanders may be a lightning rod for Colorado’s subpar play, but his production is undeniable,” PFF’s Dalton Wasserman said. “Despite a plethora of struggles from his supporting cast, Sanders finished last season with the ninth-best PFF passing grade in the FBS. More importantly, his 93.2 clean-pocket grade ranked third in the FBS, behind Heisman winners Caleb Williams and Jayden Daniels. He has a loaded wide receiver group to work with. If Sanders is protected, he is going to produce at an elite level.”
NO. 7 – NOAH FIFITA, ARIZONA
“Fifita burst onto the scene last season after filling in for the injured Jayden de Laura. He instantly became one of the nation’s most accurate passers, finishing the year with a 71.9% completion percentage, which ranked sixth in college football. As the season wore on, he became more willing to throw the ball downfield, in part because of his pre-existing chemistry with Tetairoa McMillan. If he parlays his late-season hot streak into similar 2024 success, Fifita will be one of the nation’s best quarterbacks.”
NO. 8 – GARRETT GREENE, WEST VIRGINIA
“Greene is perhaps the quietest superstar in college football. He led the nation in big-time throw rate last season by more than a full percentage point while also tying for the FBS lead in rushing touchdowns by a quarterback. Simply put: West Virginia is home to one of the best playmakers in college football. If Greene can improve his subpar accuracy, he could have a statistically massive season, and the Mountaineers could be a surprise Big 12 contender.”
NO. 11 – JALON DANIELS, KANSAS
“When Jalon Daniels is healthy, he is a terrific player. The problem is that he isn’t healthy very often. Through three games last season, he appeared to be on his way to stardom in an offense that is perfectly suited for his dual-threat skill set. Daniels gets one more crack at the Big 12 this year. With capable backup Jason Bean gone, Kansas will contend if, and only if, Daniels plays the full season. If he does, look out for the Jayhawks.”
NO. 16 – KJ JEFFERSON, UCF
“Jefferson struggled last season at Arkansas with a supporting cast that faltered around him. However, across 2021 and 2022, he carried a 91.4 PFF overall grade — the 11th-best mark in the nation. His dual-threat abilities are a perfect fit for Guz Malzahn’s creative run game. The combination of Jefferson and running backs RJ Harvey and Peny Boone will be a big problem for Big 12 defenses.”
NO. 19 – CAM RISING, UTAH
“Rising didn’t play a snap in 2023 after leading the Utes to consecutive Pac-12 titles. His leadership was missed last season. He doesn’t have elite physical tools, but he takes care of the football, is a tough runner, and understands how to win big games. His productive return, along with that of tight end Brant Kiuthe, will be a massive X-factor in a wide-open Big 12 race.”
The rest of the league’s quarterbacks that fell outside of the top 20 can be seen below.
- No. 26 – Rocco Becht, Iowa State
- No. 29 – Donovan Smith, Houston
- No. 34 – Alan Bowman, Oklahoma State
- No. 37 – Avery Johnson, Kansas State
- No. 40 – Dequan Finn, Baylor
- No. 41 – Josh Hoover, TCU
- No. 59 – Brendan Sorsby, Cincinnati
- No. 60 – Behren Morton, Texas Tech
- No. 66 – Sam Leavitt, Arizona State
- No. 69 – Jake Retzlaff, BYU
