Pac-12 Media Day Will Feature Six QBs With Over 3,000 Yards Passing
Jul 18, 2023, 2:56 PM
SALT LAKE CITY – We all knew the Pac-12 was going to be loaded with quarterback talent in 2023, but did you know they have six returners who passed for 3,000 yards or more in 2022?
USC’s Caleb Williams, Oregon’s Bo Nix, Washington’s Michael Penix Jr., and Utah’s Cam Rising have gotten most of the headlines for being the best and brightest in the Conference of Champions, but Washington State’s Cameron Ward and Arizona’s Jayden de Laura are no slouches either.
All six quarterbacks will be present at Media Day in Las Vegas on Friday, July 21.
With these QBs, 2023 #Pac12FB is going to be 🔥
All six will be at Pac-12 Football Media Day this week! 👀 pic.twitter.com/tlsI0yJJC2
— Pac-12 Conference (@pac12) July 17, 2023
Breaking Down The Pac-12 Quarterbacks
Penix Jr. tops the list on passing yards with a whopping 4,641 to his name and helped lead the Huskies to a 11-2 record after having a dismal 4-8 record the year before.
Williams is close behind in passing yards with 4,537 but tops the list by a long shot in touchdowns with 42 for the 2022 season. He is also the 2022 Heisman Trophy winner.
Where Nix shines is in his completion percentage, topping the six quarterbacks with a 71.9% rate.
Ward, de Laura, and Rising’s numbers a quite similar to each other having thrown for 3,231 yards, 3,685 yards, and 3,034 yards respectively with equally similar competition percentages at 64.4%, 62.5%, and 64.7%.
BAD MOON IS BACK 👀#badmoonrising 😉 pic.twitter.com/RrwsCIiEXi
— Utah Football (@Utah_Football) January 9, 2023
Cam Rising & The Utes
Rising has been a key component for the Utes in the past two seasons helping lead the team to back-to-back Pac-12 Titles and Rose Bowl appearances. Rising has a chance to make it three in a row for the Utes in 2023- something that has never happened in the Pac-12 era before.
However, Utah does have a gauntlet of a schedule to get through having to play Baylor, USC, Oregon State, and Washington on the road while also hosting Florida and Oregon. Admittedly, there is also some question about where Rising’s health will be this season after tearing his ACL in the Rose Bowl, though he and head coach Kyle Whittingham expect him to be full steam ahead.
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If things go accordingly for Rising and the Utes, not only could they three-peat, but they could be in store for a little more. It is important to emphasize though that the Pac-12 appears to be loaded (all you have to do is look at the returning production at quarterback) and it will not be an easy task.
Michelle Bodkin is the Utah Utes Insider for sports.ksl.com and host of both the Crimson Corner Podcast (SUBSCRIBE) and The Saturday Show (Saturday from 10 a.m.–12 p.m.) on The KSL Sports Zone. Follow her on Twitter, Instagram, and Threads: @BodkinKSLsports
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