RESOLVING THE LEDGER
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See the full story · 1 sourcesBig Ten Media Days , the three-day event held in Chicago, takes place this week, which means it’s the unofficial start of the college football season.
When the season does kick off, the Big Ten Conference is going to be full of star quarterbacks. Despite losing the reigning Heisman winner, Fernando Mendoza , the conference has reloaded with fresh talent, along with returning stars.
Here’s how the Big Ten starting QBs stack up against one another.
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No. 18: Jeremy Hecklinski OR Hank Brown (Iowa)
Iowa quarterbacks Hank Brown (9) and Jeremy Hecklinski (10) runs drills during practice April 9, 2026 in Iowa City, Iowa.
This is so Iowa. The Hawkeyes, who have lived and died by their defense and running game, are set to enter the 2026 season in yet another quarterback battle. One that involves two very inexperienced gunslingers.
Neither quarterback has played much football, and in typical Iowa fashion, the Hawkeyes are banking on their run game to be effective enough that they can run to open up the pass. Iowa will rely heavily on its defense once again this season, and it’s possible the Hawkeyes get more out of the quarterbacks than I think, but it might be a long year for the Iowa passing attack.
No. 17: Dylan Lonergan OR AJ Surace (Rutgers)
The second quarterback battle in the Big Ten resides at Rutgers. After losing Athan Kaliakmanis this past season, the Scarlet Knights went to the transfer portal and landed Boston College quarterback Dylan Lonergan. He is the likely starter, but Rutgers likes AJ Surace, too.
Lonergan played in 10 games last year for BC, throwing over 2,000 yards, along with 12 touchdowns and five interceptions. There is nothing special about his game, but having KJ Duff to throw the football to will only help him in 2026 if he gets the nod.
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No. 16: Ryan Browne (Purdue)
Nov 28, 2025; West Lafayette, Indiana, USA; Purdue Boilermakers quarterback Ryan Browne (15) looks on during the second quarter against the Indiana Hoosiers at Ross-Ade Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Marc Lebryk-Imagn Images
Ryan Browne has had struggles during his three seasons with Purdue. This past year, after entering the transfer portal and coming back, he threw for 2153 yards, nine touchdowns, and 11 interceptions. Browne does offer a dual-threat ability, rushing for 206 yards and four scores.
He has more experience than the other players who are in quarterback battles, but there is also minimal upside. Browne slots in at No. 16 due to him having a starting job, and the experience. Purdue has really struggled during Big Ten play, not winning a conference game since 2023. Browne hopes to fix that, but it will likely be another long season for the Boilermakers.
No. 15: Aidan Chiles (Northwestern)
Boy, has Aidan Chiles fallen. The former highly-rated prospect followed Jonathan Smith to Michigan State from Oregon State, but playing for the Spartans did Chiles zero favors. In fact, last season, he was benched in the final three games in favor of Alessio Milivojevic.
Chiles opted to transfer once again, and interestingly enough, he’s with prolific offensive coordinator Chip Kelly at Northwestern. Chiles has the arm talent and he’s elusive enough to make plays, but he has to show it consistently on the field. Playing for the Wildcats might not help his cause, as their talent is lesser than the Big Ten’s elite.
No. 14: Alessio Milivojevic (Michigan State)
Michigan State’s Alessio Milivojevic throws a pass during spring football practice on Tuesday, April 14, 2026, in East Lansing.
Speaking of Michigan State, it was Milivojevic who replaced Chiles. He came in as the backup and spung some life into the Spartans’ offense. Milivojevic threw for 1267 yards, 10 touchdowns, and three interceptions during his second season in East Lansing.
Milivojevic isn’t going to offer much via the ground game, but he did inject a spark into Michigan State last year, and former Northwestern head coach Pat Fitzgerald hopes to get the most out of his young signal caller.
No. 13: Katin Houser (Illinois)
We are on a run of former Michigan State quarterbacks. Houser began his career with the Spartans before finishing the last two seasons at East Carolina. Illinois lost savvy veteran Luke Altmeyer to graduation and the Illini are hoping another veteran can fill his shoes.
Houser threw for 3300 yards last year, along with 19 touchdowns and six interceptions, but we’ve seen what he’s done in the Big Ten before, and it wasn’t pretty. Houser has hopefully learned from his mistakes, and Illinois is a good enough team where he can be adequate at worst.
No. 12: Anthony Colandrea (Nebraska)
Losing Dylan Raiola flat-out stings for Nebraska, but the Huskers went out and added a proven gunslinger. Anthony Colandrea began his career at Virginia, before finishing last year at UNLV. Playing for Dan Mullen, Colandrea threw for 3459 yards, 23 touchdowns and nine interceptions. He also ran for 649 yards and 10 scores.
Colandrea will have to prove he can play in a tough Big Ten Conference after being so-so in the ACC for Virginia. Replacing Raiola isn’t easy, but Nebraska could’ve certainly had a worse replacement than what it has.
No. 11: Nico Iamaleava (UCLA)
May 2, 2026; Pasadena, CA, USA; UCLA Bruins quarterback Nico Iamaleava (9) throws the ball during the spring game at Rose Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images
In his first season with UCLA in 2025, Iamaleava left a lot to be desired. He looked like a five-star gunslinger at times during his stint with Tennessee, but Iamaleava struggled mightily at times with the Bruins. He threw for 1929 yards, 13 touchdowns, and seven interceptions. He also ran for 505 yards and four scores.
Iamaleava is a former five-star recruit and with Bob Chesney now at UCLA, the hope is that things will fully click for him. And if it does, the Bruins...
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