7. Dylan Raiola - Nebraska Cornhuskers
2,000 yards, 18 TD, 6 INT
Dylan Raiola's 2025 season was cut short due to a season-ending injury, but still was mostly productive in his nine games for the Cornhuskers. His 72.4 completion percentage was third in the Big Ten, and he showcased that his feel for the game and ceiling is higher than what his numbers suggest. However, transfer rumors are swirling around Raiola, so it's not a guarantee he will be in the Big Ten next season.
8. Athan Kaliakmanis - Rutgers Scarlet Knights
3,124 yards, 20 TD, 7 INT
Putting together one of the most underrated seasons in the Big Ten was Athan Kaliakmanis, who finished second in the conference in passing yards. However, Kaliakmanis wasn't exactly efficient despite that total, and his performances didn't translate to wins either -- the Scarlet Knights went just 5-7.
9. Malik Washington - Maryland Terrapins
2,963 yards, 17 TD, 9 INT
It was a strange season for true freshman Malik Washington and the Terrapins, winning the first four games of the season before losing the next eight in a row. Washington finished with the most passing attempts in the Big Ten by far, with his 473 total being 100 more than the next highest mark. His touchdown and yardage numbers severely lacked pace, but still, Washington showed plenty of promise with his arms and legs for a true freshman.
10. Drake Lindsey - Minnesota Golden Gophers
2,235 yards, 16 TD, 6 INT
Redshirt freshman Drake Lindsey was solid in his first full season of college football. He was very inconsistent when it came to completion percentage, and it didn't help that his offensive line was one of the worst in the conference. Still, Lindsey had enough shining moments to make the program believe that he could be the guy moving forward.
11. Mark Gronowski - Iowa Hawkeyes
1,529 yards, 8 TD, 6 INT
It's hard to rank Mark Gronowski as a quarterback when he does most of his damage on the ground. His 15 rushing touchdowns are tied for the most in the Big Ten, and that's including running backs. Aside from that, nothing about Gronowski's stats look impressive, but it's undeniable that he helped lead Iowa to another successful season with multiple appearances in the CFP top-25 rankings.
12. Bryce Underwood - Michigan Wolverines
2,229 yards, 9 TD, 6 INT
The top recruit in the class of 2025 had an interesting true freshman season, to say the least. Bryce Underwood had some promising moments, including his best performance of the season against Washington, but overall you could tell he was still learning the ropes and that Michigan was trying to give him as little responsibility as possible. Regardless, he started every game for a 9-3 team and has all the tools to be a future Heisman candidate.