Michigan State returns quarterback Payton Thorne for his second year as the starter, one reason some are high on the Spartans entering the 2022 season. But where does he ranks compared to his peers in the Big Ten and on the national level?
I have Thorne as one of the top quarterbacks in the league entering this season and would rank him in the top 25 nationally. However, Steve Lassan at Athlon Sports believes differently about the Spartans’ starting signal-caller.
See where Lassan has Thorne and the rest of the Big Ten starting quarterbacks in his position ranking for the 2022 season:
Ryan Hilinski (Northwestern)
Big Ten ranking: No. 14
National ranking: No. 116
From Athlon: “Northwestern’s offense did not score more than 14 points in seven out of its last eight games and ended the year by averaging only 4.4 yards per play in Big Ten contests. Yikes. The passing game was a primary culprit in the offensive struggles (just 16.6 points a game for the season), as quarterbacks for the Wildcats managed to average only 57.9 in completion percentage and tossed 10 picks to 10 interceptions in Big Ten play.”
Gavin Wimsatt (Rutgers)
Big Ten ranking: No. 13
National ranking: No. 109
From Athlon: “A Rutgers quarterback hasn’t passed for more than 10 touchdowns in a season since Chris Laviano eclipsed that mark (16) in 2015. Although inconsistency and up-and-down play have marred this quarterback room, the Scarlet Knights have at least one reason for optimism for ’22. Noah Vedral returns after starting 20 games for Rutgers the last two years, and Wimsatt’s continued development could help this offense take a big step forward after averaging only 19.7 points a game and 4.5 yards per play in ’21.”
Tommy DeVito (Illinois)
Big Ten ranking: No. 12
National ranking: No. 97
From Athlon: “The unquestioned strength of Illinois’ 2022 offense is its ground game, but coach Bret Bielema will need a little more out of his passing attack to get to a bowl game. After averaging only 20.2 points a game and 4.9 yards per play in Big Ten games, Bielema took steps to jumpstart this group, hiring Barry Lunney Jr. from UTSA to call plays and securing DeVito’s commitment from the transfer portal.”
Spencer Petras (Iowa)
Big Ten ranking: No. 11
National ranking: No. 96
From Athlon: “It’s no secret Iowa’s offense struggled last season and heads into 2022 as a concern once again. Although the Hawkeyes won the Big Ten’s West Division, this unit averaged only 23 points and 4.5 yards per play in conference action. Both Petras and Alex Padilla saw significant snaps under center last fall, but neither played well enough to stake a clear claim for the job. Petras held an edge in completion percentage (57.3 to 49.1) and led the team with 1,880 passing yards and 10 touchdowns.”
Connor Bazelak (Indiana)
Big Ten ranking: No. 10
National ranking: No. 78
From Athlon: “Significant changes were made on offense after the Hoosiers managed only 10.4 points a game and 3.9 yards per play in Big Ten games last fall. Coach Tom Allen hired a new play-caller (Walt Bell), and brought in help to the skill positions through the transfer ranks, while also dipping into the portal for a new signal-caller. As a team, Indiana threw just nine touchdown passes to 15 interceptions and averaged only 5.4 yards per attempt last fall. Bazelak’s arrival should help stabilize the play under center and provide a needed spark for this offense.”
Graham Mertz (Wisconsin)
Big Ten ranking: No. 9
National ranking: No. 77
From Athlon: “After a promising debut against Illinois in 2020, Mertz’s play has been up-and-down and a better ’22 season is needed if Wisconsin is going to return to the Big Ten title game. The Kansas native ranked ninth in the conference in quarterback rating (121.3), yards per attempt (6.9), and completion percentage (59.5) while throwing for 1,958 yards and 10 touchdowns to 11 picks over 13 games last fall. Over the last two seasons, Mertz has passed for 19 scores. However, 10 of those came in three games – Illinois (2020), Northwestern (’21) and Rutgers (’21).”
Casey Thompson (Nebraska)
Big Ten ranking: No. 8
National ranking: No. 51
From Athlon: “Despite Nebraska’s offense averaging 6.4 yards per play and ranking second in the conference in total yardage (447.6), change was needed after a 3-9 mark in Lincoln. Coach Scott Frost revamped nearly all of his offensive staff and hired veteran Mark Whipple to call plays in ’22. In addition to the scheme tweaks and coordinator switch, the ‘Huskers have a change under center after Adrian Martinez transferred to Kansas State. Thompson – a transfer from Texas and the son of former Oklahoma quarterback Charles Thompson – left spring as the front-runner to start and should be a good fit for Whipple’s attack.”
Tanner Morgan (Minnesota)
Big Ten ranking: No. 7
National ranking: No. 50
From Athlon: “The return of Kirk Ciarrocca as play-caller is good news for a Minnesota offense looking to get back on track after a sluggish performance (25.5 points a game) in 2021. With Ciarrocca as the offensive coordinator in ’19, the Golden Gophers ranked third in the Big Ten in scoring (34.1 points a game) and second in yards per play (6.4). Also, Morgan had the best season of his career, throwing for 3,253 yards and 30 touchdowns to just seven picks.”
Sean Clifford (Penn State)
Big Ten ranking: No. 6
National ranking: No. 49
From Athlon: “The Nittany Lions need Clifford to play better after a disappointing 7-6 finish last season, but not all of what hindered the offense was on the quarterback. Penn State struggled up front (34 sacks allowed), while the ground game managed only 3.2 yards per carry and 96.6 rushing yards in Big Ten contests last fall. Improving the supporting cast would boost Clifford’s performance, but the senior could also be pushed by talented freshmen Drew Allar (true) and Christian Veilleux (redshirt) if he struggles early on.”
Payton Thorne (MIchigan State)
Big Ten ranking: No. 5
National ranking: No. 37
From Athlon: “Thorne’s first year at the controls of Michigan State’s offense resulted in a record-setting season. The Illinois native set a school record for most touchdown passes in a single season (27) and posted the third-most passing yards (3,233). Back-to-back efforts of four-touchdown tosses against Youngstown State and Miami in September were a good sign of what was to come from Thorne, as he later tossed four scores against Maryland and finished the season by posting 354 yards and three touchdowns against Pitt in the Peach Bowl.”
Cade McNamara/J.J. McCarthy (Michigan)
Big Ten ranking: No. 4
National ranking: No. 27
From Athlon: “We are going to cheat a bit and list both Michigan quarterbacks here. Although there’s a battle between McNamara and McCarthy in fall practice to start, both are likely going to play a lot in 2022. Essentially, we are ranking the quarterback room here, but if one starts and plays the bulk of the season snaps, the guess here is that signal-caller ends up earning second-team All-Big Ten honors (and ranks higher on this list).”
Taulia Tagovailoa (Maryland)
Big Ten ranking: No. 3
National ranking: No. 24
From Athlon: “Tagovailoa took a big step forward in his second year as Maryland’s starting quarterback. The Alabama transfer completed nearly 70 percent (69.2) of his throws for 3,860 yards and 26 touchdowns and 11 picks. Additionally, he seemed to get stronger as the year progressed, throwing for at least 300 yards in four out of the Terrapins’ last six contests – including a 419-yard performance against Indiana in a 38-35 win.”
Aidan O’Connell (Purdue)
Big Ten ranking: No. 2
National ranking: No. 22
From Athlon: “From walk-on to All-Big Ten quarterback: That’s O’Connell’s story at Purdue in just a few seasons. The Illinois native did not play in his first two years on campus and made six starts from 2019-20 before a breakout season in ’21. O’Connell threw for 3,708 yards and 28 touchdowns vs. 11 picks for the Boilermakers last fall en route to guiding the team to a 9-4 finish – the best mark under coach Jeff Brohm. O’Connell was lethal with his accuracy (71.8 percent, a single-season Purdue record) and posted two 500-yard efforts against Michigan State and Tennessee.”
C.J. Stroud (Ohio State)
Big Ten ranking: No. 1
National ranking: No. 2
From Athlon: “Major expectations surrounded Stroud as he inherited the controls of Ohio State’s high-powered offense last season. After a slow first half against Minnesota and dealing with the effects of a shoulder injury early on, Stroud quickly emerged as one of the top quarterbacks in college football. The California native guided the Buckeyes to an average of 45.7 points a game and led the Big Ten with 4,435 passing yards and 44 scores.”
