This offseason, the spring transfer portal window was a bit quieter than a year ago when several quarterbacks changed teams and there was movement all over the country. Still, coaches put the finishing touches on their rosters for next season, so now with the portal closed and only a few players still searching for homes, we can start to predict who will be good next season.
The Big Ten specifically underwent a monumental restructure this offseason, adding UCLA, USC, Oregon, and Washington. Two of those programs will be ready to compete right away and the Ducks look ready to fight for the conference title in Year 1.
With Jim Harbaugh’s move to the NFL and Kalen DeBoer’s departure for Alabama, Washington, and Michigan, who played for the national title last season, will take a big step back. With new contenders joining and last year’s dominant teams undergoing rebuilds, it could be James Franklin’s year to make a statement and bring his second Big Ten title to Happy Valley. Let’s get into the early power rankings for the conference with the transfer portal closed.
Key losses: Jer’Zhan Newton, Isaiah Adams, Tip Reiman Key additions: J.C. Davis, Cole Rusk
When Illinois got to 8-5 in 2022, it did it with a dominant defense, but that unit has lost a lot of talent over the past two years. Jer’Zhan Newton was a dominant force on the defensive line last season but with him and Keith Randolph Jr. off to the NFL, the regression will continue. Bret Bielema is only in Year 4 at Illinois, but it appears his best season is already in the rearview mirror.
The outlook for 2024 looked bleak to begin with, but the spring portal window hit hard. Illinois has been ravaged by departures and is in an even tougher spot heading into the summer.
Key losses: Brendan Sullivan, Ben Bryant, Josh Priebe Key additions: Matt Keeler, Zachary Franks
The Northwestern football program could have spiraled after Pat Fitzgerald was dismissed, but David Braun kept things together and managed to win eight games. It was a fantastic season, but it’s unlikely Braun will be able to replicate it.
The Wildcats won six of their eight games by one score, a hard feat to replicate, and now the team will need to replace its quarterback. Brendan Sullivan who split time with Ben Bryant last year, entered the transfer portal and now both quarterbacks are gone. Ryan Hilinski is likely in line for the starting job, and that’s not good news.
Key losses: Deion Burks, Nic Scourton, Tyrone Tracy Jr. Key additions: Nyland Green, CJ Smith
It’s clear that Purdue lost a lot when Jeff Brohm left for Louisville. In his first season leading the Cardinals, he nearly won the ACC while Purdue went 4-8 and only won three games in conference play.
Deion Burks emerged as the Boilermakers’ best playmaker, but after posting a season with 47 catches for 629 yards and seven touchdowns, Burks transferred to Oklahoma to play with five-star QB Jackson Arnold. Ryan Walter didn’t add enough in the transfer portal to offset that loss or the other portal departures.
Key losses: Athan Kaliakmanis, Tyler Nubin Key additions: Max Brosmer, Jaxon Howard, Tyler Williams
Some key losses are actually positives for the team. As a sophomore, Athan Kaliakmanis completed just 53.1% of his passes for 1,838 yards with 14 touchdowns to nine interceptions. Minnesota’s offense averaged just 20.9 points a game and finished 126th in passing offense.
Transfer quarterback Max Brosmer from New Hampshire will bring a new dynamic element for the Golden Gophers, but the rest of the roster just isn't talented enough to be excited about PJ Fleck’s team.
It seems like things have started to go stale for Fleck at Minnesota and after this season both parties could need a change.
Key losses: Dante Moore, Laiatu Latu (basically the whole defense) Key additions: Rico Flores, Collins Acheampong
In Chip Kelly’s final season, UCLA only managed to get to 8-5 despite having one of the best defenses in the country. Well, since the season ended, Kelly left to become Ohio State’s offensive coordinator, defensive coordinator D’Anton Lynn flipped allegiances, taking the same job at USC, Laiatu Latu became a first-round pick, and Grayson and Gabriel Murphy both left for the league.
DeShaun Foster was an underwhelming hire, and from the school’s comments about it, he seems to be in place to raise money more than to win games. Eric Bienemy was a quality hire at offensive coordinator, but the former running back runs a pass-heavy offense and that’s a problem after Dante Moore left for Oregon.
Key losses: Brendan Sorsby, Jaylin Lucas Key additions: Kurtis Rourke, Elijah Sarratt
If Michael Penix Jr. hadn’t carried Tom Allen to 6-2 and a Big Ten Coach of the Year award in 2020 then Indiana would have fired him a lot sooner. Indiana’s football program desperately needed an injection of life and Curt Cignetti brought that immediately after taking the job.
Cignetti built James Madison into a force in the Sun Belt and a nationally recognized brand while ushering the program through a translation to Division I. That’s not an easy task.
Since taking the job, Cignetti has brought plenty of talent with him from JMU and added Kurtis Rourke from Ohio as a one-year answer at quarterback. Indiana won’t be close to Big Ten contention this year or next, but there is a reason for optimism in Bloomington.
Key losses: Taulia Tagovailoa, DJ Glaze Key additions: MJ Morris, Aliou Bah
Maryland didn’t look like a team that would miss Taulia Tagovailoa when the Terrapins dominated Auburn 31-13 in the Music City Bowl with Billy Edwards Jr. at quarterback. However, Edwards completed just six passes for 126 yards and Maryland only gained 10 more yards than Auburn despite the lopsided score.
That bowl game victory was a misleading result and though he wasn’t as good as his brother, Tagovailoa was one of the best quarterbacks in the conference last season. M.J. Morris, a transfer quarterback from N.C. State will likely slot in as the starter, but will be a significant downgrade.
Last year, Maryland got to just eight wins after starting 5-0 in a stretch that included wins over Towson and Charlotte. This year, the schedule is getting a bit harder, and while early season wins over UConn and Villanova would look good on the basketball court, don’t get fooled by them on the football field. Maryland may still get to seven or eight wins, but this isn’t a good football team.
Key losses: Michael Penix Jr. Rome Odunze Troy Fautanu (and everyone else) Key additions: Will Rogers, Tre Watson
Is it disrespectful to rank the team that lost in the national championship game to Michigan at No. 11 in the Big Ten power rankings? Well, it would be if that team looked remotely similar the next year, but Washington was gutted, not just by the NFL that was eager to pry pass catchers offensive linemen, and a veteran quarterback off the Huskies’s roster, but also by Kalen DeBoer as he bolted to Alabama and took what players he could.
Jedd Fisch is a good coach, he proved that with an incredible season at Arizona last season, but Noah Fifita and Tetairoa McMillan didn’t follow him from Tucson to Seattle. Fisch convinced Will Rogers to stay after the veteran quarterback transferred to play for DeBoer, but Rogers isn’t good enough to offset the talent drain that hit this program harder than any other in the country.
Washington had the best offensive line in the country and the best wide receiver room with Rome Odunze, Ja’Lynn Polk, and Jalen McMillan, and from those two groups, not one starter is returning.
Key losses: Max Melton, Rene Konga Key additions: Dymere Miller, Athan Kaliakmanis
Greg Schiano teams are not particularly exciting, but he’s steadily turning Rutgers back into a respectable program. No longer the laughingstock of the Big Ten, the Scarlet Knights went 7-6 last year though just 3-6 in conference play.
Gavin Wimsatt is back at quarterback for Rutgers which gives the team a baseline of competence on that side of the ball, but not a particularly high ceiling. More importantly, Kyle Monangai is returning after rushing for 1,262 yards and eight touchdowns as a junior.
Defensively, Schiano will always put a good product on the field, but losing Max Melton, who became a second-round pick in the NFL draft, will hurt. With four new teams coming into the Big Ten, Rutgers gets pushed a bit further down the hierarchy and a trip to USC in late October won’t be easy, but the Scarlet Knights are a mid-tier Big Ten program and that’s a great compliment.
Key losses: Braelon Allen, Tanor Bortolini, Tanner Mordecai Key additions: Tyler Van Dyke, Tawee Walker
Luke Fickell needs to find a long-term solution at quarterback. After going with Tanner Mordecai in his final season of eligibility last year, Fickell is handing the starting job to Tyler Van Dyke as a one-year stop-gap. Hopping on the transfer quarterback carousel every offseason isn’t a sustainable way to build a winning program, so if Braedyn Locke doesn’t develop into the answer for 2025 and 2026, there will come a time to question Fickell’s philosophy.
Outside of quarterback, Fickell has done a solid job in Madison, bringing in a top-25 high school recruiting class in 2024 and supplementing his current roster with veteran portal additions like Van Dyke and Tawee Walker.
Long-term, Fickell will figure it out at Wisconsin, but the early returns are a bit underwhelming for a coach who took Cincinnati to the College Football Playoff.
Key losses: Chubba Purdy, Jeff Sims Key additions: Dylan Raiola, Jahmal Banks
Nebraska was actually in a lot of games last season, despite going 5-7. The Cornhuskers only had a -3 point differential and lost five games by one score, including four straight to end the season. Well now, Matt Rhule has himself a quarterback, so those one-score games may go the other way.
Last season, Heinrich Haarberg, Chubba Purdy, and Jeff Sims combined to throw 16 interceptions to 10 touchdowns. The quarterback play in Lincoln was abysmal, so it was paramount that Rhule got five-star Dylan Raiola to flip his commitment from Georgia to come play for his father’s alma mater.
Raiola looked good in Nebraska’s spring game and will be the starter from Day 1. Sure, there will be growing pains, but he’s a huge upgrade, even as an inexperienced freshman.
Key losses: Sam Leavitt, Maliq Carr Key additions: Aidan Chiles, Jack Velling
This may seem absurdly high for the Spartans after a 2-7 conference record in 2023 which included a bizarre coaching situation. Well, Michigan State wiped the slate clean of the Mel Tucker era and while the Big Ten left Oregon State out in the Pac-12, the conference did take the Beavers’ head coach.
Jonathan Smith will quickly build a contender in East Lansing and he already has the foundation with quarterback Aidan Chiles, who came with him from Corvallis. After sitting behind D.J. Uiagalelei last season, Chiles will be an impact player in the conference from Year 1 and that raises the ceiling for a roster that is still questionable.
Key losses: Cooper DeJean, Tory Taylor, Kadyn Proctor Key additions: Kadyn Proctor, Cade Borud
If you notice the key losses section for Iowa, Tory Taylor is listed. If you don’t know much about Iowa football, he was the team’s punter, and the busiest man in college football last season. Iowa’s offense is ugly and even after Brian Ferentz was fired, it’ll likely be ugly under Tim Lester.
However, no matter how ugly Iowa’s offense is, the Hawkeyes just find a way to win games. They always have one of the best special teams units in the country and are stellar defensively. When Washington comes to Iowa City on October 12, the Huskies aren’t going to get a real introduction to Big Ten football, and it won’t be a surprise when the Hawkeyes are up 9-7 in the fourth quarter because that’s Iowa football.
Key losses: Caleb Williams, MarShawn Lloyd, Malachi Nelson Key additions: Kamari Ramsey, Jayden Maiava
Lincoln Riley is in an interesting spot in terms of his career evolution. He was the hottest name in coaching when he left for USC, but after two years there, questions are swirling about if he’s built to win at the highest level. Well, with USC coming to the Big Ten, everybody is about to get an answer to that question, including Riley himself.
USC will look a lot different without Caleb Williams at quarterback, but there is still plenty of talent on that roster out in LA, and Miller Moss looked excellent in the Holiday Bowl against Louisville. Moss has the inside track to win the QB1 spot on the depth chart after 2023 five-star Malachi Nelson transferred to Boise State.
If the Trojans are going to compete in the Big Ten, they’ll need to play a more physical style on the defensive side of the ball. Even after a defensive coordinator change from Alex Grinch to D’Anton Lynn, they’re probably a few years away from competing for a conference title because of deficiencies on defense.
Key losses: J.J. McCarthy, Blake Corum, Kris Jenkins Key additions: Jaishawn Barham, Josh Priebe
The price to pay to bring a national title to Ann Arbor was steep, but Michigan would pay it every single time. Jim Harbaugh took much of his coaching staff with him to Los Angeles while most of the roster dispersed across the rest of the NFL. Now, Sherrone Moore, with the NCAA breathing down his neck, is left to rebuild a Big Ten contender.
Moore will be a successful head coach at some point in Ann Arbor, but it’ll take time to get back to that level after 13 players were drafted into the NFL, including quarterback J.J. McCarthy. Michigan will take a serious step back after last year’s dominance, and everyone will be okay with that reality, as long as Moore doesn’t take too long to get the team back on top.
Key losses: Olu Fashanu, Chop Robinson, Adisa Isaac Key additions: Julian Fleming, Jalen Kimber
With all the change in the conference, Penn State is in a familiar spot, sitting third behind two national championship contenders. Now, it’s not Michigan in the way, Oregon has replaced the Wolverines, but it still leaves the Nittany Lions in a frustrating spot.
Penn State added Julian Fleming to supplement a wide receiver room that desperately needed an upgrade, but an Ohio State castoff isn’t going to be enough to elevate James Franklin’s team to the top of the Big Ten unless Drew Allar finally realizes all of his potential. The season hinges heavily on Allar’s play in new offensive coordinator, Andy Kotelnicki’s offense and the production of Nick Singleton and Kaytron Allen in the backfield.
On defense, Penn State lost Chop Robinson and Adisa Isaac on the edge, but might have actually upgraded by moving Abdul Carter to defensive end.
Key losses: Bo Nix, Bucky Irving, Troy Franklin, Key additions: Dillon Gabriel, Evan Stewart, Jabbar Muhammad
If it weren’t for Kalen DeBoer’s loaded Washington Huskies team last season, Oregon would have been in the College Football Playoff. Now, with both teams coming to the Big Ten, the balance of power has shifted in a big way. DeBoer went to Alabama, while most of his roster went to the NFL, and Lanning reloaded.
To replace Bo Nix, Bucky Irving, and Troy Franklin, Lanning added Dillon Gabriel at quarterback, Evan Stewart at wide receiver, and Jay Harris, a running back from Northwest Missouri State. Lanning even convinced former five-star quarterback, Dante Moore to leave UCLA to backup Gabriel, so his succession plan is already in place.
The Ducks are stacked and if Ohio State doesn’t win the Big Ten, then Oregon will.
Key losses: Marvin Harrison Jr. Kyle McCord Key additions: Will Howard, Caleb Downs, QuinShon Judkins
Ryan Day and Ohio State haven’t beaten Michigan since 2019, and clearly, Day was tired of hearing about it. The Buckeyes dominated the winter transfer portal window, adding Caleb Downs from Alabama, a dynamic playmaker in the secondary, and Quinshon Judkins from Ole Miss, potentially the best running back in the entire country.
Losing Marvin Harrison Jr. will hurt the offense, but bringing in Will Howard to replace Kyle McCord, who is now at Syracuse, along with retaining Emeka Egbuka and adding five-star freshman Jeremiah Smith will make the net effect on the unit negligible. Oh, and Day got Chip Kelly, his former boss with the Philadelphia Eagles, to coordinate his offense.
Ohio State is all in. Even players like Denzel Burke, Jack Sawyer, and Tuimoloau came back to Columbus to make another run at Michigan and a national title.