The 2023 football recruiting class is in the books. Here’s my final ranking of the Big Ten classes.
#1) Ohio State — The Buckeyes didn’t finish as strong as hoped and struggled at DE in the end but this offensive class is epic especially at WR.
#2) Penn State — An elite class on the offensive line and tight end will keep them effective running the ball and in short yardage while the defensive backfield is deep.
#3) Michigan State — A small class that won’t get the love of math formulas, but Mel Tucker nailed it on defense.
#4) Michigan — Wide receiver help is on the way for a class that isn’t ranked as high as expected but you can’t argue Jim Harbaugh’s evaluation skills. Imagine if he didn’t flirt with the NFL?
#5) Nebraska — Matt Rhule did a stellar job in year one and nailed some key commits led by local ATH Malachi Coleman.
#6) Iowa — A typical Iowa class with a ton of tough, physical kids but lacking elite athletes.
#7) Illinois — Bret Bielema loves fit and he hit a home run at many positions especially on the DL and DB.
#8) Wisconsin — A small class as they transition to Luke Fickell but enough to rank higher than some bigger classes based on quality.
#9) Minnesota — A solid group led by some good wide receivers and another good OL class.
#10) Northwestern — Despite a horrible season, Pat Fitzgerald did well on the OL and at DB.
#11) Maryland — What stands out is the versatility at many positions in this class and that will help.
#12) Rutgers — Greg Schiano hasn’t returned to his old form recruiting yet but he’s still landing talent locally and in Florida.
#13) Purdue — A small class with no headliners so Ryan Walters will need to do work in 2024.
#14) Indiana — The smallest class in the Big Ten has some talent up top but there are some reaches as well.
