In what looks to be its final year before the departure of three members, the Pac-12 Conference may end up fielding its best quarterback group in years. With the reigning Heisman Trophy winner, two other potential Heisman candidates, and several high-upside passers, this season will be must-see television across the board.
With that being said, let’s have some fun and rank all 12 projected Pac-12 starting quarterbacks in order from best to worst.
1. Caleb Williams – USC
2022 stats: 4,537 passing yards, 42 touchdowns, 5 interceptions, 10 rushing touchdowns
The consensus best quarterback in the Pac-12 conveniently also happens to be the best quarterback in the country. What Caleb Williams did in his first season at USC was truly remarkable, and the reigning Heisman winner will look to build off that success in his third, and presumably last, season of college football. With the departure of USC’s top pass catcher in Jordan Addison, Williams will be tasked with building chemistry with some fresh faces on offense in 2023, such as Arizona transfer Dorian Singer.
2. Michael Penix Jr. – Washington
2022 stats: 4,641 yards, 31 touchdowns, 8 interceptions, 4 rushing touchdowns
Overshadowed by Caleb Williams’ Heisman campaign, Washington’s Michael Penix Jr. quietly had a phenomenal 2022 season. In his first year on campus, the left-handed Indiana transfer led the nation’s number one passing attack and quickly built a strong rapport with star receivers Rome Odunze and Jalen McMillan. The only question with Penix is whether he can stay healthy; when he’s on the field, the results speak for themselves.
3. Bo Nix – Oregon
2022 stats: 3,593 yards, 29 touchdowns, 7 interceptions, 14 rushing touchdowns
This is the year. Bo Nix has improved so much under this new offense. He’s focused. He’s having fun. I wouldn’t be surprised if he’s a dark horse for the Heisman.
Against all odds, college football Twitter’s all-time greatest copypasta has somehow turned itself into a reality. Bo Nix’s improvement at Oregon last season was incredible, and the fifth-year quarterback is, by all means, a Heisman dark horse heading into 2023. Nix was lights out to close out the season, scoring 23 touchdowns to just four interceptions in Oregon’s last six games. Public perception of Nix will always be clouded by his time at Auburn; however, the player we saw last year looked completely different. With a strong final season, Nix is likely to end up as a first-round pick in the 2024 NFL Draft.
4. Cameron Rising – Utah
2022 stats: 3,034 yards, 26 touchdowns, 8 interceptions, 6 rushing touchdowns
The Pac-12’s most decorated quarterback entering the year is none other than Utah’s Cameron Rising. Coming off back-to-back conference titles and two iconic performances against highly-ranked USC teams, Rising will look to finally lead Utah to the College Football Playoff this season. If nothing else, the guy is a flat-out gamer and has proven again and again that he’s capable of putting Utah in a position to win football games. However, Rising will be challenged with recovering from a torn ACL he suffered in the Rose Bowl. If Rising misses time, look for backup Bryson Barnes — who won in his lone start last season — to fill in for him.
5. DJ Uiagalelei – Oregon State
2022 stats: 2,521 yards, 22 touchdowns, 7 interceptions, 7 rushing touchdowns
Have you ever wondered what would happen if the most polarizing player in college football teamed up with one of the brightest minds in the sport? If so, look no further than Corvallis, Ore., where former Clemson quarterback DJ Uiagalelei is set to play under head coach Jonathan Smith. Uiagalelei is an enigma. At 6-foot-4 and 235 pounds with a cannon of an arm, he passes the eye test with flying colors. The on-field product, however, tells a different story. Uiagalelei struggled mightily with both his decision making and accuracy over his last two seasons at Clemson, ultimately leading to him being benched on several occasions. That being said, Uiagalelei was not as bad in 2022 as many paint him out to be. Look no further than his five-touchdown performance against Wake Forest as proof of his upside. In Oregon State’s three losses last year, its quarterbacks combined for 5.8 yards per attempt, zero touchdowns and eight interceptions. If Uiagalelei can just maintain some form of consistency, he should immediately take OSU to another level offensively.
6. Cameron Ward – Washington State
2022 stats: 3,231 yards, 23 touchdowns, 9 interceptions, 5 rushing touchdowns
Cameron Ward’s first season at the FBS level can generally be chalked up as a success. After putting up video game numbers at Incarnate Word, Ward flashed NFL arm talent week in and week out. When Ward is on, he’s on, but he tends to fall back on bad habits in big-time situations. Entering year two at Wazzu, it’s crucial that he shows improvement in both his throwing mechanics and processing abilities in order to take his team to the next level.
7. Shedeur Sanders – Colorado
2022 stats: 3,752 yards, 40 touchdowns, 6 interceptions, 6 rushing touchdowns
While many are quick to point to nepotism as the main reason for Deion Sanders’ son, Shedeur, being Colorado’s new starting quarterback, the Jackson State transfer boasts a genuinely impressive résumé regardless of his last name. The younger Sanders thrived at the FCS level, scoring 70 passing touchdowns in two years and winning the Deacon Jones Trophy as the nation’s top HBCU player. Think similar to Cameron Ward last season, a traitsy FCS transfer with impressive production, but a work in progress mechanically. Shedeur won’t just come in and replicate his FCS numbers against much tougher competition, but there’s reason to believe he’ll be able to find success on a revamped Colorado team.
8. Jayden de Laura – Arizona
2022 stats: 3,685 yards. 25 touchdowns, 13 interceptions, 4 rushing touchdowns
The key word with Jayden de Laura is volatility. On a good day, JDL looks among the best passers in the conference, but when he’s off… it gets ugly. It’s now or never for de Laura after two years of minimal improvement, and his vile offfield misconduct hasn’t exactly given him much time to work on his game in the summer.
9. Collin Schlee/Dante Moore/Ethan Garbers – UCLA
2022 stats (Schlee): 2,109 passing yards, 13 touchdowns, 5 interceptions, 4 rushing touchdowns
After what felt like an eternity of Dorian Thompson-Robinson at quarterback, UCLA faces the question of who his immediate successor will be. Highly-touted five-star recruit Dante Moore is the future of the program, but it’s unlikely that Chip Kelly gives him the keys right away. In the meantime, look for either Kent State transfer Collin Schlee or former backup Ethan Garbers to line up under center for the Bruins. Schlee is the more experienced of the two, having started a full season at Kent State, but Garbers offers more scheme familiarity and upside. Regardless of who starts between the three, UCLA should at least have serviceable quarterback play in 2023.
10. Drew Pyne – Arizona State
2022 stats: 2,021 passing yards, 22 passing touchdowns, 6 interceptions, 2 rushing touchdowns
Last but not least among the experienced quarterbacks is Drew Pyne, who started 10 games for Notre Dame last season. Pyne is a game manager who exceeded expectations in 2022. His physical limitations leave much to be desired, but that isn’t to say he’s outright a bad quarterback. After the leap Bo Nix took in his first year with Kenny Dillingham, it wouldn’t be a total shocker to see Pyne make some noise while playing for the now-ASU head coach.
11. Sam Jackson – California
2022 stats: 63 passing yards, 2 rushing touchdowns
After losing incumbent starter Jack Plummer to the transfer portal, Justin Wilcox’s Cal Golden Bears will turn to an unproven commodity at quarterback in TCU transfer Sam Jackson. In an extremely limited sample size, the former four-star recruit has flashed electric athleticism and arm talent. His lack of practically any in-game experience is impossible to ignore, but Jackson may have as high a ceiling as any player on this list. Don’t be shocked if he makes some noise in his first year at Cal.
12. Ari Patu – Stanford
2022 stats: 65 passing yards, 2 passing touchdowns
Ari Patu is set to be Troy Taylor’s QB1 in his first year as Stanford’s head coach. Patu — a four-star recruit in the class of 2021 — has appeared in four games over two seasons with the Cardinal, including one start against Oregon State. Stanford has done Patu no favors with the supporting cast around him, but Taylor’s success with the passing game at Sacramento State is certainly inspiring. Who knows, maybe Patu ends up following his predecessors and ends up being Stanford’s next NFL-bound quarterback.
About the author
Proud California Golden Bears fan and aspiring football mind. I specialize in Pac-12 and NFL Draft coverage. My past experiences in journalism include covering the San Francisco 49ers, as well as creating film breakdowns on my own blog. I love the X’s and O’s just as much as anyone else, but also see value in numbers. My favorite CFB game ever was the 2007 Fiesta Bowl between Oklahoma and Boise State.
