Adam Rittenberg, ESPN Senior Writer 10y

Poll: Toughest post-spring QB decision

Quarterback competitions dominated the Big Ten landscape this spring, and several will continue when fall camps open in August.

Only three teams are still practicing and only one, Rutgers, has a true quarterback race (Connor Cook is established at Michigan State and Jake Rudock has improved at Iowa). The spring brought resolutions at Minnesota (Mitch Leidner) and Northwestern (Trevor Siemian), and Tommy Armstrong Jr. remains Nebraska's top signal-caller coming out of the session. Michigan's Devin Gardner had a lousy spring game, but it's still hard to see him losing the job.

But several teams have tough decisions to make. Here's your chance to vote on which team has the most difficult quarterback choice.

Illinois: Oklahoma State transfer Wes Lunt had a good spring until the spring game and remains the favorite to win the job. Fans often attach way too much meaning to spring games, but Reilly O'Toole finished the spring session on a much stronger note (12 of 17 passing, 126 yards, 2 TDs) and will compete with Lunt early in fall camp. Coach Tim Beckman likes O'Toole's experience and sees him as a mix between Lunt and athletic sophomore Aaron Bailey, who must make major strides as a passer to have a chance. Beckman wants to name a starter when Illinois begins two-a-day practices in August.

Indiana: Coach Kevin Wilson seemed comfortable platooning Tre Roberson and Nate Sudfeld last season and likely will keep the status quo this season. But at some point, shouldn't Indiana settle on one quarterback? "I don't know if they like it, but I like it," Wilson said of the ongoing race. "I like practicing with those two guys because it's fun. I'm telling you, it's the best thing." Sudfeld has a slightly higher ceiling as a passer, while Roberson is a dynamic runner. It will be interesting to see how a potentially weaker receiving corps impacts the competition.

Purdue: The Boilers cut down on their turnovers this spring, but coach Darrell Hazell wants to see more production from the quarterbacks after some shaky scrimmages. Sophomore Danny Etling remains the No. 1 signal-caller coming out of the session, but Austin Appleby remains in the mix despite his spring game struggles. Freshman David Blough, an early enrollee, ended the spring on a good note and could work his way into contention. Etling is definitely the favorite, but Hazell will let the race last into camp. Purdue named its starting quarterback about two weeks before the opener last August.

Rutgers: Gary Nova and the other Scarlet Knights quarterbacks still have two more scrimmages to showcase their skills this spring, but the race likely will go into fall camp. Nova, Mike Bimonte and Chris Laviano all are receiving reps with the first-team offense. Nova has 28 career starts and remains the likeliest option to start Rutgers' opener Aug. 28 at Washington State. But Bimonte stood out in the first spring scrimmage, and he and Laviano continue to push Nova.

Wisconsin: The Badgers reduced their candidate pool to two -- Joel Stave and Tanner McEvoy -- but have plenty of questions coming out of the spring. Stave's lingering throwing shoulder injury limited him in the spring and allowed McEvoy to take the majority of the first-team reps. Injuries at wide receiver limited what Wisconsin could do in the passing game, and the offense could be looking for more mobility from the quarterback position. Stave has 19 career starts, but he's hardly a lock to retain the job and will need a good summer.

Time to vote.

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