B1G Football Recruiting Rankings: 1/6

Will Ohio State land five-star Solomon Thomas?

We are just under a month remaining until grown men will huddle around a fax machine and wait for high school football prospects to send in a piece of paper, locking them into a college.

Despite the limited time, the recruiting trail has largely been quiet due to the dead period that runs through January 16. 

Ohio State was the only school to land a commitment this week. The Buckeyes went two for two by landing Erick Smith and Marshon Lattimore during the Army All-American Game. The pair of commitments moved Ohio State up the national recruiting rankings and helped increase their distance from the rest of the Big Ten conference. 

The recruiting scene may be slow for the Buckeyes over the next ten days. The staff already has at least five official visits scheduled for January and that number is expected to grow. With two or three (maybe even four) spots left, the few weeks leading up to National Signing Day will be eventful. Consider this the "calm before the storm." 

Now, on to the rankings.

14. Minnesota

Four-star Gopher commitment Jeff Jones is planning to visit Florida and Michigan soon. After impressing in the All-American game, Jones is now trending towards Florida on the crystal ball. 

Minnesota has the fewest pledges in the Big Ten, but they could take as many as 20 when all is said and done. 

Commitments: No new commitments this week.
Visitor news: Dead Period. 

13. Indiana

Former Tennessee commit and four-star wide receiver Dominique Booth is announcing tomorrow between Indiana and Missouri. The Hoosiers appear to be the heavy favorite for the big time wide receiver. Booth plans to enroll early and should be a major candidate for early playing time. Indiana has the potential for a strong finish to boost themselves in our rankings. 

Commitments: No new commitments this week.
Visitor news: Dead Period. 

12. Illinois

Things remain quiet in Champaign as we are still in a recruiting dead period. Coach Beckman has been pursing junior college prospects hard, as he knows the pressure to win now is there. 

Many have seemed to forgot about former Oklahoma State quarterback Wes Lunt. Lunt will be eligible to play for the Fighting Illini next season. 

Commitments: No new commitments this week.
Visitor news: Dead Period. 

11. Purdue

The Boilermakers are hoping to add three more prospects to No. 11 ranked recruiting class. Not much has changed in the latest few weeks since Purdue is still looking to bring in multiple top targets for an official visit after the dead period closes. 

Landing three-star lineman A.J. Allen over South Florida and Kansas State could be the top priority for Darrell Hazell. 

Commitments: No new commitments this week.
Visitor news: Dead Period.

Will Damian Prince be a Terrapin? 

10. Maryland

Five-star corner Jalen Tabor was once considered a heavy Maryland lean, but he surprised many with his commitment to Arizona. It's a big loss for Randy Edsall, who was already on the hot seat. Unranked corner Daniel Ezeagwu could be the replacement for Tabor, although his offer list is not too impressive. 

The Terps remain the favorite for five-star offensive tackle Damian Prince, but Maryland fans are slightly worried after the latest developments on the recruiting scene. 

Commitments: No new commitments this week.
Visitor news: Dead Period.

9. Iowa

Four-star offensive lineman Brian Wallace was once high on Iowa, but he decided to commit to Arkansas over Alabama during the All-American Game. The Hawkeyes would also miss out on four-star Rutgers decommit Adonis Jennings, who committed to Pittsburgh, yesterday. 

Kirk Ferentz could be in line for a solid 2015 recruiting class after already landing a commitment from highly-regarded quarterback Jack Beneventi. 

Commitments: No new commitments this week.
Visitor news: Dead Period.

8. Rutgers

The Scarlet Knights' recruiting class was just up near the top of the B1G until they were hit with numerous decommits. It's hard to say how Kyle Flood will finish this recruiting class with Rutgers losing more commitments than adding as of late. 

For Rutgers to have eight more commitments than Northwestern and still trail in the rankings could be bad news for the Big Ten. 

Commitments: No new commitments this week.
Visitor news: Dead Period.

Dareian Watkins will be at Wisconsin next season. 

7. Northwestern

The Wildcats could be finished with their small recruiting class. While cutting ties with four-star Dareian Watkins stinks, it was the right thing to do. Northwestern's class was once third in the rankings, but the lack of numbers was one of the main reasons for the fall to seven. 

Commitments: No new commitments this week.
Visitor news: Dead Period.

6. Nebraska

Nebraska could soon lose defensive back coach Terry Joesph to Texas A&M, which could have an impact on the final month of recruiting. While the Cornhuskers don't currently lead for any prospects on the crystal ball, Bo Pelini and staff will surely be working hard in January to reel in a few prospects. 

Commitments: No new commitments this week.
Visitor news: Dead Period.

5. Michigan State

The Spartans could be in line for a strong finish on the recruiting trail after their Rose Bowl win. All-American Malik McDowell named Michigan State his leader, which would instantly make him Sparty's top recruit in this class. There is still work to be done, as he plans to visit Florida State, LSU and Ohio State before deciding. 

Penn State quarterback commit Michael O'Connor plans to enroll in a few days, but the coaching situation has caused some uncertainty. MSU has been in contact with the four-star signal caller and would be the front runner if O'Connor decides to decommit. 

Commitments: No new commitments this week.
Visitor news: Dead Period.

4. Wisconsin

The Badgers had a disappointing weekend with five-star Joe Mixon committing to Oklahoma over Wisconsin and UCLA. Additionally, four-star athlete Jamil Kamara decided to stay home at Virginia. Despite already having 25 pledges, Gary Andersen would still like to take a few more recruits in this class. Gary Andersen's first recruiting class is arguably better than any class from Bret Bielema at Wisconsin. 

Commitments: No new commitments this week.
Visitor news: Dead Period.

Gopher pledge Jeff Jones offered by Michigan

3. Penn State

With Bill O'Brien leaving Happy Valley for Houston, most of the Nittany Lions' recruits are patiently waiting for a head coach to be named. Four-star tight end Mike Gesicki could open his recruitment up and the Buckeyes would surely be a major factor. Highly-rated Thomas Holley is also considering decommitting and the Florida Gators would be a major factor. 

Penn State plans to name a coach by the end of the week, so we could know more on the Gesicki front soon. 

Commitments: No new commitments this week.
Visitor news: Dead Period.

2. Michigan

Some Wolverine fans took the bait from Marshon Lattimore and believed that they would land his commitment. It proved to be nothing, as Lattimore would commit to Ohio State. Many believe that one-time Michigan "lean" Malik McDowell is now favoring the Spartans. Losing McDowell would be another big blow for Michigan. 

Jeff Jones, a four-star Minnesota running back commit, was offered by Brady Hoke this weekend. He plans to visit Ann Arbor, but Florida is also in the mix for his commitment. 

Commitments: No new commitments this week.
Visitor news: Dead Period.

1. Ohio State

With now only two or three spots left in "Dream14," Urban Meyer and staff will narrow their focus. Yesterday, Birm discussed some of the top targets left on the board to round out the class. It appears the staff would like to add at least one more defensive lineman and an offensive lineman. The last spot, if there is another available, could be used to pursue  a prospect such as Mike Gesicki, who turned down Urban Meyer earlier in the process. Another defensive back shouldn't be ruled out, especially with a new coach to be hired. 

Commitments: The Buckeyes landed a pair of commitments from Glenville four-stars Marshon Lattimore and Erick Smith. While both had offers from the nation elites, there was never a doubt they would commit to Ohio State, which now has 21 commitments. 

Visitor news: Dead Period. 

Rankings Overview

Number in parentheses is national rank