The Big Ten’s incoming Group of Six quarterback transfer class has a clear split at the top, and Wisconsin’s Colton Joseph sits right in the middle of the debate.
Joseph has spent the offseason drawing very different reactions. Some national outlets have pointed to him as the kind of player who can breathe life into Wisconsin’s stagnant offense. Others have taken a much colder view, either because they aren’t sold on his game or don’t think it will translate in Madison.
Pro Football Focus recently added another layer to the conversation by ranking Joseph as the No. 8 returning quarterback in the Big Ten, placing him behind fellow Group of Six transfers Anthony Colandrea and Katin Houser.
That naturally raises the question: which Big Ten team is bringing in the best G6 quarterback transfer?
Out of the conference’s 18 programs, three are expected to start quarterbacks who came from the Group of Six level: Wisconsin, Illinois and Nebraska. And when you stack Joseph up against Houser and Colandrea, the differences are pretty easy to spot.
Joseph’s biggest edge is what he can do with his legs. Colandrea is dangerous as well, but Joseph nearly finished last season with more rushing yards than Colandrea has had in his entire career. In speed, escapability and overall dual-threat ability, Joseph stands out as the most dynamic runner of the three.
The gap flips when the ball is in the air. Houser and Colandrea both threw for at least 3,300 yards last season, while Joseph finished at 2,624. The efficiency numbers also lean away from him: Joseph completed just under 60 percent of his passes, while Houser and Colandrea each posted exactly 65.9 percent last fall.
If you’re looking for the best pure passer in the group, Houser makes the strongest case. He led the No. 19 passing offense in the country in yards per game last season, and his profile is that of a big pocket passer who can drive the ball downfield.
Houser also added nine rushing touchdowns in 2025, but the ground production was modest overall - 193 yards and 2.3 yards per carry. He can finish runs near the goal line, but he’s not the kind of quarterback who creates chunk gains with his legs or turns a broken pocket into something special.
Colandrea brings a different kind of résumé. He had a shot at the Power Four level at Virginia, and it didn’t go especially well. But at UNLV last fall, the 6-foot quarterback was one of the more entertaining players around, piling up more than 4,000 total yards and 33 touchdowns.
He was part of a top-20 UNLV offense that kept the stat sheet busy all season. Colandrea can move, but his rushing numbers never really took over games. He didn’t go over 100 rushing yards in a game, and his best day on the ground - 93 yards - came in Week 1 against FCS Idaho State.
That’s what makes this comparison tricky. Houser looks like the best passer.
Joseph is the best dual-threat. Colandrea sits somewhere in between, with production and experience that are hard to ignore.
Still, Joseph feels like the swing-for-the-fences choice. He brings the most upside because of the way his mobility and arm talent work together, and unlike Houser and Colandrea, he hasn’t played in the Power Four yet. Both of those quarterbacks already had that opportunity before dropping down to the G6 level.
Houser may have the safest floor because of what he’s already shown as a pocket passer. But if the goal is to land the quarterback with the highest ceiling, Joseph is the answer.
So if the Big Ten’s incoming G6 transfer quarterbacks are ranked in order, it’s Joseph at No. 1, Houser at No. 2 and Colandrea at No. 3.
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