Big 12 QB rankings for 2025: Sam Leavitt, Josh Hoover lead class that returns 10 starters

Shedeur Sanders topped the charts for passing yards in the Big 12 during 2024.

The following ten quarterbacks in those standings will be returning this season. With these ten starting players coming back, it could result in yet another exciting and unpredictable year for what is considered one of the most captivating conferences in collegiate football.

Seven of these quarterbacks were spearheaded by Baylor’s Sawyer Robertson with at least 20 touchdown passes. Four signal-callers—led by TCU's Josh Hoover—included players who threw for over 3,000 yards. Additionally, four quarterbacks—dominated by Kansas State's Avery Johnson—with at least 400 rushing yards made the list as well.

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How challenging are these quarterbacks to forecast? In the previous year, Sporting News placed Arizona State at the bottom of their list. However, Sam Leavitt led the Sun Devils to win the Big 12 title and secure a place in the College Football Playoff. Consequently, Leavitt has taken the number one position in our updated Big 12 quarterback rankings.

The Big 12 could be the sole league where such a scenario can unfold. Notable transfers like Colorado’s Kaidon Salter, Houston’s Conner Weigman, and Utah’s Devon Dampier aim to elevate their standings within these rankings this season.

Take a detailed look at our Big 12 quarterback rankings for 2025.

MORE: Big Ten QB rankings | SEC QB rankings

Ranking Top Big 12 Quarterbacks for 2025

1. Arizona State

Starter: Sophomore Sam Leavitt (13 career starts)

Backup: Senior Jeff Sims (26 career starts; 1 start at Arizona State, 12 starts at Nebraska, 13 starts at Georgia Tech)

Leavitt passed for 2,885 yards, 24 TDs and six interceptions, and he added 443 rushing yards and five TDs. He ranked fourth in the Big 12 with a 150.2 passer rating. If Leavitt improves his accuracy, then he could be a first-round pick in the 2026 NFL Draft because of that blend of mistake-free passing and mobility. Sims made one start last season and is in his sixth season.

MORE: SN's post-spring, post-portal Top 25

2. TCU

Starter: Second-year student Josh Hoover (with 19 previous starting appearances)

Backup: Senior Ken Seals (22 professional starts with Vanderbilt University)

In his sophomore year as the starting quarterback for the Horned Frogs, Hoover demonstrated progress. His stats included 3,949 passing yards, 27 touchdowns, and 11 interceptions, culminating in four successive wins to end the season. Hoover enhanced both his completion rate (66.5%) and average yardage per pass (8.4). In order to improve further, he must reduce his interception count next year. Last season, TCU didn’t face any top-ranked teams; however, this fall they’ll be up against North Carolina, SMU, and Arizona State. Returning for another stint as the backup is Seals, who has significant experience behind center.

3. Iowa State

Starter: Junior Rocco Becht (with 25 appearances in his professional career)

Backup: Freshman Connor Moberly (0 career starts)

Iowa State coach Matt Campbell has a third-year starter in Rocco Becht, who ranked fifth in the Big 12 with 3,505 passing yards and 25 TDs with just nine interceptions. Becht is consistent, and he's compiled a 17-8 record as a starter the last two seasons. He closed the season with 270 yards and three TDs in the 45-42 victory against Miami in the Pop-Tarts Bowl. Becht is very much in the mold of former Cyclones star quarterback Brock Purdy heading into the 2025 season. Moberty was 5 of 10 passing for 49 yards in 2024.

4. BYU

Starter: Senior Jake Retzlaff (17 career starts)

Backup: FRESHMAN Bear Bachmeier (no career starts yet)

After two years playing junior college football, Retzlaff has become a standout player. During his time at BYU, he guided the team to an impressive 11-2 record, accumulating 2,947 passing yards along with 20 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. Additionally, he contributed significantly through rushes, gaining 417 yards and scoring six more touchdowns. In their final four matches, however, Retzlaff recorded only two touchdowns against five interceptions, including defeats against Kansas and Arizona State. This season, improving performance away from home and towards the endgame could benefit him and the Cougars. Despite these challenges, Retzlaff benefits from being among talented quarterbacks like Bear Bachmeier, who recently transferred from Stanford as a true freshman.

5. Baylor

Starter: Veteran Sawyer Robertson (with 14 previous starts)

Backup: Rookie Walker White (no prior professional games played)

Dave Aranda heads into his sixth season with Robertson firmly established as the starting quarterback. Last season, he appeared in 10 games and secured the second spot in the Big 12 rankings with a remarkable passer rating of 153.1. Throughout those matches, Robertson amassed 3,071 passing yards along with 28 touchdowns against only eight interceptions. His performance concluded strongly during the final six regular-season contests where he averaged 230.2 passing yards per game, threw 15 touchdown passes, and recorded just four picks. Notably, despite losing to LSU 44-31 in the Texas Bowl, Robertson managed an impressive 445 passing yards. This upcoming season, Baylor might surprise many as a dark horse contender within the Big 12 should Robertson maintain such consistent production throughout all their games.

6. Kansas State

Starter: Junior Avery Johnson (14 professional starts)

Backup: Junior Jacob Knuth (no professional starts yet)

Will Howard guided Ohio State to victory in the College Football Playoff championship game. In his place at Kansas State, Avery Johnson experienced mixed outcomes during his inaugural year. Over the course of the season, Johnson accumulated 2,712 passing yards along with 25 touchdowns and 10 interceptions, complemented by 605 rushing yards and seven additional scores through running. Known for his powerful throwing abilities and knack for extending plays, he occasionally struggled with errors—especially when playing away from home. The team’s performance suffered outside their usual venue, posting a record of only two wins against three losses within conference matches. Among returning quarterbacks in the Big 12, Johnson holds the eighth spot regarding pass efficiency ratings. Nonetheless, expectations remain high for improvement under new offensive coordinator Matt Wells, now entering his second term in this role.

7. Texas Tech

Starter: Junior Behren Morton (24 professional appearances)

Backup: First-year student Will Hammond (participated in 1 game as a starter)

Morton is entering his second year as a starter under coach Joey McGuire, boasting an impressive performance history. He placed third in the Big 12 for passing yardage at 277.9 yards per contest, completing 27 touchdowns alongside eight interceptions. However, Morton underwent shoulder surgery during the off-season. In contrast, Hammond recorded 280 yards along with one touchdown and two interceptions in their 39-26 defeat against Arkansas in the AutoZone Liberty Bowl. Over the past couple of years, Morton’s throwing arm has been hampered by this shoulder issue, resulting in a reduced accuracy rate to just 56.3% when facing top-tier opponents. Despite these challenges, there remains significant potential yet unfulfilled; however, the foundation looks promising.

8. Utah

Starter: Devon Dampier (13 professional starts with New Mexico)

Backup: Junior Isaac Wilson (has participated in 7 previous games)

Cam Rising, after his six-season tenure at Utah, has departed. In comes Dampier, a promising quarterback option to fill the void. Last year, he threw for 2,768 yards along with 12 touchdowns and 12 interceptions, yet added another dimension with 1,166 rushing yards and 19 touchdowns. Offensive coordinator Jason Beck, moving over from New Mexico to join Utah, could help hone Dampier’s throwing skills further. Coming off their previous 5-7 performance, the team may take quite a turn with Dampier leading them. Isaac Wilson briefly joined the player movement before deciding to return to Utah, where he’ll compete alongside Oklahoma transplant Brendan Zurbrugg for the second-string position.

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9. Kansas

Starter: Senior Jalon Daniels (with 33 previous starts)

Backup: Freshman Cole Ballard (no prior games played)

Daniels returns for his sixth season under Coach Lance Leipold, and over the past three years, things have been hit-or-miss. In 2022, he had a standout performance; however, he faced injury issues in 2023 and battled inconsistent play last year. His record stands at 14 wins and 19 losses since becoming a starter. Despite this, he possesses significant potential. During the 2024 campaign, where Kansas finished with an overall record of 5-7, Daniels recorded 2,454 passing yards along with 14 touchdowns and 12 interceptions, adding another 439 rushing yards and six more scores through running. As the league’s most seasoned quarterback, Daniels has shown promise by leading victories against teams like Iowa State, BYU, and Colorado last November. The question remains whether he will gel well with Jim Zebrowski, recently appointed as the team's offensive coordinator.

10. Colorado

Starter: Senior Kaidon Salter (24 career starts at Liberty)

Backup: Freshman Julian Lewis (0 career starts)

During the past two years under coach Deion Sanders, Shedeur Sanders threw for 7,364 passing yards, 64 touchdowns, and 13 interceptions, leading the team to a record of 13 wins and 12 losses. Salter, who previously held a remarkable 20-4 win-loss ratio as a starter at Liberty University, recorded 59 touchdowns and 13 interceptions during his time there. Additionally, he contributed significantly to their ground game with 1,697 rushing yards and 15 touchdowns. Freshman Lewis, rated as a four-star recruit from Carrollton (Ga.) High School, could see playing time this year. The offensive coordinator position remains occupied by Pat Shurmur, now entering his third season with the squad. This group of players appears highly skilled going into Coach Prime’s third year with the program.

11. Arizona

Starter: Junior Noah Fifita (with 21 appearances in his career)

Backup: Junior Bradeyn Locke (made 12 appearances for Wisconsin)

In 2023, Fifita experienced a remarkable breakthrough campaign; however, he faced challenges related to turnovers during the previous year. His statistics for that period included 2,958 passing yards, along with 18 touchdowns and 12 interceptions. Additionally, Fifita must adapt to playing without wide receiver Tetairoa McMillan, selected eighth overall in the 2025 NFL Draft. The second-year head coach, Brent Brennan, recently appointed Seth Doege—a former University of Texas quarterback—as the team’s new offensive coordinator, replacing Dino Babers. This marks Fifita’s third different play caller within just three years. Last season at Wisconsin, Braedyn Locke recorded 18 touchdown passes alongside 11 interceptions and maintained a pass-completion rate of 53.6%. Locke serves as an adequate replacement should Fifita require support from the bench.

12. Cincinnati

Starter: Junior Brendan Sorsby (19 professional starts; 12 with Cincinnati, 7 with Indiana)

Backup: Senior Brady Lichtenberg

Sorsby enters his second season as the Bearcats' starting quarterback. Last year, he placed seventh in the Big 12 conference with 2,813 passing yards, accompanied by 18 touchdowns and seven interceptions. In a close game against Texas Tech on September 28th, which ended at 44-41, Sorsby threw for an impressive 426 yards along with four touchdowns. Despite these highlights, Cincinnati concluded their season losing five consecutive matches, three of those losses being within just one touchdown margin each. Throughout his career so far, Sorsby has maintained a record of six wins out of thirteen starts. For third-year head coach Scott Satterfield and offensive coordinator Brad Glenn, this upcoming season holds significant importance.

13. Houston

Starter: Junior Connor Weigman (13 professional starts with Texas A&M)

Backup: Junior Zeonn Chriss (no career starts yet)

Maybe a fresh environment could benefit Weigman, a five-star quarterback hailing from Bridgeland (Cypress, Texas) High School. Over the past three seasons at Texas A&M, he hasn’t participated in more than six games annually, completing only 60 percent of his passes with 19 touchdowns and seven interceptions. Nonetheless, this seems like an interesting match under head coach Willie Fritz’s leadership in his second year. Last season, Houston quarterbacks collectively threw for nine touchdowns against 17 interceptions, suggesting that Weigman might bring improvement should he gel well with newly appointed offensive coordinator Slade Nagle, previously from LSU. There is potential for him to recover his form within the Big 12 conference.

14. UCF

Starter: Senior Cam Fancher (26 career starts; 17 with Marshall; 9 with FAU) or junior Tayven Jackson (6 career statistics at Indiana)

Scott Frost has returned to UCF, and he'll be joined by new coordinator Scott Cooper and quarterbacks coach McKenzie Milton as they navigate a quarterback competition. Last year’s players, Jacurri Brown and Dillan Rizk, will compete alongside newcomers Caleb Fancher and Otto Wenzel Jackson. While Fancher brings more seasoning from his time at Marshall and Florida Atlantic—amassing 1,104 rushing yards and scoring eight touchdowns over the past three years—the mobility of both experienced options may factor into their chances under Frost’s system. However, Jackson also boasts high-level college football experience after playing for Tennessee and Indiana. The outcome remains uncertain.

15. West Virginia

Starter: Junior Nicco Marchiol (with 3 career starts) or senior Jaylen Henderson (who has 4 career starts at Texas A&M)

Rich Rodriguez is facing a competitive race among three quarterbacks heading into fall training camp. Marchiol holds an edge due to his presence in the program over the past three years under Garrett Greene. Last season, Marchiol took the reins in two matches. Henderson comes from Fresno State and Texas A&M but similarly lacks extensive starting time. Max Brown might challenge during fall camp as well, yet we predict it'll likely come down to either Marchiol or Henderson, with some expected ups and downs amid RichRod’s comeback to Morgantown.

16. Oklahoma State

Starter: FRESHMAN Hauss Hejney (no professional starts yet)

Backup: Freshman Zane Flores (no prior professional games played)

The quarterback position in this team boasts the lowest amount of game time within the Big 12. With Garrett Rangel entering the transfer portal during springtime, Coach Mike Gundy now faces a decision between Flores and Hejny following their recent 3-9 performance. Adding another layer to these developments, Gundy recently appointed Doug Meacham as the new offensive coordinator; he previously coached wide receivers at TCU over the past three years. Flores had his previous year affected by a medical redshirt status. This suggests that Hejny—who came over from TCU where he primarily served as a backup with just 15 rushes for 65 yards—is expected to be considered first for the starter’s role among Oklahoma State’s quarterbacks.