Curt Cignetti has struck quarterback gold over the last two seasons. Kurtis Rourke had a career-year and led the Hoosiers to the College Football Playoff, while Fernando Mendoza orchestrated one of the greatest college football seasons ever en route to winning a National Championship as well as the Heisman Trophy. Heading into 2026, TCU transfer Josh Hoover is looking to keep the train rolling.
On opposing sidelines, there are plenty of great quarterbacks all throughout the Big Ten. Indiana's 2026 schedule brings matchups against some big names, as well as some under-the-radar QBs who can't be overlooked. With the season opener drawing nearer and nearer, let's take a look at how the 12 opposing QBs Indiana will face in the regular season stack up against each other.
Indiana's opposing QBs: The "no worries" tier
12. Ja'Shawn Scroggins - Howard
Indiana's Week 2 matchup against Howard figures to be the easiest game on the regular season schedule. Ja'Shawn Scroggins is the starting QB for the Bison, and he comes in at No. 12 on this list. While he threw for 315 yards and three touchdowns in the season opener against Alabama A&M, he doesn't stack up well to the rest of the QBs Indiana will face this season.
11. Dylan Lonergan/AJ Surace - Rutgers
The 2026 college football season is just a few days old, but we have already seen a monumental upset. Rutgers lost to UMass 37-21 on Thursday night, and poor QB play was a big reason why. Dylan Lonergan threw three interceptions and was later benched in favor or AJ Surace. It was an embarrassing showing for the Scarlet Knights, and Greg Schiano's QB situation is a complete mess.
10. Ryan Browne - Purdue
Ryan Browne is back at QB for the Boilermakers after starting all 12 games last year. In total, he threw more interceptions (10) than touchdowns (9), and completed just 58.9% of his pass attempts. Purdue is 0-18 in the Big Ten over the last two seasons, and Cignetti’s Hoosiers have absolutely dominated the Boilermakers, winning by a combined score of 122-3.
9. Rodney Tisdale Jr. - Western Kentucky
Western Kentucky has generally gotten strong QB play under Tyson Helton. However, Rodney Tisdale Jr. is still rather unproven. He played in eight games last year as a true freshmen, throwing for 1,432 yards and 9 touchdowns with 7 interceptions. He can make plays with his legs, but he doesn't present an overwhelming amount of problems for the Hoosiers.
Indiana's opposing QBs: The "don't overlook them" tier
8. Tayven Jackson - North Texas
Former Hoosier Tayven Jackson is set to return to Bloomington in Week 1. Jackson is now QB1 for North Texas after spending one season at Tennessee, two seasons at Indiana, and one season at UCF. He's shown flashes of what he can do, but finding consistency has been a struggle. Last year as UCF's starting QB, Jackson threw just 10 touchdowns with 8 interceptions over 11 games. Now heading into his redshirt senior season, Jackson's ceiling is fairly limited.
7. Aidan Chiles - Northwestern
Aidan Chiles is now at Northwestern after spending the first two seasons of his collegiate career at Michigan State. He possesses a dangerous dual-threat skill set, but has struggled with decision-making. Now entering a new situation with Chip Kelly as his offensive coordinator and Jerry Neuheisel as his QB coach, Chiles could be poised for his best season yet. He is not to be overlooked when the Hoosiers battle the Wildcats in the Big Ten opener on September 25.
6. Drake Lindsey - Minnesota
Minnesota QB Drake Lindsey put forth a strong redshirt freshman season and is now primed to take a big step forward as a sophomore. In total, Lindsey completed 63.2% of his passes for 2,382 yards and 18 touchdowns to go along with 6 interceptions last season. The Golden Gophers tend to go as he goes, as Minnesota went a perfect 5-0 when he connected on at least 65% of his passes.
Indiana's opposing QBs: The "watch out for these guys" tier
5. Anthony Colandrea - Nebraska
The Dylan Raiola era at Nebraska ended in underwhelming fashion, and now he has moved on to Oregon. Via the transfer portal, Matt Rhule brought in Anthony Colandrea to take over as the Huskers' QB1. Colandrea brings a wealth of experience to Lincoln, as he has appeared in 33 games over two seasons at Virginia and one season at UNLV. He threw for nearly 3,500 yards last season to go along with 23 touchdowns, and is also capable of making plays on the ground. He still has a lot to prove at the Big Ten level, but Colandrea is a fine replacement for Raiola.
4. Bryce Underwood - Michigan
Bryce Underwood put forth an underwhelming true freshman season at Michigan. But that doesn't mean he's incapable of taking a big step in his sophomore season. The Wolverines were an absolute mess last season, and now they have much more stability with Kyle Whittingham leading the way. Michigan's WR core is also much-improved, which could lead to a big uptick in Underwood's yardage and efficiency this season.
3. Demond Williams Jr. - Washington
Demond Williams Jr. is a rising star in the Big Ten. He is entering his third year at Washington and coming off a season in which he threw for 3,065 and 25 touchdowns while rushing for 611 yards and 6 more scores. He played a big part from Washington increasing from 6 wins in 2024 to 9 wins in 2025. He is primed to put up monster numbers across the board and is a legitimate Heisman contender entering Week 1.
Indiana's opposing QBs: The elite tier
2. Jayden Maiava - USC
Lincoln Riley-led quarterbacks tend to put up huge numbers. Jayden Maiava is no different, as he led the Big Ten with 3,711 passing yards last season. His top-two receivers from last year are gone, but he has a new favorite target in Trent Mosley, who caught 7 passes for 118 yards in the season opener against San Jose State. Maiava was also great, completing 25 of his 29 pass attempt (86.2% completion percentage) for 286 yards and a pair of touchdowns with zero interceptions. Maiava presents plenty of problems for Indiana when the Trojans come to Bloomington on November 14.
1. Julian Sayin - Ohio State
Julian Sayin was an efficiency machine last season, as he completed 77% of his passes to lead the country. He threw 32 touchdowns and 8 interceptions and was named a Heisman finalist. Sayin doesn't do much on the run, but he has plenty of poise and remains calm in all situations. He doesn't force the issue and excels at taking what the defense gives him. Sayin is also great at reading coverages and picking apart opposing defenses. With his No. 1 target in Jeremiah Smith also back, Ohio State's offense is extremely dangerous with Sayin leading the way.
Add us as a preferred source on Google