Last year, the Big 12 was a league featuring great running backs. This coming fall, it is a league filled with some of the country’s best returning quarterbacks.
In other words, the Big 12 is expected to field QBs who are experienced, productive, nationally recognized and expected to win.
This is a position both Utah and BYU will need to have operating at a high level come September. The Utes have New Mexico transfer Devon Dampier and BYU has yet to find out who will replace its own Big 12 veteran, the suspended Jake Retzlaff, who formally announced Friday that he is withdrawing from BYU.
Neither Dampier nor whoever BYU starts has played Big 12 football.
In every sense, it will be a huge learning curve and a critical performance metric for both schools, which are expected to field outstanding defenses.
Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark made it a point of emphasis at the Big 12 football media days in Frisco, Texas, this past week: The Big 12 has the best stable of QBs in the country.
Yormark said the Big 12 returns nine of 16 starting quarterbacks, and the rest of P4 combined has 11.
TCU’s Josh Hoover, Baylor’s Sawyer Robertson and ASU’s Sam Leavitt lead the pack.
“It’s awesome for our league, because that tells you there were nine kids that probably got tampered with and didn’t go anywhere,” quipped Kansas State coach Chris Klieman. He returns sophomore starter Avery Johnson.
“All those kids probably had an opportunity to do something else, but they believed in their school, they believed in their teammates, they believed in their coaching staff and they believed in this league. That tells me a lot that all those guys stayed.”
So, how good must Dampier and whoever BYU fields be this fall?
Well, with their respective defenses, Dampier and the mystery BYU guy have great help, they could be average or just above average and the Utes and Cougs just might get by.
But there is an expected standard set last season by this group of Big 12 QBs, and it is impressive.
If you average what Hoover (TCU) did with Robertson (Baylor), Leavitt (ASU) and Johnson (Kansas State) did with Jalon Daniels (Kansas), Rocco Becht (Iowa State), Brendan Sorsby (Cincinnati), Behren Morton (Texas Tech) and Noah Fifita (Arizona), the standard is pretty tough.
Those quarterbacks averaged 61.4% completions, 3,076 passing yards, 22.8 touchdown passes with 9.2 interceptions.
At New Mexico, Dampier completed 57.9% of his passes for 2,768 yards, 12 touchdown passes and 12 interceptions. All below the Big 12’s returning QB averages, with most of his games against Mountain West defenses.
Two of BYU’s leading candidates to start are McCae Hillstead (Utah State transfer) and Western Michigan transfer Treyson Bourguet. They have a combined 12 Division I starts.
Bourguet has thrown for. 1,314 yards during his two-year career, averaging 55.3% completions in 2023 and 49.5% in 2022 with six TDs and two interceptions. Hillstead started four games and saw significant time in a fifth as a freshman at USU. His career stats are 1,062 yards passing yards with a 59.5completion percentage with 11 touchdowns and eight interceptions. At USU, he did not have much pass protection.
Dampier is experienced and has great mobility to help extend plays.
It isn’t a foreign idea for BYU to depend on a freshman or rookie in a starting QB role. We’ve seen it with a redshirt freshman in Ty Detmer. As true freshmen, BYU started Detmer.
As true freshmen, BYU started Drew Miller (1997), John Beck (2003), Jake Heaps (2010), Taysom Hill (2012), Joe Critchlow (2017) and Zach Wilson (2018).
Many of those BYU freshman experiences are somewhat irrelevant because of competition, defensive help, surrounding cast, and Mountain West, WAC or independent schedules. Some barely started, others were given plenty of chances to gain confidence and execute the offense.
The two most successful were Wilson and Beck, rookies who were thrust into action. Detmer had a solid freshman year, but he had redshirted out of high school.
What is relatable is that Wilson had a connection with the current BYU offensive coordinator Aaron Roderick, and while he didn’t play a Big 12 schedule, he set records as a true freshman out of Corner Canyon High.
Bourguet and Hillstead must fight off a push from incoming freshman and former Stanford commit Bear Bachmeier as well as Emerson Geilman, who led Bountiful to the 5A title last year.
Dampier will have the benefit of his New Mexico offensive coordinator Jason Beck in the Ute camp. That will take the edge off a lot of his adjustments, as will playing behind an offensive line with two potential NFL first-round draft picks.
Whoever BYU fields, he’ll have a lot of support around him, including the return of running back LJ Martin, receiver Chase Roberts, the addition of tight end Carsen Ryan and an offensive line that is bigger, more physical and deeper than a year ago when Retzlaff helped BYU earn 11 wins.
This QB deal in the Big 12 should shape up to be a battle of very talented passers and leaders. That puts much more pressure on Kalani Sitake and Kyle Whittingham to place an effective playmaker on the field come fall.
If they don’t, this is a crowd of QBs that will make them pay.
On paper and film, Hoover, Robertson and Leavitt should be the top QBs in the league and Becht is right there with them. As almost an afterthought, much-hyped Fifita at Arizona failed to follow up his great freshman season as a sophomore last year.
But in preseason hype, he’s getting his share. At media days his coach Brent Brennan took the blame for Fifita’s struggles last year. This season he has a new offensive coordinator in Seth Doege and Brennan says it is perfect for Fifita. “It’s his time to shine,” he said.
“I think when we get to December, everybody in the conference and maybe everybody in America is gonna be talking about Noah Fifita,” predicted Brennan.
So if Fifita rises up, how much demand is there for Dampier and BYU’s unnamed starter to do the same?
The biggest deal with the Utes and Cougars? Let’s make it simple. Complete above 62% of pass attempts, then see where the chips fall.
2024 Season Statistics: Returning Big 12 QBs
The following statistics are for the 2024 regular season, compiled from various reports, sources:
Josh Hoover (TCU):
- Completion percentage: 66.5%
- Passing yards: 3,949
- Touchdowns: 27
- Interceptions: 11
- Rushing yards: Minimal (not a significant rushing threat)
- QBR: 72.7
Of note: Led the Big 12 in passing yards, set a TCU single-season passing record, and had 61 completions of 20+ yards.
Sawyer Robertson (Baylor):
- Completion percentage: 62.2%
- Passing yards: 3,071
- Touchdowns: 28
- Interceptions: 8
- Rushing Yards: 230
- Rushing Touchdowns: 4
- QBR: 83.9 (highest among returning Big 12 QBs)
Of note: Took over as starter in the third game, led Baylor to a 6-0 finish in the regular season, and had a 153.1 efficiency rating, the best among returning starters.
Sam Leavitt (Arizona State):
- Completion Percentage: 61.7 %
- Passing Yards: 2,885
- Touchdowns: 24
- Interceptions: 6
- Rushing Yards: 443
- Rushing Touchdowns: 5
- QBR: 78.6
Of note: Led Arizona State to a Big 12 title and a College Football Playoff berth. A dual-threat QB with strong performances in high-stakes games.
Jalon Daniels (Kansas):
- Completion Percentage: 57%
- Passing Yards: 2,454
- Touchdowns: 14
- Interceptions: 12
- Rushing Yards: 439
- Rushing Touchdowns: 6
- QBR: 68.7
Of note: Had an inconsistent season but led Kansas to three straight wins against ranked opponents (Iowa State, BYU, Colorado). Struggled early due to rust and offensive coordinator changes.
Rocco Becht (Iowa State):
- Completion Percentage: 59.4%
- Passing Yards: 3,505
- Touchdowns: 25
- Interceptions: 9
- Rushing Yards: 318
- Rushing Touchdowns: 8
- QBR: 69.7
Of note: Led Iowa State to a school-record 11 wins, but accuracy dropped from 2023 (62.9% to 59.4%). Lost top receivers to the NFL, which may impact 2025.
Brendan Sorsby (Cincinnati):
- Completion Percentage: 64.0%
- Passing Yards: 2,813
- Touchdowns: 18
- Interceptions: 7
- Rushing Yards: 447
- Rushing Touchdowns: 9
- QBR: 72.9
Of note: Led Cincinnati to a 5-2 start, but faded during a five-game losing streak. A dual-threat QB with the most rushing TDs among Big 12 QBs in 2024.
Behren Morton (Texas Tech):
- Completion Percentage: 63.3%
- Passing Yards: 3,335
- Touchdowns: 27
- Interceptions: Not explicitly stated (estimated ~8-10 based on context)
- Rushing Yards: 75
- Rushing Touchdowns: Not significant
- QBR: Not listed (estimated ~70-75 based on performance)
Of note: Set career highs in completion percentage and passing yards, started every game, had offseason shoulder surgery but is expected to be ready for 2025.
Noah Fifita (Arizona):
- Completion Percentage: 60.5%
- Passing Yards: 2,958
- Touchdowns: 18
- Interceptions: 12
- Rushing Yards: Not significant
- QBR: Not listed (estimated ~65-70 based on performance)
Of note: Struggled after a strong 2023 season, with a drop in completion percentage (72.4% to 60.5%) and increased interceptions. Lost star receiver Tetairoa McMillan to the NFL.
