Spring might be winding down, but it sure hasn't done much in helping decide most of the Big Ten's quarterback races.
More than half the conference seems poised to carry competitions into the fall. That doesn't mean no progress has been made, of course, but it does mean that head coaches across the B1G just aren't ready to commit to a starter.
So that begs the question: Where exactly do these competitions stand? Here's an overview of those races:
The candidates: Danny Cameron (6-1, 210, redshirt sophomore) vs. Zander Diamont (6-1, 174, junior) vs. Richard Lagow (6-6, 240, redshirt junior)
The favorite: Diamont
The battle: Diamont missed the entire spring after having surgerybecause of a nagging injury, but he was the clear No. 2 last season. He has also thrown 164 career passes, dwarfing both Cameron (16) and Lagow (0), who is a junior-college transfer. That being said, Lagow definitely improved his stock this spring and out-played Cameron in the spring game. He's a big pocket-passer, which is entirely the opposite of the small-but-speedy Diamont, and he appears to have the strongest arm. Still, Diamont knows this offense, and he boasts a lot more experience.
The candidates: Perry Hills (6-2, 210, redshirt senior)) vs. Caleb Rowe (6-3, 220, redshirt senior)
The favorite: Hills
The battle: The two certainly bring unique skills to the position. Rowe has the stronger arm, but Hills was more accurate last season and also is more of a threat to take off running. It's a close call right now, but Hills appears to be a better fit for Walt Bell's scheme -- and his summer work with former Washington Redskins quarterback Gus Frerotte can only help. Head coach D.J. Durkin also technically hasn't ruled out both incoming freshmen as candidates, either.
The candidates: Shane Morris (6-3,208, senior) vs. John O'Korn (6-4, 209, redshirt junior) vs. Wilton Speight (6-6, 239, redshirt sophomore)
The favorite: Speight
The battle: Speight didn't start the spring as the favorite, but he was taking most of the first-team reps by the end of camp. He's been more consistent than the other two and has limited turnovers this spring, surpassing early favorite O'Korn. That has been a bit of a surprise, considering O'Korn boasts 34 career TD passes (from Houston) compared to Speight's one. Plenty of columnists still believe O'Korn will win the competition in the end. But, at this point, Speight is ahead in the race.
The candidates: Tyler O'Connor (6-3, 225, redshirt senior) vs. Damion Terry (6-3, 238, redshirt junior)
The favorite: O'Connor
The battle: O'Connor said midway through spring practice that he felt "very good" about being the eventual starter, and that wasn't a huge shock. He was the No. 2 behind Connor Cook last season and has more experience with this offense. Coach Mark Dantonio is still splitting first-team reps with the quarterbacks, but he even acknowledged at the start of the spring that O'Connor began with the edge. So far, it doesn't seem as if he's lost that at all. Michigan State's annual spring game doesn't take place until Saturday, though, so Terry still has some time left to impress.
The candidates: Trace McSorley (6-0, 199, redshirt sophomore) vs. Tommy Stevens (6-4, 219, redshirt freshman)
The favorite: McSorley
The battle: Coach James Franklin acknowledged early on that McSorley was ahead in the race, and that was to be expected considering McSorley played in the TaxSlayer Bowl and backed up Christian Hackenberg last season. But Stevens never seemed to close that gap. He was even asked last week whether he had and responded: "I'm not sure." McSorley took most of the first-team reps in the spring game and was nearly perfect in a first half that saw him go 18-of-19 passing.
The candidates: David Blough (6-1, 205, sophomore) vs. Elijah Sindelar (6-4, 226, redshirt freshman))
The favorite: Blough
The battle: In 2014, Darrell Hazell held an open quarterback competition. The incumbent (Danny Etling) won -- but was replaced (Austin Appleby). In 2015, the incumbent won (Appleby) -- but was replaced (Blough). And in 2016? Well, Blough took most of the first-team reps in the spring and is expected to win the job. The bigger question is whether he can hold on to it.
The candidates: Chris Laviano (6-2, 214, redshirt junior) vs. Hayden Rettig (6-3, 215, redshirt junior)
The favorite: Laviano
The battle: Rettig might be more familiar with the spread offense, but Laviano has more overall experience and started 11 games last season. As a result, Laviano opened with the early edge (Ash said he was "a few steps ahead"), but Ash then said Thursday that the race was even. That might have already changed. Over the weekend, Laviano took all the first-team reps. Rutgers' spring game is Saturday.
The candidates: Alex Hornibrook (6-4, 216, redshirt freshman) vs. Bart Houston (6-4, 232, redshirt senior)
The favorite: Houston
The battle: Houston mainly has the edge here because of his experience. He's played in 15 games, and he tossed 47 passes last season in relief of Joel Stave. Hornibrook? He struggled early on and tossed three interceptions during one drill open to the media. Both quarterbacks still have the rest of this week to state their case; the Badgers' spring game is Saturday.