- 10 new starters in the conference: The Big 12 only has six returning starting quarterbacks heading into the 2026 season.
- Brendan Sorsby is the headliner: The former Cincinnati quarterback will try to lead Texas Tech to its second-straight Big 12 championship.
- 2026 NFL Draft season is here: Try the best-in-class PFF Mock Draft Simulator and learn about 2026's top prospects while trading and drafting for your favorite NFL team.
Estimated reading time: 7 minutes
In today’s NIL and transfer portal era, it can be challenging to keep track of which players are playing for which schools.
The transfer portal carousel is most chaotic at the quarterback position. It’s the most important position on the field, as many quarterbacks make millions of dollars per year now. However, there’s only one starter, and the spots are limited.
With the portal now closed, we’re going to predict the next quarterback for every Power Four school. Next is the Big 12, which will have 10 new starters among its 16 programs.
Arizona Wildcats: Noah Fifita (Returning)
Fifita is entering his fourth season as Arizona’s starter and is a top-15 signal caller in the sport. He has an 88.1 PFF grade for his career and is coming off a career-high 83.5 passing grade that was 14th in the FBS.
Arizona State Sun Devils: Cutter Boley (Transfer)
With Sam Leavitt transferring to LSU, head coach Kenny Dillingham was forced to dip into the transfer portal once again to find his next starter in Boley. He started 10 games for Kentucky as a redshirt freshman and struggled with his decision-making, tossing seven big-time throws and 19 turnover-worthy plays.
Baylor Bears: DJ Lagway (Transfer)
Lagway wasn’t able to live up to his five-star hype during his two years at Florida and will now try to do so at his father’s alma mater. He has a 68.5 PFF grade for his career with 31 big-time throws and 25 turnover-worthy plays. Lagway must clean up his footwork and decision-making at his new home, but he still has elite physical tools.
BYU Cougars: Bear Bachmeier (Returning)
Bachmeier is back after a terrific freshman season at BYU. His 78.5 PFF grade led all true freshmen quarterbacks in the FBS, as he led the Cougars to a 12-2 record and the Big 12 Championship Game.
Cincinnati Bearcats: JC French IV (Transfer)
With Brendan Sorsby transferring to another Big 12 school in Texas Tech, Cincinnati was forced to dip into the portal itself and bring in French. He started the past two seasons at Georgia Southern and has just a 66.2 PFF passing grade during that stretch.
Colorado Buffaloes: Julian Lewis (Returning)
Lewis didn’t open the season as Colorado’s starting quarterback but seized the job for the final two games of the season. The former top-60 recruit impressed as a true freshman overall with a 6.1% big-time throw rate compared to just a 1.7% turnover-worthy play rate. He could take a leap as a redshirt freshman with a full offseason as the starter.
Houston Cougars: Conner Weigman (Returning)
Weigman is back for his second season as Houston’s starting quarterback after a solid 74.4 PFF grade in 2025. That was more due to his rushing ability, as the former five-star recruit posted just a 63.5 passing grade as a redshirt junior. If Weigman’s struggles as a passer continue, the Cougars could turn to a true freshman in Keisean Henderson, the No. 1 quarterback recruit from the 2026 high school class.
Iowa State Cyclones: Jaylen Raynor (Transfer)
Following three seasons as Iowa State’s starting quarterback, Rocco Becht decided to follow his head coach, Matt Campbell, to Penn State. New head coach Jimmy Rogers hit the portal to find his next quarterback in Raynor. He has three years of starting experience at Arkansas State and a 79.9 career PFF grade.
Kansas Jayhawks: Chase Jenkins (Transfer)
Jalon Daniels exhausted his eligibility after six years, during which he started games for Kansas. The Jayhawks now turn to Jenkins, who started at Rice in 2025. He posted a 67.7 PFF passing grade this past season while also running for 615 yards.
Kansas State Wildcats: Avery Johnson (Returning)
Johnson enters his third season as Kansas State’s starting quarterback with a new head coach in former Wildcats quarterback Collin Klein. His offense is ideally suited for Johnson’s dual-threat skillset, as he’s rushed for 1,243 yards over the past two seasons.
Oklahoma State Cowboys: Drew Mestemaker (Transfer)
Oklahoma State has a new head coach in Eric Morris, and he brought in his star signal-caller from North Texas. He led all quarterbacks in the FBS as a redshirt freshman with 4,384 passing yards, 433 more than the next-closest quarterback. Mestemaker’s 86.1 PFF passing grade was also ninth in the nation.
TCU Horned Frogs: Jaden Craig (Transfer)
Josh Hoover left TCU after three seasons as the starter to replace Fernando Mendoza on the defending national champions in Indiana. Head coach Sonny Dykes brought in one of the best quarterbacks at the FCS level in Craig to replace him. His 31 big-time throws at Harvard this season were the second most in the FBS, while his 91.3 PFF grade was sixth.
Texas Tech Red Raiders: Brendan Sorsby (Transfer)
The Red Raiders reportedly gave Sorsby a $5 million NIL deal to help them win back-to-back Big 12 championships, and it’s not hard to see why. His 90.5 PFF grade at Cincinnati this past season tied for fifth among all quarterbacks in the nation.
UCF Knights: Alonza Barnett III (Transfer)
Barnett spent the past two years as James Madison’s starting quarterback, leading the Dukes to the College Football Playoff this past season. While he had just a 61.5 PFF passing grade in 2025, his 15 rushing touchdowns were tied for sixth among all quarterbacks in the country.
Utah Utes: Devon Dampier (Returning)
Dampier is back at Utah after a good first season as the Utes’ starter. His 83.1 PFF grade was tied for 25th nationally with Ty Simpson, while his 878 rushing yards were fourth among Power Four quarterbacks.
West Virginia Mountaineers: Michael Hawkins Jr. (Transfer)
Hawkins will become West Virginia’s full-time starter after starting five games across his two seasons at Oklahoma. His legs will be a nice fit in head coach Rich Rodriguez’s offense, as he ran for 374 yards on a 5.6-yard average with the Sooners. Hawkins will have to improve upon his 62.1 career PFF passing grade, though.
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