Big 12 quarterback rankings: Is Kansas State QB Will Howard the best?

The Big 12 quarterback rankings were difficult to make. Nobody has necessarily earned the right to separate from the rest of the pack, even Kansas State quarterback Will Howard, Texas signal-caller Quinn Ewers, Oklahoma’s Dillon Gabriel or Jalon Daniels of Kansas.

That is the reason why the preseason All-Big 12 Team was so intriguing to see for this season.

1.) QUINN EWERS, TEXAS

No offense to Will Howard, but I couldn’t use the top spot on the K-State quarterback.

It was much tougher to make the top of the list than the bottom of the list. Quinn Ewers was my first team All-Big 12 quarterback, so I felt obligated to have him in the top spot. Though my pick and much of how I feel about Ewers is based much more on projections than production.

The sophomore is in the perfect offense for him, perhaps the best receiving unit in the entire country and likely the most lethal play-caller in the conference.

2.) WILL HOWARD, KANSAS STATE

Again, it is tough to order the top of the list. I ended up switching my order on 2-4 a few different times because there is an argument for all three quarterbacks. Ultimately I chose Kansas State signal-caller Will Howard for the second spot.

The K-State offense took a massive jump when he was under center, especially in the passing game. The Kansas State offense averaged 3.63 points per drive in six conference games when Howard played last season.

That number would have ranked No. 5 in the country last season over a 12-game pace. Howard threw for 1,633 yards and 15 touchdowns in his seven games a year ago. It is reasonable for him to improve upon that performance.

3.) DILLION GABRIEL, OKLAHOMA

Dillion Gabriel was pretty good last season, but it felt like he missed on some big plays.

He’s going to put up some big numbers in Jeff Lebby’s system this year after totaling 3,168 passing yards and 25 touchdowns a year ago. Oklahoma does not have a very strong schedule either, meaning Gabriel could be in store for a huge 2023 campaign.

It probably helps them that they also do not have to face K-State.

4.) JALON DANIELS, KANSAS

I really like Jalon Daniels, but I need to see his production more in Big 12 play to rank him higher. Daniels has dealt with injury issues the last two seasons in Lawrence, and it really felt like he came back to earth last season when he recovered and returned.

He threw just five touchdown passes in five conference games. Daniels only tallied seven total touchdowns in league games last season. 43 percent of his passing yards came in two games. He threw for 868 yards against Duke and Arkansas.

5.) JOHN RHYS PLUMLEE, UCF

John Rhys Plumlee is an intriguing player to me. He is extremely athletic and has great speed. However, I don’t like him as a true passer. Last season, Plumlee had just 14 touchdowns and eight interceptions in the aerial game, but he did run for 11 touchdowns and added 862 rushing yards.

He and UCF will see Kansas State for the first time as conference members this season when they travel to Manhattan.

6.) TYLER SHOUGH, TEXAS TECH

Something I had not realized until recently was that Texas Tech was undefeated last season when Tyler Shough started at quarterback. However, he only started seven games and injuries have been an issue for him in Lubbock.

Zach Kittley’s system will allow for insane production from the quarterback position, but will Shough be available the entire season? The most amount of games he has played in a single year has just been seven.

K-State plays the Red Raiders on the road on October 14.

7.) HUNTER DEKKERS, IOWA STATE

Hunter Dekkers was pretty good for most of his first year as a starter in 2022, but he did make a lot of mistakes. The Iowa native threw 14 interceptions in 12 games last season and threw at least one interception in six conference games.

8.) KEDON SLOVIS, BYU

The next two quarterbacks could make the biggest jump. Kedon Slovis has all the talent in the world. He was a star in his first season at USC, but regressed in his final two years in Los Angeles. After being in Pittsburgh for a season, he transferred to BYU.

9.) CHANDLER MORRIS, TCU

Chandler Morris has a tough act to follow after Max Duggan was a Heisman finalist a year ago. Not only that, Duggan carried TCU to a Big 12 title appearance where they fell to Kansas State and even a berth in the national title game.

Remember, Morris was originally going to be the starting quarterback until he was injured during the first game of last season. He also was not overly impressive when he was on the field last season against Colorado.

Collin Klein/Drew Galloway

10.) BLAKE SHAPEN, BAYLOR

After an impressive end to his 2021 season, I’m not sure if there was a bigger disappointment than Blake Shapen in 2022. Baylor’s offense struggled to get off the ground, and he didn’t help the Bears with his performance.

Shapen didn’t take care of the ball, throwing nine interceptions in conference games last season. His memorable and impressive outing versus K-State two seasons ago seems like a distant memory at this point.

11.) DONOVAN SMITH, HOUSTON

This year will be the first season for Donovan Smith as a full-time starter. In spot duty last season for Texas Tech, he tallied 1,505 yards and 12 touchdowns. However, like Shapen, he struggled to take care of the ball and threw eight interceptions.

12.) ALAN BOWMAN, OKLAHOMA STATE

I’m not sold on Alan Bowman being the answer at Oklahoma State this season. Replacing Spencer Sanders is no easy task. Bowman was okay in his time at Texas Tech, but struggled to stay healthy. And while at Michigan, he barely saw the field.

Will Howard/Kansas State Athletics

13.) EMORY JONES, CINCINNATI

Another two-time transfer, Emory Jones comes to Cincinnati with a lot to prove as well.

He did not have a great stint at Florida and was not very good in his time at Arizona State, either. Jones is pretty athletic and did run for 759 yards in 2021 at Florida. However, he has struggled as a passer throughout his career.

14.) GARRETT GREENE, WEST VIRGINIA

Garrett Greene hasn’t had a lot of time to really prove himself just yet, but the early returns have not been great. He only has two starts in his career and both came last season. Greene also wasn’t overly impressive in either of those games, throwing three interceptions and three touchdowns.

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