Pac-12 quarterback group has chance to showcase talent, depth in 2023

The Pac-12 might be the best quarterback conference, top to bottom, in 2023. With headliners like reigning Heisman winner Caleb Williams at USC, Oregon’s Bo Nix and Washington’s Michael Penix Jr., the outlook is strong.

And beyond the upper crust of quarterbacks in the league, the middle of the pack has plenty of exciting and dynamic playmakers. The Athletic’s Bruce Feldman dove into the subject on the “Move the Sticks” podcast with Daniel Jeremiah and Bucky Brooks.

“Then you get into this other layer of quarterbacks out there that I think — those guys are going to kind of steal the thunder — but like, there’s a batch of other ones underneath them that I think are going to be really interesting to watch,” Feldman said.

Feldman mentioned a number of quarterbacks or quarterback rooms in the Pac-12 that intrigue him: Cam Ward at Washington State, Jayden de Laura at Arizona, Collin Schlee or Dante Moore at UCLA, and Ben Gulbranson or DJ Uiagalelei at Oregon State.

That doesn’t get to the likes of Cam Rising at Utah, Shedeur Sanders at Colorado and Jaden Rashada or Drew Pyne at Arizona State, among others.

Feldman is particular fascinated by how the quarterback battles shake out at Oregon State and UCLA. Many assume that Uiagalelei will become the starter for the Beavers, but that’s not a guarantee, Feldman said.

“Their running back was the Pac-12 freshman of the year and they have a slot receiver who’s super explosive and I think — they were really good last year. They won 10 games. And their starter is actually Ben Gulbranson, who’s another southern California quarterback. He’s actually there. They have three interesting quarterbacks, but DJ U is the one everybody knows, so I think they’re expecting him to just pull away,” Feldman said. “And he’s going to have to be at his best to beat those other two guys out.”

As for UCLA, Kelly likes what Schlee — a Kent State transfer — brings to the table. But Moore was a five-star prospect for a reason and could be in line to start come the season opener.

“He definitely has a chance to start. I think it’s a three-quarterback race. When I was there, I spent the day with them late in the spring. And so they took a transfer, Colin Schlee from Kent State, who was a really good basketball recruit at one point. Is a very good athlete who I know Chip Kelly was high on. He’s battling for the job. They still have [Ethan] Garbers, who was the backup, who I think handled himself pretty well,” Feldman said.

Feldman loves what he’s seen from de Laura when the quarterback is on. He compared the highs from the Arizona signal caller to those of Williams at USC. But the Wildcats starter just needs to be the good version of himself more consistently.

It’s a similar case for Nix, who already started down that path in 2022, showing immense poise and consistency leading Oregon to double digit wins in the Pac-12.

After an up-and-down time at Auburn, Nix played more like the heralded prospect he arrived to college as when he got to Eugene. Building on that and continuing to polish his game could have the Ducks in contending for a conference championship and more in 2023.

“I had a long talk with him at some point late last year and I just think his perspective — he’s obviously a coaches kid — but his perspective, I thought, was really good on how getting away was good for him and I want to see what he does in his second year,” Feldman said.

And with the talent up and down the league at the quarterback position, it’ll probably be exciting elsewhere around the Pac-12, too.