Tramel’s ScissorTales: Big 12 quarterback ratings wonder if the conference has a great QB

Big 12 football 2025 has a bunch of good quarterbacks.

But does the Big 12 have a great quarterback? Of course, the same can be said of Big 12 teams , and the subjects are quite connected.

The Big 12 desperately needs a dominant team, and an all-star quarterback would quicken the conferences ability to find one.

Our star power, especially at quarterback, will be on full display, Big 12 commissioner Brett Yormark said during the conference media days earlier this month.

The Big 12 returns nine starting quarterbacks who threw for over 2,400 yards last season.

The Southeastern Conference returns just three quarterbacks who threw for at least 2,400 yards last season.

But you can argue that the SEC has more star power at QB than does the Big 12.

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But we start with the preseason Big 12 quarterback ratings.

The Big 12 has nine incumbent quarterbacks, a remarkable number in this transfer-portal era.

But the league also could count on as many as five quarterback transfers to start.

Star power was not a problem last season Colorados Shedeur Sanders was an easy pick for all-Big 12.

But this season, the best is not so obvious.

Here are my rankings of Big 12 quarterbacks, going into the 2025 season.

Spoiler alert: it doesnt look pretty for OSU.

1.

Sawyer Robertson, Baylor: In conference games, threw 25 touchdown passes and just seven interceptions.

Seems to keep getting better and better.

Robertson threw at least three TD passes against each of Kansas, West Virginia and Texas Tech, with no interceptions.

2.

Sam Leavitt, Arizona State: Ranked behind only Colorados Shedeur Sanders in passing efficiency in conference games, then was superb in the Big 12 Championship Game.

But Texas defense gave Leavitt problems in the Peach Bowl.

3.

Avery Johnson, Kansas State: KSU let Will Howard go 18 months ago, he quarterbacked Ohio State to a national title and the Wildcats didnt mind at all.

Thats how much they like Johnson, a good passer and even better runner.

Hes a playmaker.

4.

Rocco Becht, Iowa State: Hes won a lot of games (18) and thrown a lot of touchdowns (48) the last two years.

A little better passing percentage (.607) would be nice.

5.

Josh Hoover, Texas Christian: Yet another QB about to begin his third season as the starter.

Hoover has been effective; 64.8% passing, with 42 touchdowns and 20 interceptions over two seasons.

6.

Jalon Daniels, Kansas: The ultimate veteran.

Daniels made six starts for KU way back in 2020, and here he is, still a Jayhawk and still a veteran.

Daniels 45:24 touchdown to interception ratio needs to improve, but hes a playmaking leader, and those are hard to find.

7.

Behren Morton, Texas Tech: Already a 24-game starter, Morton has thrown for 6,209 yards and 49 touchdowns.

Has a chance to be top-five in most Red Raider passing categories.

8.

Brendan Sorsby, Cincinnati: In two years as a starting quarterback, at Indiana and UC, Sorsby has completed 61% of his passes, with 33 touchdowns and 13 interceptions.

Not bad.

9.

Kaidon Salter, Colorado: In 212 seasons as the Liberty QB, Salter rushed for 1,953 yards, completed 58.6% of his passes and accounted for 76 touchdowns.

With only 17 interceptions.

Of course, thats against Conference USA competition.

10.

Noah Fifita, Arizona: Strange 2024.

Expected to be a star after a breakout 2023 season, Fifitas completion percentage dropped 12 points, to 60.5%, and his TD:intercept rate from better than 4:1 to 1.5:1 (18 TDs, 12 picks).

11.

Connor Weigman, Houston: Showed flashes of success his first two seasons with Texas A&M, but last season threw five interceptions and just three TDs, while completing only 56.1%.

He lost the job to Marcel Reed and transferred.

12.

Devon Dampier, Utah: Rushed for 1,116 yards at New Mexico last season but threw as many interceptions (12) as touchdowns (12).

Does that recipe work in the Big 12? 13.

Nicco Marchiol, West Virginia: Has been OK in spot duty over three Mountaineer seasons, but hes untested.

14.

McCae Hillstead, Brigham Young: Was decent as a freshman at Utah State in 2023 (11 TDs, eight interceptions), but the Cougars were not counting on Hillstead to be their QB this season.

15.

Tayven Jackson, Central Florida: Went to Tennessee out of high school, then backed up Sorsby in 2023 and Kurtis Rourke at Indiana in 2024.

Outside of a strong game against Louisville in 2023, hasnt done much.

16.

Hauss Hejny, Oklahoma State: Hasnt played, and neither has fellow contender Zane Flores.

Auburn combat speed-dating portal College football coaches spend years recruiting high school players.

They investigate players, talk to coaches and teachers, and build relationships and vet teen-agers quite extensively.

But when it comes to transfer portal recruiting, such care goes out the window.

Youre speed dating, Auburn coach Hugh Freeze said.

You have 24 hours to make a decision.

Freeze has found a tool to help with such a rushed process: psychological tests.

Freeze says the tests dont so much help his staff make decisions on whether to take a player or not.

Instead, the tests help Auburn understand what kind of personality they are dealing with and how best to coach them.

It was just to see what kind of person you are and really just to figure out a different way to approach you whenever something goes wrong, said Auburn defensive end Keldric Faulk.

Auburns biggest portal addition is quarterback Jackson Arnold, who transferred from OU.

Arnold took a psychological test during his visit to Auburn.

Arnold said he didnt know Freezes motives but can see their usefulness.

I do like it for coaching, Arnold said.

He wants to see what personalities fit him and his coaching style.

And if that fits not good, then dont grab that guy out of the portal.

I completely understand him doing it.

Freeze said the tests arent important for high school recruits, because of a longer history, but he needs them for the transfers.

It certainly has revealed to me some areas that I can certainly improve on in communication with particular types of players that are different, and Ive had my staff kind of put them in buckets, Freeze said.

So I have it kind of on a sheet of paper where I know the way that this kid really prefers to be coached or talked to or addressed.

Mayfield finds a home The Tampa Bay Buccaneers looked across their division, the National Conference South, and saw teams without quarterback stability.

The Panthers.

The Saints.

The Falcons.

The Buccaneers decided that Baker Mayfield looks pretty good.

The Bucs reworked Mayfields contract, according to ESPN, and now he has $30 million in guaranteed money for 2026, the final season of his current contract, a year which originally came with no guaranteed money.

Mayfield signed a four-year, $32-million contract with the Cleveland Browns after being the overall top pick in the 2018 NFL Draft, out of OU.

But the Browns eventually traded Mayfield to Carolina, and six months later, in December 2022, the Panthers released him.

The Los Angeles Rams claimed Mayfield, but he was a free agent in 2023 when Tampa Bay signed him.

Mayfield since has started all 34 games for the Buccaneers, and hes twice taken Tampa Bay to the playoffs.

He signed a three-year contract in 2024, worth $100 million but short of guaranteed money, but that now changes.

Mayfield has a home, and the Buccaneers have a quarterback who is the clear class of the division.

Mailbag: NBA scoring It remains a Thunder summer.

Jim: I recently saw the video of the 1987 playoff game between the Pistons and Celtics, where Larry Bird stole the inbounds pass in the last second to win the game.

The video covered the last two minutes.

The thing that stood out was the defenses.

I realize that the game is played and officiated differently today, but neither the Pistons nor the Celtics defenses were anywhere close to the Thunder this year.

Makes 30 points per game now more difficult than 30 points then.

Berry: It is fascinating how the game changes over the years.

Using 1970s officiating, this Thunder team would all foul out in four minutes.

I dont know if the Thunder benefitted from the mid-season switch a year ago, when the refs started calling far fewer fouls, but it certainly makes sense.

And remember this, teams today are scoring more than teams in 1987.

In 1986-87, NBA teams averaged 109.9 points per game; today, 113.8.

Of course, the game is totally different.

In 1986-87, NBA teams averaged 4.7 3-point shots a game.

Not made.

Taken.

The average 3-pointers made per game was 1.4.

In 2024-25, NBA teams averaged 37.6 3-point attempts per game, with 13.5 makes.

The List: MLB & NBA combo Baseball Hall of Famers Lou Brock, Bob Gibson and Ferguson Jenkins all played for the Harlem Globetrotters.

Baseball Hall of Famers Dave Winfield (Hawks) and Tony Gwynn (Clippers) both were drafted by NBA teams.

Michael Jordan played for the Double-A Birmingham Barons.

But according to Matt Kelly of mlb.com , only 12 men have played in both Major League Baseball and the NBA.

Here are the 12, ranked by all-around success: 1.

Danny Ainge: Reached the Toronto Blue Jays by age 20 and had 665 MLB at-bats over three seasons, while also playing basketball at Brigham Young.

Gave up baseball to play in the NBA and lasted 14 seasons, notably as a cornerstone on some Celtic teams.

2.

Ron Reed: The 6-foot-5 forward came out of Notre Dame and played solidly for the Pistons, 1965-67, averaging 8.0 points a game over 119 games and two seasons.

But Reed was playing baseball, too; he broke in with the 1966 Braves and eventually chose the diamond.

Over 19 seasons, Reed pitched in 751 games, had a record of 146-140 and made the 1968 all-star team.

3.

Dave DeBusschere: A Hall of Fame basketball player for the Pistons and Knickerbockers (1962-74), DeBusschere also pitched 10213 innings for the Chicago White Sox (1962-63).

4.

Frank Baumholtz: Got out of Ohio University and averaged 14 points a game for the Cleveland Rebels in the first season of what became the NBA.

Then left basketball and played 11 MLB seasons.

He placed fifth in the 1947 Rookie of the Year voting, with the Reds, and had 1,010 major-league hits.

5.

Dick Groat: The 1960 National Most Valuable Player with the Pirates, Groat played 14 MLB seasons and had 2,138 hits.

He also was an all-American basketball player at Duke and averaged 11.9 points a game for the 1952-53 Fort Wayne Pistons.

6.

Gene Conley: Born in Muskogee, Conley was raised in Washington state, then played 11 major-league seasons, with a 91-96 record as a pitcher.

Conley played in the NBA as a 6-foot-8 power forward in 1952-53, 1958-61 and 1962-64.

He made three all-star teams and won a World Series with the 1957 Braves.

Conley won three NBA Finals with the Celtics.

7.

Steve Hamilton: The forward out of Morehead State played 82 games for the Minneapolis Lakers, 1958-60, then pursued baseball and had a 12-year career as a relief pitcher, mostly with the Yankees.

8.

Mark Hendrickson: The 6-foot-9 power forward out of Washington State played in 114 NBA games, 1996-2000, then turned to baseball and was a 10-year MLB pitcher, fashioning a 58-74 record.

9.

Dick Ricketts: The top overall pick in the 1955 NBA Draft, out of Duquesne, Ricketts played three seasons with the Hawks and Cincinnati Royals.

Ricketts also pitched in 12 games for the 1955 St.

Louis Cardinals.

10.

Howie Schultz: The 6-foot-6 first baseman played for the Dodgers, Phillies and Reds from 1943-48, then gave the NBA a try and played 173 games combined for the Lakers, Pistons and Anderson Packers.

11.

Chuck Connors: Before turning to acting and starring in The Rifleman, Connors played in 53 games for the Celtics (1946-48) and had 202 at-bats combined for the 1949 Dodgers and 1951 Cubs.

12.

Cotton Nash: The forward played in 45 games for the Warriors and Lakers in 1964-65, tried baseball and returned for 39 games with the Kentucky Colonels of the American Basketball Association in 1967-68.

Nash also made it to the major leagues, with 16 at-bats total for the 1967 White and 1969-70 Twins..

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