The Scarlet and Gray

[Captain Canada]

Really do love how you've done recruiting. So inventive.

[djp73]

I might have to snatch using teambuilder for these recruits' pictures. It's a good little bit of flavor over trying to find some random picture close online, especially for smaller schools.

That said, always huge to get some elite talent in the trenches. Always a lot easier to win ball games when your offensive line is dominating.

Do love that feature. Done it in the past but it’s a lot of work

[toysoldier00]

I might have to snatch using teambuilder for these recruits' pictures. It's a good little bit of flavor over trying to find some random picture close online, especially for smaller schools.

That said, always huge to get some elite talent in the trenches. Always a lot easier to win ball games when your offensive line is dominating.

Do love that feature. Done it in the past but it’s a lot of work

Fair warning, EA has made it unnecessarily tedious.

As for Crecelius, you can tell some guys just have it and you just pray you have the dev trait to match.

Really do love how you've done recruiting. So inventive.

I appreciate that. I feel like the deeper you go in creating a story for your players, the more enjoyable the overall experience. For me, at least.

[djp73]

Run us through the process now, off the top of my head it seems like a lot of hoops. Unless there is a guy on the tb roster that’s close enough and you can just jump into a quick game then you’d have to start a dynasty to make any changes to the player right?

[ShireNiner]

Building that line up nice, seems like a theme for OSU. Always big upfront and solid across the line on the good years.

[six7]

SUPER SAYINNNN

[toysoldier00]

Run us through the process now, off the top of my head it seems like a lot of hoops. Unless there is a guy on the tb roster that’s close enough and you can just jump into a quick game then you’d have to start a dynasty to make any changes to the player right?

Dynasty/Teambuilder/ReAlign Conferences to an Independent/AutoSim a Season/Switch Position/Edit Player/Custom Schedule

Building that line up nice, seems like a theme for OSU. Always big upfront and solid across the line on the good years.

Yep, and it was a need. As I suspect is true with a lot of programs, the default roster is missing a couple young lineman and has a couple older ones mis-profiled in terms of year in school, so the depth is REAL thin. Resetting that with some quality lineman that can play early was priority one for this class.

SUPER SAYINNNN

It's all about feeding #4 early for Julian.

[toysoldier00]

Big Ten QB Rankings: The Conference’s 2025 Starters, Ordered by Expectation



By Bailey Lloyd
August 27, 2025


The Big Ten enters 2025 with its most intriguing collection of quarterbacks in years, a mix of proven veterans, blue-chip upside bets, portal imports and, in Michigan’s case, a true freshman phenom tasked with stabilizing a program in transition. With the season just days away, here’s how the conference’s starting quarterbacks stack up based on expectations, not résumés alone.

1. Drew Allar, Penn State
Keeping Allar for his senior year may be the biggest offseason win in the Big Ten. A likely top-five pick, and one NFL scout said he “could easily play himself into the No. 1 overall conversation”. Allar has the size, experience and efficiency to lead a Penn State roster loaded at nearly every position. The preseason No. 2 Nittany Lions will go as far as he takes them.

2. Luke Altmyer, Illinois
Altmyer isn’t projected as a first-rounder, but he’s one of the conference’s steadiest quarterbacks. A third-year starter who helped push Illinois to No. 10 in the preseason rankings, he has developed into a poised, accurate operator who rarely puts the ball in harm’s way. As one Big Ten assistant put it: “He’s the kind of guy who wins you 10 games because he doesn’t lose any.”

3. Nico Iamaleava, UCLA
For sheer tools, few in the country can match Iamaleava. The former five-star led Tennessee to the playoff before a messy exit landed him at UCLA. The Bruins struggled last year, but the scheme fits him, and if he plays to his talent level, he’s a one-and-done first-round pick. Expectations are sky-high. And they should be.

4. Dylan Raiola, Nebraska
As a true freshman, Raiola flashed every bit of the arm talent that made him a top-five national recruit. Now he steps into his second year with real expectations. Nebraska believes he will take a significant leap, and one NFL scout noted that “Raiola’s ceiling is as high as any QB in the Big Ten not named Allar.”



5. Fernando Mendoza, Indiana
Mendoza arrives from Cal as one of the league’s more polarizing quarterbacks. Some evaluators see first-round potential; others see a solid starter with limitations. Indiana is betting big: after a once-in-a-lifetime 11-win season and playoff run last year, the Hoosiers need Mendoza to stabilize an offense replacing multiple key pieces.

6. Jayden Maiava, USC
Maiava was one of the breakout freshmen in college football at UNLV before transferring to USC. After winning the job midway through last season, he now gets a full year in Lincoln Riley’s system which typically means big production. The talent is real, and the fit is strong.

7. Demond Williams Jr., Washington
Williams brings a play style that invites Kyler Murray comparisons: quick, twitchy, and capable of stressing defenses on every snap. He only saw limited action last season, but Washington believes he’s ready to run a high-octane offense loaded with skill talent. Expect volatility early, but the upside is undeniable.

8. Aidan Chiles, Michigan State
Chiles’ first season in East Lansing was inconsistent, but Michigan State remains optimistic. With another year in the system and improved personnel around him, he’s expected to make a meaningful jump. He may be the biggest X-factor in the conference.

9. Bryce Underwood, Michigan
The top overall recruit in the 2025 class arrives in Ann Arbor with massive expectations and a steep learning curve. Michigan believes in his maturity and arm talent, but he’s still a true freshman starting for a team with playoff aspirations. There will be growing pains.

10. Julian Sayin, Ohio State
Sayin, the former No. 1 quarterback recruit, officially won the starting job last week. He has the accuracy, processing speed and temperament to thrive under Ryan Day, who said Sayin “earned it and gives us the best chance to win.” Surrounded by elite skill players, his ceiling this year depends on how quickly he adapts to full-time action.

11. Dante Moore, Oregon
Moore played early at UCLA before transferring and sitting behind Dillon Gabriel last season. Now he inherits a top-six preseason team with playoff potential. Moore has the pedigree and arm talent, but expectations are moderate until he shows consistency.



12. Preston Stone, Northwestern
Stone brings extensive starting experience from SMU and should give Northwestern much-needed stability. He’s unlikely to produce gaudy numbers, but he’s a reliable veteran presence for a team trying to rebuild an identity.

13. Billy Edwards, Wisconsin
Wisconsin needs steadiness, and Edwards offers that. Injuries derailed the Badgers’ quarterback room last season, so merely giving Luke Fickell efficient, turnover-averse play would be an upgrade. Expectations are tempered but hopeful.

14. Mark Gronowski, Iowa
Gronowski was an FCS standout at South Dakota State, but transitioning to Iowa’s offense, notoriously one of the conference’s least explosive, presents challenges. If he elevates the Hawkeyes even modestly, it will be viewed as a success.

15. Athan Kaliakmanis, Rutgers
Experienced but limited, Kaliakmanis likely is who he is at this point: a steady but unspectacular Big Ten starter. Rutgers will rely on his toughness and experience, but expectations are capped.

16. Malik Washington, Maryland
Washington is a gifted 6-foot-5 athlete with a huge arm, but he’s also a young starter in a developmental system. The long-term outlook is promising, but 2025 will be about learning on the job.

17. Drake Lindsey, Minnesota
Lindsey has a strong arm and encouraging traits, but he’s still largely untested. Minnesota expects growing pains.

18. Ryan Browne, Purdue
Browne is the least proven starter in the league, and Purdue is projected to finish near the bottom of the conference. Any breakout would be a surprise.

The Big Ten enters 2025 with star power at the top, volatility in the middle and uncertainty at the bottom, and by the time October hits, this list could look radically different. But entering Week 1, Allar leads the pack, and everyone else is chasing.

[six7]

not a fan of those rankings

[redsox907]

18. Ryan Browne, Purdue
Browne is the least proven starter in the league, and Purdue is projected to finish near the bottom of the conference. Any breakout would be a surprise.

Ryan Browne lead Purdue to the National Championship and graduated as the NCAA all time touchdown leader in my USC chise last year