In a recent list from 247Sports’ Brad Crawford, five Big 12 quarterbacks checked in among the nation’s Top 25.
The five quarterbacks to earn the honor were Colorado‘s Shedeur Sanders, Arizona‘s Noah Fifita, Kansas‘ Jalon Daniels, West Virginia‘s Garrett Greene, and Utah‘s Cam Rising.
NO. 1 – SHEDEUR SANDERS
“The best of Shedeur Sanders is yet to come,” Crawford wrote. “That may not even come in the college ranks unless Colorado’s offensive line makes a noticeable step forward in his final season. The truth is, Sanders would start for just about every team nationally, given his skill set, and his arm is one of the strongest nationally. He officially had 11 starts but only played a couple of series against Washington State in November before leaving the Buffaloes’ penultimate contest with an injury. He’ll have a chance this season to ascend to top quarterback billing ahead of the 2025 NFL Draft if Colorado gets to bowl eligibility behind his leadership.”
NO. 9 – NOAH FIFITA
“After a standout sophomore season, Noah Fifita stayed put at Arizona despite watching his head coach, Jedd Fisch, bolt for Washington at season’s end,” Crawford said. “According to PFF, Fifita was at his best under pressure last season, with one of the highest passer ratings in the country under duress. And on money downs, Fifita’s grade of 90.3 was No. 3 nationally. The young signal-caller can play as one of the most talented sub-6-foot passers in college football.”
NO. 11 – JALON DANIELS
“Can Jalon Daniels stay healthy? That’s the major question most everyone has for the veteran Big 12 quarterback who played in only three games last season after having a statistically efficient 2022 campaign for the Jayhawks,” Crawford wrote. “At full strength, there are few better in big-time situations than Daniels on the move, but he’s yet to play in 10 games during any season. Losing his OC to Penn State is something to watch, too.”
NO. 14 – GARRETT GREENE
“The advanced analytics suggest Garrett Greene is college football’s most underrated returning quarterback in 2024 after he exploded onto the scene for the Mountaineers last season,” Crawford said. “He led the FBS ranks in big-time throws (10.2%) last fall per PFF and is rarely sacked when pressured, given his mobility. It’s a dangerous comp, sure, but Greene is the closest quarterback we’ve seen to Johnny Manziel in the Power Conference ranks in several years. He’s lethal on the move and can move the chains with his feet or find guys at the second level when the secondary begins to close in.”
NO. 19 CAM RISING
“Rarely does a quarterback with a pair of conference championships to his credit return for a seventh season,” Crawford said. “But Rising gave it another go after missing the 2023 season with a knee injury. The Utes enter the Big 12 and, according to most projections, are a playoff contender as one of the league’s new frontrunners. Rising made big plays in crucial moments during his career and has seen just about everything as a starting quarterback.”
In addition to the five players mentioned above, three players from the Big 12 Conference were listed as honorable mentions, including Kansas State‘s Avery Johnson, UCF‘s KJ Jefferson, and Houston‘s Donovan Smith.
