Big Ten passing yardage leaders after Week 4

The first month of football is essentially in the books, and the Big Ten's leading passers are a couple of guys who were expected to lead the pace in the conference.

Ohio State's Julian Sayin leads the Big Ten with 301.5 passing yards per game, but USC's Jayden Maiava continues to lead the conference in passing yards after Week 4. Of course, it is worth a reminder that Maiava has the benefit of having an extra game under his belt as USC played in Week 0 and has played in 5 total games this season, while the rest of the conference has no more than four games played. Sayin has moved up four spots among the Big Ten's leading passers this week to climb to No. 2.

Penn State's Rocco Becht has fallen outside the top 10 among Big Ten passing yardage leaders

following the results of Week 4. Becht has slipped down to No. 11 among the Big Ten's passing leaders following a rough performance against Wisconsin. Becht was without rising star wide receiver Koby Howard against Wisconsin, but Becht will have to get used to that and connect with some other targets as Howard will reportedly be out of action for a while.

Here are the Big Ten's top 10 passing yardage leaders after Week 4.

1. Jayden Maiava, USC

Sep 4, 2026; Los Angeles, California, USA; Southern California Trojans quarterback Jayden Maiava (14) throws the ball before the game against the Fresno State Bulldogs at United Airlines Field at Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Kirby Lee-Imagn Images

Passing yards: 1,499
Passing TDs: 14 (leads Big Ten)
Interceptions: 2

2. Julian Sayin, Ohio State

Ohio State Buckeyes quarterback Julian Sayin (10) throws under pressure from Penn State Nittany Lions defensive end Dani Dennis-Sutton (33) during the NCAA football game at Ohio Stadium in Columbus on Nov. 1, 2025.

Passing yards: 1206
Passing TDs: 10
Interceptions: 1

3. Ryan Browne, Purdue

Nov 28, 2025; West Lafayette, Indiana, USA; Purdue Boilermakers quarterback Ryan Browne (15) throws a pass during the fourth quarter against the Indiana Hoosiers at Ross-Ade Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Marc Lebryk-Imagn Images

Passing yards: 1135
Passing TDs: 7
Interceptions: 1

4. Demond Williams Jr., Washington

Sep 12, 2026; Seattle, Washington, USA; Utah State Aggies linebacker Jordan Pendleton (17) pressures Washington Huskies quarterback Demond Williams Jr. (1) into throwing an incomplete pass during the third quarter at Husky Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joe Nicholson-Imagn Images

Passing yards: 1129
Passing TDs: 7
Interceptions: 3

5. Malik Washington, Maryland

Sep 19, 2026; College Park, Maryland, USA; Maryland Terrapins quarterback Malik Washington (7) passes in the first half against the Virginia Tech Hokies at SECU Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Jamie Sabau-Imagn Images

Passing yards: 1034
Passing TDs: 6
Interceptions: 4

6. Katin Houser, Illinois

Illinois Fighting Illini quarterback Katin Houser (4) runs the ball during the first half against the Southern Illinois Salukis at Gies Memorial Stadium.

Passing yards: 1021
Passing TDs: 9
Interceptions: 2

7. Colton Joseph, Wisconsin

Wisconsin quarterback Colton Joseph (1) throws pass during the first quarter of their game against Eastern Michigan Saturday, Sept. 19, 2026 at Camp Randall Stadium in Madison, Wisconsin.

Passing yards: 987
Passing TDs: 7
Interceptions: 5

8. Drake Lindsey, Minnesota

Sep 19, 2026; Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA; Minnesota Golden Gophers quarterback Drake Lindsey (5) makes a pass against the Akron Zips during the first half at Huntington Bank Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Nick Wosika-Imagn Images

Passing yards: 951
Passing TDs: 7
Interceptions: 2

9. Dante Moore, Oregon

Oregon quarterback Dante Moore throws a pass before the game as the Oregon Ducks host the Wisconsin Badgers on Oct. 25, 2025, at Autzen Stadium in Eugene, Oregon.

Passing yards: 926
Passing TDs: 9
Interceptions: 0

10. Anthony Colandrea, Nebraska

Nebraska’s Anthony Colandrea throws a pass against Michigan State during the first quarter on Saturday, Sept. 26, 2026, in East Lansing.

Passing yards: 751
Passing TDs: 9
Interceptions: 0

Kevin McGuire is the lead writer for Nittany Lions Wire, part of the USA TODAY Network. Follow him on BlueSky, Threads or any of these other platforms.

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This article originally appeared on Nittany Lions Wire: Big Ten passing yardage leaders after Week 4