Pac-12 Breakdown: Top QB battles

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There are many Pac-12 quarterbacks who have locked up the starting job, including USC’s Sam Darnold, UCLA’s Josh Rosen and Washington’s Jake Browning, among others. But there are still many schools in the conference that have a quarterback battle heading into the summer.

Here’s a look at those big competitions:

Replacing: Anu Solomon

Contenders: Brandon Dawkins, Khalil Tate

Breakdown: Solomon was the clear-cut starter going into last season, but a knee injury to start the campaign sent Arizona down a path it didn’t think it would go. It meant Dawkins being thrown into a bigger role after he stepped in for an injured Solomon at the end of the 2015 season. That knee injury marked the beginning of the end for Solomon in Tucson as he is now finishing out his career at Baylor. For Dawkins it was the start of what could be a permanent starting quarterback position with the Wildcats. He went through spring ball a more relaxed player and improved his leadership abilities because of the comfort and not having to look over his shoulder. Timing continues to be the focus for Dawkins as Arizona’s coaches want him to take the next step in his progression with his passing since he knows he can be dominant with his feet. Dawkins was the clear starter throughout the spring, but then Arizona held an open scrimmage in its final spring practice and Tate gave the coaching staff something to think about. He was patient, he was crisp and he was clearly the best quarterback that day. The former four-star recruit has more upside and more room to grow as a quarterback, so it will be interesting how much momentum he can build this summer.

Replacing: None

Candidates: Manny Wilkins, Blake Barnett, Dillon Sterling-Cole

Breakdown: Bryce Perkins is coming off a broken neck and Brady White is coming off a severe foot injury so both of those players are behind others at this point. Barnett, who started last season’s opener at Alabama before being replaced by Jalen Hurts, is here to challenge Wilkins to take the necessary step forward that will help ASU compete for the Pac-12 South. Wilkins should be able to keep the job, but the leash could be short and Barnett might take the job and run with it. Literally.

Replacing: None

Contenders: Justin Herbert, Terry Wilson and Travis Jonsen

Breakdown: Last season, Herbert started the season as the No. 2 quarterback, but quickly emerged as a freshman All-American completing 63.5 percent of his passes for 1,936 yards and 19 touchdowns. But when the Ducks hired Willie Taggart in the off-season, the new Oregon coach put every position up for grabs - including quarterback. So far early in the spring, Herbert has shown exactly why he was the starter a season ago. He is stronger, more confident and still very accurate with his throws and is showing running ability, which had not previously been showcased. Wilson took repetitions at the No. 2 spot during the first week of drills and showed plenty of promise and now Jonsen has stepped into that role this week and also looks promising. As of now, the battle for that No. 2 spot is heated and looks to be something that extends into the fall. As for No. 1? From all we can tell, Herbert has responded well to the challenge of all positions being up for grabs and looks to be the clear leader.

Replacing: None

Contenders: Jake Luton, Marcus McMaryion, and Darell Garretson

Breakdown: Luton, the junior college transfer, was the best-looking quarterback throughout spring practices and started as the first-team quarterback in Oregon State's spring game back in March. McMaryion was the hero in Oregon State's Civil War win over Oregon last fall, and he arguably had the best outing in the spring game. Garretson also played well, but this figures to be a two-horse race between Luton and McMaryion. Both McMaryion and Garretson started games last season. The more comfortable Luton gets in Kevin McGiven's offense, the more likely he is to pull away as the team's starting quarterback come Aug. 26 when Oregon State opens the season at Colorado State.

Replacing: Davis Webb

Candidates: Chase Forrest, Ross Bowers

Breakdown: While the offenses during the Sonny Dykes era were prolific, they were entirely on the arms of Jared Goff and Webb. Bowers and Forrest only have a combined 19 pass attempts, all coming from Forrest at the beginning of the 2015 season. Bowers appeared in one game last season, the finale against UCLA, but didn't attempt a pass. Redshirt freshmen Max Gilliam and Vic Viramontes were initially in the hunt, but the race has been cut down to two. Bowers emerged as the backup behind Webb in 2016, but with OC Beau Baldwin installing a new offense, it's back to square one with both of them. Forrest is seen as the more accurate of the two, less risk adverse, Alex Smith comparison. Bowers has the bigger arm, but is more of a risk taker. The battle should go through the spring and possibly into the fall, when freshman Chase Garbers could ostensibly make an impact.

Replacing: None

Contenders: Keller Chryst, Ryan Burns, KJ Costello and Davis Mills

Breakdown: The Stanford quarterback situation is complicated. Chryst was the presumed heir apparent to Kevin Hogan, but it was Burns who started the first seven games of the 2016 season. But a combination of poor play and injury led to Burns being replaced by Chryst. The Palo Alto High graduate performed better with each game, but suffered a knee injury in the Sun Bowl. Now Chryst is missing spring and Burns and Costello are competing, even though it’s expected Chryst will have every chance to keep his No. 1 spot when he returns. Mills is a five-star from Georgia who will most likely redshirt, but anything is possible with his considerable talent.