Big Ten QB Rankings: Chiles, Browne Land Top-8 Spots as Underwood Drops

Ohio State's Julian Sayin holds No. 1 in the Big Ten quarterback rankings entering Week 6 after a 324-yard road win at Iowa, while Indiana's Josh Hoover stays a close second ahead of a trip to unbeaten Nebraska.

Nebraska's Anthony Colandrea climbs to No. 4, while Northwestern's Aidan Chiles and Purdue's Ryan Browne enter the top 8 after Big Ten wins. Michigan's Bryce Underwood and Penn State's Rocco Becht fall out after throwing two interceptions apiece in Week 5 losses.

8. Nico Iamaleava, UCLA (Prev: 7)

Big Ten QB Rankings — UCLA Bruins quarterback Nico Iamaleava (9) warms up before a game against the Maryland Terrapins | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Last week: Bye
Next: at Oregon, Sat. Oct. 10, 3:30 p.m. ET

Iamaleava slips one spot during UCLA's bye because Chiles and Browne built stronger cases with conference wins. The Long Beach native has 820 passing yards, four touchdowns and two interceptions for the 4-0 Bruins, who have 18 rushing touchdowns in four games.

Running back Wayne Knight leads that ground game with 445 yards and nine scores, so Iamaleava hasn't had to carry the offense. Oregon coach Dan Lanning compared UCLA to Indiana's national championship team on Monday, and slowing Knight would put more of the Bruins' offense on the senior's arm.

7. Ryan Browne, Purdue (Prev: NR)

Last week: W 24-17 at Illinois, 18 of 27 for 255 yds, 1 TD
Next: vs. Minnesota, Sat. Oct. 10, 8 p.m. ET

Browne posted a 158.2 passer rating in the same stadium where he made his first career start in 2024, and Purdue won the Cannon Trophy for the eighth time in 11 meetings. His 31-yard completion to Chauncey Magwood set up the clinching touchdown at the 1-yard line, and he ran in the two-point conversion that followed.

The redshirt junior has 1,390 passing yards, eight touchdowns and one interception. That's a sharp turn from 2025, when he threw nine touchdown passes and 10 interceptions, and it gives him the edge over Iamaleava in both production and ball security.

6. Aidan Chiles, Northwestern (Prev: NR)

Last week: W 34-13 vs. Penn State, 93 yds; 21 rush yds, 1 rush TD
Next: vs. Ball State, Sat. Oct. 10, 12:30 p.m. ET

Chiles didn't need to throw much in the New Ryan Field opener, as Caleb Komolafe and Joseph Himon II combined for 350 of Northwestern's 413 rushing yards. The Michigan State transfer still scored the game's first touchdown on a keeper, his fifth rushing score of the season.

He moves in on his full body of work: 900 passing yards, six touchdowns, no interceptions and a 70.8% completion rate, plus 293 passing yards at Indiana the week before. Those rushing scores give him the edge over Browne, and the 3-1 Wildcats jumped in this week's Big Ten power rankings.

5. Dante Moore, Oregon (Prev: 6)

Last week: Bye
Next: vs. UCLA, Sat. Oct. 10, 3:30 p.m. ET

Moore moves up because Underwood fell out, and his ranking reflects only his own production, not Dylan Raiola's 289-yard relief outing at USC. The preseason Heisman contender has 926 passing yards and nine touchdowns in four games.

Moore returned to the practice field Monday after sustaining a concussion against the Trojans. "It was great to see him back out there with his teammates and able to get a little work in today," Lanning said. Raiola, a Nebraska transfer, would likely start against UCLA if Moore isn't cleared.

4. Anthony Colandrea, Nebraska (Prev: 5)

Last week: W 48-23 vs. Maryland, 238 yds, 3 TD, 1 INT; 108 rush yds
Next: vs. Indiana, Sat. Oct. 10, noon ET

Colandrea went 4 of 8 for 20 yards and an interception in the first quarter as Maryland built a 16-7 lead. He then completed 13 of 15 passes in the second quarter, hit tight end Luke Lindenmeyer for a 1-yard touchdown with five seconds left in the half and threw two fourth-quarter scores to Kwazi Gilmer.

The UNLV transfer also ran for a career-high 108 yards, the first 100-yard rushing game by a Nebraska quarterback since 2023. He has 1,142 passing yards and 13 touchdowns, ninth nationally, but Maiava's larger passing total keeps the USC passer at No. 3.

3. Jayden Maiava, USC (Prev: 3)

Last week: W 25-21 vs. Washington, 245 yds, 1 TD, 1 INT
Next: at Penn State, Sat. Oct. 10, 7:30 p.m. ET

Maiava capped a 13-play, 75-yard drive with a 10-yard touchdown pass to Tanook Hines in the third quarter, but USC's go-ahead score came on defensive tackle Jahkeem Stewart's 48-yard fumble return. An illegal formation penalty also wiped out a long touchdown pass.

"We had to dig deep for this one. There's no question, especially with as sloppy as we played, especially offensively," USC coach Lincoln Riley said. The Honolulu native has 1,744 passing yards, 15 touchdowns and three interceptions heading into a White Out game at Beaver Stadium.

2. Josh Hoover, Indiana (Prev: 2)

Last week: W 47-15 at Rutgers, 20 of 27 for 251 yds, 4 TD
Next: at Nebraska, Sat. Oct. 10, noon ET

Hoover threw four touchdown passes for the third time this season, and receivers Charlie Becker (107 yards) and Nick Marsh (120) both cleared 100 yards. The TCU transfer is one of four quarterbacks nationally with at least 10 touchdown passes and no interceptions.

He has 1,101 passing yards and 15 touchdowns for an Indiana team riding a 21-game winning streak. Hoover stays second because Sayin has thrown for 429 more yards, and Indiana's 329 rushing yards at Rutgers lightened the load on the Hoosiers' passer.

1. Julian Sayin, Ohio State (Prev: 1)

Last week: W 31-14 at Iowa, 20 of 27 for 324 yds, 3 TD
Next: vs. Maryland, Sat. Oct. 10, 4:15 p.m. ET

Sayin averaged 12 yards per attempt against an Iowa defense that had allowed 32 points through its first four games, and Ohio State didn't turn the ball over at Kinnick Stadium. Jeremiah Smith caught 11 passes for 206 yards and two touchdowns, including a 57-yarder that pushed the lead to 24-6.

The Carlsbad, Calif., native has 1,530 passing yards, 13 touchdowns and one interception, which came on a Hail Mary at Texas. Hoover has the cleaner touchdown-to-interception ratio, but Sayin has paired efficiency with more volume in consecutive Big Ten wins over Illinois and a ranked Iowa team.

Who dropped out of the top 8?

Bryce Underwood (Michigan), Rocco Becht (Penn State)

Underwood completed 10 of 21 passes for 101 yards in a 20-14 loss at Minnesota, and both of his second-half interceptions set up Gophers scores. The Wolverines have failed to reach 20 points in four of five games under coach Kyle Whittingham, and Underwood also took a hit from Minnesota's Anthony Smith that drew no flag.

Becht threw for 243 yards with a touchdown pass to Chase Sowell and two interceptions in a 34-13 loss at Northwestern. The Iowa State transfer has one touchdown pass and three interceptions across back-to-back Big Ten losses to Wisconsin and Northwestern.

Just missed

Colton Joseph (Wisconsin), Demond Williams Jr. (Washington)

Joseph threw three touchdown passes, two to tight end Jacob Harris, and ran for 141 yards in a 31-3 win over Michigan State. That rushing total is the second-most by a quarterback in Wisconsin history, but he completed only nine passes, and the Badgers are idle until an Oct. 17 trip to UCLA.

Williams threw for a season-low 198 yards and a 42-yard touchdown to Decker DeGraaf at USC, but his third-quarter fumble became Stewart's go-ahead touchdown. "I've got to always put our team in a better position to win," Williams said. Iowa visits Washington on Friday at 9 p.m. ET.

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