2023 Opposing Quarterback Unit Ranking

Written by: TJ Inman (@TJHoosierHuddle)

With the 2023 college football season mere weeks away, Hoosier Huddle is ranking each position group for all of IU’s 2023 opponents. Today, we focus on the quarterbacks the Hoosiers will be facing.

12. Indiana State Sycamores

The leading passer for the Sycamores in 2022 was Cade Chambers. He completed 65% of his passes for 938 yards with eight touchdowns and three interceptions in nine games played. The redshirt sophomore from Tennessee returns and should be a bit better in his second season but the bar is low. ISU had a miserable offense last year, averaging only 16 points per game and fewer than 170 passing yards per contest. After playing the Ohio State Buckeyes, this game against the Sycamores could be a needed boost for IU’s rebuilt secondary.

11. Rutgers Scarlet Knights

Is new offensive coordinator Kirk Ciarrocca capable of resurrecting the dead Rutgers offense? This unit was horrible in 2022 and they drastically need a big step up from quarterback Gavin Wimsatt. The junior was a well-regarded recruit but he has yet to show much promise in his time in college, completing just 44.8% of his passes last season. Wimsatt only threw five touchdowns and there’s not much reason to be excited about changes to the receiving corps.

10. Akron Zips

Joe Moorhead is a terrific offensive coach and the expectation is that he will continue to grow the Zips offense in his second season in charge of Akron. DJ Irons is the man at quarterback after an uneven but promising season in 2022. Irons completed 66.8% of his passes for 2,605 yards and added 314 yards on the ground as a dual-threat option. The former JUCO All-American, along with Moorhead at the helm, is capable of putting up some points against the Hoosiers if IU is not ready for the game. That written, the Zips struggled against higher-competition last season. They were thumped by Michigan State 52-0 in the closest opponent comparison we have to Indiana.

9. Michigan State Spartans

Payton Thorne transferred out, leaving the Michigan State Spartans with redshirt sophomore Noah Kim as the undisputed starting quarterback. There is not really any depth behind Kim after Thorne left so they’ll desperately need the inexperienced Kim to perform well and stay healthy. Noah Kim was 14-19 with three touchdowns in spare duty in 2022 but he is a mystery man entering the 2023 campaign. The Michigan State coaching staff has said a lot of positive vibes about him and he could be quite talented but the Spartans lost a couple of standout receivers, including Keon Coleman, to the transfer portal and that will limit Kim’s upside. Kim does have good speed and his legs could be a weapon for the MSU offense.

8. Illinois Fighting Illini

Altmyer and the next two players on this list could be chosen at any order but Altmyer gets the nod at number eight because his numbers in limited action really are not that great. The transfer from Ole Miss will be the starting quarterback for Bret Bielema and it will certainly be a different offense than he ran for Lane Kiffin at Ole Miss. In 2021, Altmyer was 20 for 37 for 192 yards and in 2022, he was 8-17 for 125 yards. Based on what we have seen thus far in his career, he does not offer much with his legs but he does have a bit of mobility in the pocket. Altmyer will be leading an Illinois offense that should have a strong offensive line (they are, after all, coached by Bret Bielema) and good running game so he’ll have a bit of a crutch to lean on.

7. Louisville Cardinals

Plummer will be a familiar name to Indiana fans. The former Purdue Boilermaker left Purdue to play at California for Justin Wilcox. When Jeff Brohm got the Louisville job and needed a quarterback familiar with his system, he brought in Plummer. Plummer is not the most gifted player but he is very solid, experienced and he knows how to operate Jeff Brohm’s system. In addition, he should have some really good weapons at his disposal for the Cardinals this season. The senior was a 62.5% passer for the Cal Golden Bears last season but he’ll need to cut down on his turnovers this coming season. That was an issue that plagued him at Purdue as he eventually was beaten out by Aidan O’Connell. Plummer is going to put up big numbers and Jeff Brohm’s offense is going to be a problem for the IU defense early in the season. A knock on Plummer, he is a bit of a statue with very limited mobility. That is not usually a problem in the quick-passing scheme Jeff Brohm uses but really good pass rushers can cause him a lot issues.

6. Purdue Boilermakers

Putting Hudson Card at number six is a bit of a bet on talent. The junior from Austin, Texas, was expected to be the next big thing when he committed to his hometown dream school. After three seasons for the Longhorns, Card found himself buried behind a ridiculously quarterback trio at Texas and transferred to Purdue. The Boilermakers needed a quarterback and he was a major get for first year head coach Ryan Walters. It is an unknown what the offense is going to look like and Purdue has lost a lot of talent at wide receiver and tight end in the past couple of seasons so Card slips down the list a bit. Card had some standout games for a very talented Texas team last season, throwing for 277 yards against Texas Tech and 303 yards against West Virginia. He will not have as much talent around him in West Lafayette.

5. Wisconsin Badgers

How exactly do you rank the final five quarterbacks on this list? You have a mixture of returning veterans with proven success, a transfer with proven success and a new system, and two new starters surrounded by elite talent. Ultimately, Tanner Mordecai and the Wisconsin Badgers get placed fifth. Everything is changing in Madison. That includes the starting quarterback and the offensive system as new offensive coordinator Phil Longo installs a spread scheme. That’s right, the Wisconsin Badgers running a spread offense. Mordecai threw for more than 7,000 yards and 72 touchdowns at SMU so he’s ridiculously productive. He now has to step up against tougher defenses but Wisconsin brought in a few instant contributors at wide receiver and return running back Braelon Allen so Mordecai and the Badgers should be really tough to stop.

4. Ohio State Buckeyes

Kyle McCord is fourth on the list. That’s not because he isn’t going to be really good but because the top three have already shown what they can be and also have some good talent surrounding them. McCord is still competing with Devin Brown for the starting job but McCord is the favorite to emerge as QB1. He is very talented but very few believe he has the ceiling previous Buckeyes like Justin Fields or CJ Stroud offered. The benefit for McCord is that he is in a great system, with a great offensive coach and a ridiculously stocked cupboard of talent around him. The running backs are up there with anyone and the receivers are likely the best in the country and led by superstar Marvin Harrison Jr. The Hoosiers get Ohio State at a good time and they’ll hope the quarterback situation for the Buckeyes take a bit of time to get settled.

3. Maryland Terrapins

Taulia Tagovailoa has firmly established himself as more than just “Tua’s little brother”. Tagovailoa is now in his senior season and he threw for 3008 yards with 18 touchdowns plus an additional four touchdowns on the ground. In all likelihood, Kyle McCord is going to put up bigger numbers than Tagovailoa but he’s surrounded by studs at every spot. Tagovailoa is not. That does not mean he’s not without weapons at his disposal. The running backs are really good, the Terps have a darn good tight end in Corey Dyches and despite some losses, they still have good wideouts. The offensive line is better than it was but still not a great strength. Tagovailoa is a proven veteran with a ton of experience and he’s seen everything the Big Ten defenses can throw at him.

2. Penn State Nittany Lions

This is probably a bit too high on Drew Allar but the sophomore quarterback for Penn State is ready to become a star. He played sparingly in 2022, sitting behind Sean Clifford, but flashed enough to show his exciting potential. The former five-star recruit has one of the best running back duos in the country (if not THE best) playing alongside him and the Nittany Lions do have some talent at wide receiver plus a good offensive line. Penn State fans think Allar is the guy to lead them to their first Big Ten East title and catapult them into the College Football Playoff. If he can accomplish that, he becomes a Happy Valley legend.

1. Michigan Wolverines

That leaves J.J. McCarthy, the leader of the Michigan Wolverines, at the top of this list. Michigan has so many ways to beat you. They can dominate you with the defense, pound you into submission with Donovan Edwards and Blake Corum and a huge offensive line or J.J. McCarthy can pick you apart with precision. After beginning 2022 in platoon duty with Cade McNamara, McCarthy took over full time and ended up throwing for 2719 yards with a 64.6 completion percentage. In addition, he took care of the ball with over five interceptions on 322 attempts. He added 306 yards with five touchdowns on the ground. McCarthy is the perfect quarterback for Jim Harbaugh’s system, and he should be even better in his second-year as QB1.