Ranking Big Ten football recruiting classes: USC, Ohio State make big splash

Now that spring practice and the ensuing transfer portal window are officially in the rearview mirror, the epicenter of college football will begin to shift toward traditional high school recruiting — at least for the next handful of weeks until the juices of fall camp begin to flow.

Between now and then, however, coaches and recruiting staffers will traverse the country for what remains of the contact period that began on April 15 and runs through May 24. This is when teams can make in-person, off-campus recruiting visits and conduct live evaluations of potential signees en route to the formulation of their 2026 recruiting classes. And back on campus, where additional recruiting camps are held, many teams organize their official visit windows around hyped-up summer weekends in May and June, which means scores of verbal commitments typically follow.

As things currently stand, USC leads both the Big Ten and the sport at large in the ’26 recruiting race after head coach Lincoln Riley reconfigured his recruiting department over the winter, leading to an eye-catching splash of verbal pledges. The Trojans have earned nearly twice as many commitments as anyone else in college football to this point in the cycle. That sets the stage for one of the most pressing questions between now and the early signing period in December: Who in the conference, if anyone, will catch them?

Here's a team-by-team look at each class in the Big Ten using data from the 247Sports Composite (updated on the morning of 5/7/24):

1. USC (No. 1 nationally)

Total commitments: 27Average prospect score: 91.99

Five stars: 1Four stars: 15

Three stars: 10

Best prospect: Xavier Griffin, linebacker, Gainesville High School in Gainesville, Georgia (No. 24 overall, No. 2 LB)

There’s a long way to go between now and the early signing period, at which point USC will hope to make all of its verbal commitments official, but the Trojans have made an impressive statement thus far. The progress began during the offseason when Riley overhauled his personnel department with a series of splashy, high-priced hires in new general manager Chad Bowden from Notre Dame, new executive director of personnel and scouting Dre Brown from Illinois, new assistant athletic director of recruiting operations Zaire Turner from Notre Dame and new executive director of player personnel Max Stienecker from Wisconsin. Together, they’ve put together a class that has 12 more commitments than anyone else in the country and is tinged with a distinctly California flavor — something that wasn’t always present in Riley’s first few recruiting hauls. The 15 verbal pledges from in-state prospects represent the program’s highest total since former coach Steve Sarkisian inked 20 Californians in 2015. Four-star cornerback RJ Sermons (No. 33 overall, No. 2 CB) from Rancho Cucamonga High School is the top-rated local recruit.

2. Ohio State (No. 3 nationally)

Total commitments: 12Average prospect score: 92.91

Five stars: 2Four stars: 8

Three stars: 2

Best prospect: Chris Henry Jr., wide receiver, Mater Dei High School in Santa Ana, California (No. 11 overall, No. 2 WR)

The 2026 recruiting cycle is an interesting one for the Buckeyes, who are simultaneously the defending national champions and a program still adjusting to significant changes on head coach Ryan Day’s staff. There are new coordinators on both sides of the ball in Brian Hartline (offense) and Matt Patricia (defense), not to mention noteworthy newcomers at quarterbacks coach, where Billy Fessler was elevated from an analyst role, and offensive line coach, where Tyler Bowen was added from Virginia Tech after two seasons as the Hokies’ offensive coordinator. In classic Hartline fashion, Ohio State’s current batch of commitments is headlined by two of the top 15 wide receivers in the country in Henry and his Mater Dei teammate Kayden Dixon-Wyatt (No. 107 overall, No. 15 WR), who made his pledge official in early May. But the most noteworthy additions might be four-star offensive tackles Maxwell Riley (No. 128 overall, No. 8 OT) and Sam Greer (No. 148 overall, No. 13 OT), two in-state prospects at a position the Buckeyes have struggled to recruit in recent cycles. Ohio State does not have any commitments from quarterbacks in the 2026 cycle.

3. Penn State (No. 4 nationally)

Total commitments: 15Average prospect score: 89.89

Five stars: 0Four stars: 9

Three stars: 6

Best prospect: Kevin Brown, offensive tackle, Harrisburg High School in Harrisburg, PA (No. 48 overall, No. 5 OT)

In what is shaping up to be another strong recruiting haul for Penn State, whose last four classes all landed among the top 15 nationally, head coach James Franklin has built this group around a handful of in-state prospects. An early pledge from Brown, the four-star offensive tackle, gave the Nittany Lions a commitment from the state’s highest-rated prospect for a fifth straight year, following in the footsteps of running back Nicholas Singleton in 2022, offensive tackle J’ven Williams in 2023, interior offensive lineman Cooper Cousins in 2024 and tight end Andrew Olesh in 2025. The four top recruits in Penn State’s 2026 class hail from Pennsylvania, with Brown being joined by four-star tailback Messiah Mickens (No. 160 overall, No. 13 RB), four-star safety Matt Sieg (No. 198 overall, No. 16 S) and four-star quarterback Peyton Falzone (No. 238 overall, No. 17 QB). The Nittany Lions also added a second quarterback in four-star recruit Troy Huhn (No. 267 overall, No. 19 QB) from San Marcos, California, which gives them two signal-callers in the same cycle for the first time since 2022.

4. Illinois (No. 9 nationally)

Total commitments: 13Average prospect score: 87.70

Five stars: 0Four stars: 1

Three stars: 12

Best prospect: Cam Thomas, linebacker, Lakota West High School in West Chester Township, Ohio (No. 325 overall, No. 24 LB)

Momentum from the program’s first 10-win season since 2001 seems to be carrying over to the recruiting trail, where head coach Bret Bielema is on pace to sign his best class since taking over the program five years ago. The Illini already have verbal commitments from four players ranked among the top 500 nationally in Thomas, linebacker Tony Williams (No. 435 overall, No. 33 LB), running back Javari Barnett (No. 461 overall, No. 31 RB) and offensive tackle Casey Thomann (No. 475 overall, No. 42 OT) after signing just three such players over the last two cycles combined. But where Bielema has struggled to find success, at least thus far, is with some of the higher-rated local prospects. Thomann, who is the state’s 11th-best player, represents the Illini’s top commitment from an in-state recruit at a time when Big Ten rivals USC and Iowa have combined to garner pledges from three of Illinois’ top nine recruits overall. The best player in the state, four-star tight end Mack Sutter, remains uncommitted.

5. Washington (No. 18 nationally)

Total commitments: 10Average prospect score: 88.40

Five stars: 1Four stars: 3

Three stars: 6

Best prospect: Kodi Greene, offensive tackle, Mater Dei High School in Santa Ana, California (No. 22 overall, No. 4 OT)

Things are trending in a positive direction for second-year head coach Jedd Fisch, whose recruiting efforts are on track to improve for the third time in as many cycles. His initial class, which had to be thrown together quickly after a last-gasp coaching move from Arizona, checked in at No. 47 nationally and No. 14 in the Big Ten for 2024. And his second recruiting class, which was put together amid a 6-7 debut season, soared to No. 23 in the national rankings and No. 7 in the Big Ten thanks to five players ranked among the top 400 overall. Now, Fisch’s current group is headlined by Greene, a mammoth offensive tackle who was previously committed to archrival Oregon from August 2024 to April of this year. If Greene stays with Washington, he’ll be the program’s sixth-best signee in the recruiting rankings era behind fellow five-star prospects Shaq Thompson, Reggie Williams, Nathan Rhodes, Sam Huard and Matt Tuiasosopo. The Huskies also have a commitment from the top-rated player in Washington — four-star edge rusher Derek Colman-Brusa (No. 161 overall, No. 18 edge) — for the third time in the last four years.

6. Oregon (No. 21 nationally)

Total commitments: 7Average prospect score: 92.80

Five stars: 1Four stars: 4

Three stars: 2

Best prospect: Keandre Harrison, tight end, Reidsville High School in Reidsville, North Carolina (No. 13 overall, No. 1 TE)

A relatively modest position for Oregon in the national recruiting rankings reflects the small number of verbal commitments secured by head coach Dan Lanning and his staff. But in terms of average prospect score, which analyzes the overall quality of each commitment, the Ducks rank fourth nationally behind only LSU (94.73), Alabama (94.03) and Ohio State (92.91). This is because four of Oregon’s seven verbal commitments are rated among the top 215 players in the country, a quartet headlined by Harrison and supplemented by running back Tradarian Ball (No. 61 overall, No. 4 RB), defensive lineman Tony Cumberland (No. 96 overall, No. 10 DL) and linebacker Tristan Phillips (No. 215 overall, No. 15 LB). Harrison’s pledge gives Oregon a five-star recruit at the skill positions for the third time in the last four years, joining five-star wideouts Dakorien Moore in 2025 and Jurrion Dickey in 2023. Overall, the Ducks’ average prospect score of 92.80 is in keeping with the lofty standard Lanning has set since arriving three years ago: 90.78 in 2022, 90.90 in 2023, 92.19 in 2024 and 94.37 in 2025.

7. Iowa (No. 23 nationally)

Total commitments: 9Average prospect score: 88.56

Five stars: 0Four stars: 4

Three stars: 5

Best prospect: Hudson Parliament, defensive line, Brandon Valley High School in Brandon, South Dakota (No. 229 overall, No. 15 IOL)

Given the brand of football that head coach Kirk Ferentz likes to play, it should come as no surprise that the three best prospects in Iowa’s 2026 recruiting class ply their trade in the trenches. In addition to Parliament, who has power lifting and wrestling in his background, the Hawkeyes earned commitments from four-star offensive tackle Carson Nielsen (No. 269 overall, No. 24 OT) and four-star interior offensive lineman Gene Riordan (No. 283 overall, No. 21 IOL) to give them three players rated among the top 300 nationally. The lingering question is at quarterback, where Iowa has lacked stability since the departure of Nate Stanley following the 2019 season. Both quarterbacks that Ferentz signed in the 2023 and 2024 cycles — Marco Lainez III and James Resar, respectively — have since entered the transfer portal, which leaves the Hawkeyes thin at the sport’s most important position. Their 2026 class includes a verbal commitment from three-star quarterback Cash Herrera (No. 763 overall, No. 45 QB), whose only other Power 4 offers came from Minnesota, UCLA and Virginia Tech.

8. Minnesota (No. 26 nationally)

Total commitments: 10Average prospect score: 87.68

Five stars: 0Four stars: 2

Three stars: 7

Best prospect: Andrew Trout, offensive tackle, Rocori High School in Cold Spring, Minnesota (No. 276 overall, No. 26 OT)

Minnesota bounced back from a disappointing 2023 campaign in which it finished below .500 to manufacture the program’s fifth winning season in eight years under head coach P.J. Fleck, who is now 6-0 in bowl games. The Gophers’ upward trajectory has sparked a strong start to this cycle on the recruiting trail, where Fleck has already earned verbal commitments from seven players ranked among the top 800 prospects in the country. By comparison, Fleck’s 2025 class, which finished No. 48 overall, only included five signatures from recruits in that same range. Minnesota has never finished with a top-30 class in the Fleck era, dating to 2017, and the Gophers last accomplished that feat in 2008 under former coach Tim Brewster. The ’08 class was bolstered by five junior college players rated among the top 75 in the country for that particular cycle.

9. Rutgers (No. 33 nationally)

Total commitments: 8Average prospect score: 88.26

Five stars: 0Four stars: 3

Three stars: 4

Best prospect: Dyzier Carter, wide receiver, Louisa County High School in Mineral, Virginia (No. 199 overall, No. 31 WR)

Back-to-back seven-win seasons have allowed head coach Greg Schiano to steady the ship amid his second tenure with the Scarlet Knights, bouncing back from a rocky three-year stretch (2020-22) in which he only won six conference games and never finished better than fifth in the Big Ten East. An average prospect score of 88.26 near the midway point of this cycle puts Rutgers ahead of schedule relative to its 2025 class, which finished 33rd nationally, the program’s highest mark since landing 23rd in 2012. Carter, the jewel of this year’s group, is the third-best wide receiver to join the Scarlet Knights in the recruiting rankings era, trailing only four-star prospect Ahmir Mitchell in 2016 and four-star prospect Leonte Carroo in 2012. Carter holds additional scholarship offers from Florida State, Georgia, Miami, Michigan, Penn State and Tennessee, among others, which could make his pledge difficult to keep as the recruiting cycle progresses.

10. Indiana (No. 35 nationally)

Total commitments: 7Average prospect score: 87.54

Five stars: 0Four stars: 1

Three stars: 6

Best prospect: Henry Ohlinger, running back, Grandview Heights School in Columbus, Ohio (No. 320 overall, No. 18 RB)

It was always going to be interesting to analyze the recruiting footprint of head coach Curt Cignetti after he relied so heavily on transfers from his previous stop, James Madison, to retool Indiana’s roster entering the 2024 season. A year ago, the Hoosiers put together a recruiting class that featured just one high school prospect ranked among the top 500 in four-star safety Byron Baldwin Jr. (No. 257 overall, No. 20 S). Only three other players signed by Indiana ranked among the top 750 prospects. But Cignetti’s 2026 class already includes commitments from three top-500 players and four in the top 750 with Ohlinger joined by three-star safety Lawrence Timmons (No. 466 overall, No. 35 S), three-star cornerback Kasmir Hicks (No. 494 overall, No. 41 CB) and three-star interior offensive lineman Samuel Simpson (No. 657 overall, No. 56 IOL). The Hoosiers haven’t finished in the top half of the Big Ten’s recruiting rankings since they wound up fifth in 2022 under former coach Tom Allen.

11. Wisconsin (No. 43 nationally)

Total commitments: 6Average prospect score: 87.29

Five stars: 0Four stars: 0

Three stars: 6

Best prospect: Carmelow Reed, defensive line, Rich Township High School in Olympia Fields, Illinois (No. 520 overall, No. 58 DL)

Despite signing a one-year extension in February that keeps him under contract through the 2031 season, head coach Luke Fickell is surely feeling the pressure after failing to reach a bowl game last fall, snapping the program’s run of 22 consecutive postseason appearances. Not only has Fickell struggled to produce results on the field, where the Badgers are 13-13 since he took over, but he’s also found it somewhat difficult to make inroads on the recruiting trail. Fickell’s first class ranked 59th nationally in 2023; his second class improved to 23rd in 2024; and his third held fairly steady at 27th in 2025. But none of those groups cracked the Big Ten’s top six in any given year, and the Badgers’ current haul has slipped into the bottom half of the conference. Wisconsin does not have a single commitment from a player ranked among the top 500 nationally entering a critical summer cycle of official visits.

12. Michigan (No. 44 nationally)

Total commitments: 5Average prospect score: 89.89

Five stars: 0Four stars: 3

Three stars: 2

Best prospect: Brady Smigel, quarterback, Newbury Park High School in Newbury Park, California (No. 80 overall, No. 7 QB)

Were it not for the April commitment from Smigel, who chose the Wolverines over Florida State, Ohio State, Oregon and Washington, fans might have started to grumble over the state of Michigan’s 2026 class. Smigel is the program’s only commit from a player ranked among the top 270 nationally, and he’s one of only three pledges ranked among the top 400 overall — a stark contrast from the eight top-400 recruits who signed to play for head coach Sherrone Moore in a 2025 haul that ranked sixth overall. The top end of Moore’s last class featured six players rated among the top 150, including several at premium positions like quarterback, offensive tackle and cornerback, which meant the group was strong enough to buy him a reprieve from skeptics amid an up-and-down season on the field. That became exceedingly clear once five-star quarterback Bryce Underwood, the nation’s No. 1 overall player, flipped from LSU on Nov. 21. It’s worth noting, however, that Michigan is without an in-state commitment for 2026 at a time when six of the state’s top eight players are already committed to other programs, including three to Notre Dame, two to Iowa and one to Georgia.

13. Purdue (No. 45 nationally)

Total commitments: 6Average prospect score: 86.41

Five stars: 0Four stars: 0

Three stars: 6

Best prospect: Corin Berry, quarterback, Charter Oak High School in Covina, California (No. 576 overall, No. 33 QB)

The expectations surrounding first-year head coach Barry Odom shouldn’t be particularly high considering his predecessor, Ryan Walters, finished 1-11 overall and 0-9 in the Big Ten last season. So, while it’s true that Walters, who is now the defensive coordinator at Washington, put together a solid recruiting class in 2024 (No. 27 overall) after stumbling out of the gates in 2023 (No. 70 overall), the on-field product remained stuck in a vicious tailspin for much of his tenure Thus far, Odom has focused most of his attention on flipping the current roster ahead of the 2025 campaign. He’s added 51 players via the transfer portal — more than any other team in the country — and could continue to shop in the coming weeks and months before fall camp. As a result, his 2026 recruiting class is off to a tepid start with only three pledges from players rated among the top 1,000 nationally. Berry was previously committed to Boston College before flipping to Purdue in early April.

14. Maryland (No. 52 nationally)

Total commitments: 4Average prospect score: 90.48

Five stars: 1|Four stars: 0

Three stars: 3

Best prospect: Zion Elee, edge rusher, St. Frances Academy in Baltimore, Maryland (No. 6 overall, No. 1 edge rusher)

Once again, Maryland head coach Mike Locksley continues to demonstrate how potent the Terrapins can be on the recruiting trail, even after winning just a single Big Ten game last fall. Only one week had elapsed since Maryland was stomped, 44-7, by then-No. 4 Penn State on Nov. 30 when Elee, an elite edge rusher from a football powerhouse, gave Locksley a verbal commitment. Five months later, Elee remains the highest-rated prospect committed to any school in the Big Ten and, if he winds up signing with the Terrapins, would be the program’s third five-star recruit in six years following wide receiver Rakim Jarrett in 2020 and linebacker Terrence Lewis in 2021. During that same span, Michigan, which reached the College Football Playoff in three straight seasons and won a national championship, has added four five-star recruits. But only sporadically has the on-field product at Maryland matched the caliber of talent Locksley and his staff are attracting, a fact amplified by the program’s six selections in this year’s NFL Draft.

15. UCLA (No. 55 nationally)

Total commitments: 4Average prospect score: 89.21

Five stars: 0Four stars: 2

Three stars: 2

Best prospect: Jonah Smith, wide receiver, Santa Margarita Catholic High School in Rancho Santa Margarita, California (No. 344 overall, No. 55 WR)

Head coach DeShaun Foster scored the biggest recruiting victory of his relatively brief tenure when former five-star quarterback Nico Iamaleava transferred from Tennessee to UCLA earlier this spring. A native of Long Beach, California, where he starred for Warren High School, Iamaleava gives Foster a major recruiting piece around which he can pitch additional in-state prospects. And while the four players in Smith’s 2026 recruiting class were pledged to the Bruins before Iamaleava came into the fold, it’s worth noting that all of them are wide receivers rated among the top 70 players in the country at their position: Jonah Smith (No. 343 overall, No. 55 WR), Jaron Pula (No. 387 overall, No. 61 WR), Kenneth Moore III (No. 422 overall, No. 67 WR) and Kennan Pula (No. 425 overall, No. 68 WR). As long as Iamaleava plays well — and sticks around for more than one season — the future on that side of the ball is brightening for first-year offensive coordinator Tino Sunseri.

16. Nebraska (No. 57 nationally)

Total commitments: 4Average prospect score: 88.15

Five stars: 0Four stars: 1

Three stars: 3

Best prospect: CJ Bronaugh, cornerback, Windermere High School in Winter Garden, Florida (No. 106 overall, No. 13 CB)

It’s no surprise to see Nebraska’s high school recruiting lagging slightly behind after making such a big investment in the transfer portal this winter. Head coach Matt Rhule added six of the top 200 players in the portal when the Cornhuskers signed former Kentucky wideout Dane Key (No. 33 overall), former Missouri defensive lineman Williams Nwaneri (No. 35 overall), former Alabama offensive tackle Elijah Pritchett (No. 47 overall), former Oklahoma linebacker Dasan McCullough (No. 119 overall), former Notre Dame offensive lineman Rocco Spindler (No. 133 overall) and former California wideout Nyziah Hunter (No. 192 overall). In terms of traditional high school recruits, Bronaugh is the only commit rated among the top 700 players in the country entering the crucial summer visiting season. Three-star quarterback Dayton Raiola (No. 1,118 overall, No. 80 QB), who is the younger brother of starting quarterback Dylan Raiola, gave Nebraska a verbal pledge last September.

17. Michigan State (No. 58 nationally)

Total commitments: 4Average prospect score: 87.67

Five stars: 0Four stars: 1

Three stars: 3

Best prospect: Kayd Coffman, quarterback, East Kentwood High School in Grand Rapids, Michigan (No. 295 overall, No. 22 QB)

At this point, the lack of recruiting fireworks from second-year head coach Jonathan Smith, formerly of Oregon State, is probably a bit concerning for Michigan State fans. Smith’s first recruiting class, in 2024, ranked 42nd nationally and only included two players ranked among the top 450 overall. His second recruiting class, in 2025, slipped to 57th in the national rankings and only included one player among the top 450 prospects. The story in 2026 seems to be more of the same with Coffman, who chose the Spartans over additional scholarship offers from Iowa State, Ole Miss, Duke and Syracuse, among others, being the only commit ranked among the top 550 nationally. If high-end prospects aren’t committing, Smith will need his returning players to make significant leaps forward in Year 2 for the sake of building an enticing recruiting pitch around player development. Otherwise, the Spartans are in real trouble.

18. Northwestern (No. 65 nationally)

Total commitments: 3Average prospect score: 86.98

Five stars: 0Four stars: 0

Three stars: 3

Best prospect: Joshua Sims, cornerback, Pearl-Cohn High School in Nashville, Tennessee (No. 582 overall, No. 53 CB)

This is an important cycle for third-year head coach David Braun, whose Wildcats took a significant step back last fall (4-8 overall, 2-7 Big Ten) after a resilient 2023 campaign following the offseason firing of longtime head coach Pat Fitzgerald. Lately, Northwestern’s roster has been picked apart by high-major programs in the transfer portal as cornerback Theran Johnson (No. 202 overall) went to Oregon and interior offensive lineman Josh Thompson (No. 16 overall) went to LSU in recent months — one year after quarterback Brendan Sullivan went to Iowa, cornerback Jaheem Joseph went to West Virginia, cornerback Rod Heard II went to Notre Dame and interior offensive lineman Josh Priebe went to Michigan. Replacing that many starters won’t be easy for Braun and his staff, evidenced by the slow start to 2026 recruiting. None of the Wildcats’ commits are rated among the top 550 players in the country.

Michael Cohen covers college football and college basketball for FOX Sports. Follow him at @Michael_Cohen13.

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