2017 Recruiting Rankings, Vol. 4.
There has been some movement in the recruiting rankings since we last checked in on the Big Ten. Since late September, 81 players have committed and 25 players decommitted. The final puzzle pieces are coming into place as February 1st and National Signing Day draws nearer.
Reminder that kickers, punters and long snappers are not included in the power ranking numbers.
NO. 14 INDIANA • 17 COMMITMENTS • 96.86 POWER RANKING
New commits since 9/27: Three.
Highest ranked new commit: ILB Mo Barnum ★★★ (.844).
Decommits since 9/27: Zero.
Trending: Down. Indiana dropped three places from September's ranking of 11th.
Note: Tom Allen replaced Kevin Wilson as Indiana's head coach. Wilson is now on Ohio State's staff.
INDIANA'S TOP COMMITS |
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DT Derrius Mullins ★★★ // ATH Bryant Fitzgerald ★★★ // TE Peyton Hendershot ★★★ |
NO. 13 IOWA • 15 COMMITMENTS • 97.17 POWER RANKING
New commits since 9/27: Two.
Highest ranked new commit: WR Max Coooper ★★ (.789).
Decommits since 9/27: Four.
Highest ranked decommit: CB ★★★★ Chevin Calloway (.948).
Trending: Down 9 spots. The Hawkeyes were ranked fourth in September.
Note: Kirk Ferentz has a lot of work to do over the next 19 days.
IOWA'S TOP COMMITS |
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SDE AJ Epenesa ★★★★★ // OT Tristan Wirfs ★★★★ // CB Djimon Colbert ★★★★ |
NO. 12 PURDUE • 19 COMMITMENTS • 97.82 POWER RANKING
New commits since 9/27: Ten.
Highest ranked new commit: CB TJ Allow ★★★ (.859).
Decommits since 9/27: Four.
Highest ranked decommit: RB Antwuan Branch ★★★ (.847).
Trending: Up 1 spot.
Note: Will the hiring of Jeff Brohm be enough to bring the Boilermakers out of the bowels of the Big Ten?
PURDUE'S TOP COMMITS |
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CB TJ Allow ★★★ // QB Nick Sipe ★★★ // CB Dedrick Mackey ★★★ |
NO. 11 WISCONSIN • 16 COMMITMENTS • 98.79 POWER RANKING
New commits since 9/27: Five.
Highest ranked new commit: RB Jonathan Taylor ★★★ (.879).
Decommits since 9/27: One
Highest ranked decommit: CB Ke'shan Pennamon ★★★ (.840).
Trending: Down 1 spot.
Note: Paul Chryst flipped former Rutgers' commit Jonathan Taylor to play in Madison.
WISCONSIN'S TOP COMMITS |
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DT Kayden Lyles ★★★★ // TE Jake Ferguson ★★★ // OT Tyler Beach ★★★ |
NO. 10 ILLINOIS • 17 COMMITMENTS • 98.98 POWER RANKING
New commits since 9/27: Seven
Highest ranked new commit: DT Kendrick Green ★★★ (.882).
Decommits since 9/27: Zero.
Trending: Up 2 spots.
Note: The Illini's 2016 class lost five of its highest rated commits over the last three weeks. Will Lovie Smith keep the 2017 class intact?
ILLINOIS' TOP COMMITS |
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WR Ricky Smalling ★★★ // DT Kendrick Green ★★★ // ILB Delshawn Phillip ★★★ |
NO. 9 NEBRASKA • 15 COMMITMENTS • 99.48 POWER RANKING
New commits since 9/27: Two.
Highest ranked new commit: ILB Andrew Ward ★★★ (.842).
Decommits since 9/27: Two.
Highest ranked decommit: TE Reese Leitao ★★★ (.850).
Trending: Down 2 spots.
Note: WR Keyshawn Johnson Jr. lost a star and is now a three-star recruit.
NEBRASKA'S TOP COMMITS |
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ILB Avery Roberts ★★★★ // QB Tristan Gebbia ★★★★ // WR Jaevon McQuitty ★★★★ |
NO. 8 NORTHWESTERN • 18 COMMITMENTS • 99.80 POWER RANKING
New commits since 9/27: Zero.
Decommits since 9/27: Zero.
Trending: Up 1 spot.
Note: The Wildcats are the only team in the big not to get a commit or have a player decommit since September.
NORTHWESTERN'S TOP COMMITS |
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SDE Earnest Brown ★★★★ //WR Sam Miller ★★★ // SDE Trevor Kent ★★★ |
NO. 7 MINNESOTA • 21 COMMITMENTS • 99.85 POWER RANKING
New commits since 9/27: Fourteen.
Highest ranked new commit: RB Mohamed Ibrahim ★★★ (.856).
Decommits since 9/27: Five.
Highest ranked decommit: OLB Kyrei Fisher ★★★ (.846).
Trending: Up 7. Fleck and fourteen commits catapulted Minnesota up the rankings.
Note: Tracy Claeys is out and PJ Fleck's boat is now docked in Minneapolis.
MINNESOTA'S TOP COMMITS |
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OT Blaise Andries ★★★ // RB Mohamed Ibrahim ★★★ // DT Joshua Coslen ★★★ |
NO. 6 MICHIGAN STATE • 17 COMMITMENTS • 100.63 POWER RANKING
New commits since 9/27: One.
Highest ranked new commit: ATH Connor Heyward ★★★ (.855).
Decommits since 9/27: Zero.
Trending: Up 2 spots.
Note: Dantonio and the Spartans have been quiet.
MICHIGAN STATE'S TOP COMMITS |
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OG Kevin Jarvis ★★★★ // TE Matt Dotson ★★★★ // WR Hunter Rison ★★★★ |
NO. 5 RUTGERS • 20 COMMITMENTS • 101.40 POWER RANKING
New commits since 9/27: Two.
Highest ranked new commit: SDE Brendan Bordner ★★★ (.845).
Decommits since 9/27: Two.
Highest ranked decommit: RB Jonathan Taylor ★★★ (.863).
Trending: Down 2 spots.
Note: Chris Ash lost two running back commits and Taylor switched from Rutgers to Wisconsin.
RUTGERS' TOP COMMITS |
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OT Micah Clark ★★★★ // WR Bo Melton ★★★★ // OLB Tyshon Fogg ★★★ |
NO. 4 PENN STATE • 18 COMMITMENTS • 104.90 POWER RANKING
New commits since 9/27: Four.
Highest ranked new commit: CB Lamont Wade ★★★★ (.974).
Decommits since 9/27: One.
Highest ranked decommit: ATH Derrek Pitts ★★★ (.872).
Trending: Up 2 spots.
Note: Like Illinois, James Franklin had an exodus of players during the final days of the 2016 recruiting cycle. Will there be a repeat in 2017?
PENN STATE'S TOP COMMITS |
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CB Lamont Wade ★★★★ // QB Sean Clifford ★★★★ // OG CJ Thorpe ★★★★ |
NO. 3 MARYLAND • 29 COMMITMENTS • 110.58 POWER RANKING
New commits since 9/27: Fifteen.
Highest ranked new commit: ATH Markquese Bell★★★★ (.923).
Decommits since 9/27: One.
Highest ranked decommit: WDE Joshua Kaindoh ★★★★★ (.985).
Trending: Up 2 spots.
Note: Maryland picked up a conference leading 15 commits over the last three months.
MARYLAND'S TOP COMMITS |
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CB Deon Jones ★★★★ // ATH Markquese Bell ★★★★ // OG Marcus Minor ★★★★ |
NO. 2 OHIO STATE • 19 COMMITMENTS • 113.51 POWER RANKING
New commits since 9/27: Five.
Highest ranked new commit: CB Jeffrey Okudah ★★★★★ (.995).
Decommits since 9/27: Three.
Highest ranked decommit: WR Tyjon Lindsey ★★★★ (.981).
Trending: Down 1 spot.
Note: The Buckeyes have the highest average rating per player in the conference. Meyer and company have the best players, just not the most.
OHIO STATE'S TOP COMMITS |
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CB Jeffrey Okudah ★★★★★ // OT Josh Myers ★★★★★ // OLB Baron Browning ★★★★★ |
NO. 1 MICHIGAN • 27 COMMITMENTS • 115.58 POWER RANKING
New commits since 9/27: Twelve.
Highest ranked new commit: WR Donovan Peoples-Jones ★★★★★ (.992).
Decommits since 9/27: Two.
Highest ranked decommit: RB AJ Dillon ★★★ (.894).
Trending: Up 1 spot.
Note: Currently, WR Donovan Peoples-Jones is Michigan's only five-star recruit in the 2017 class. Harbaugh's large 2017 class has a slight lead over Meyer in the power rankings and it should be tight race over the next 2.5 weeks.
MICHIGAN'S TOP COMMITS |
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WR Donovan Peoples-Jones ★★★★★ // QB Dylan McCaffrey ★★★★ // C Cesar Ruiz ★★★★ |
SEP. RANK | SEP. RANK | TEAM | AVG. COMP. RATING | CHANGE | COMMITS | NEW COMMITS |
---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
1 | (1) | OHIO STATE | .962 | - .002 | 19* | 5 |
2 | (2) | MICHIGAN | .910 | +.019 | 27 | 12 |
3 | (4) | PENN STATE | .889 | + .014 | 15 | 4 |
4 | (5) | NEBRASKA | .865 | - .002 | 16* | 2 |
5 | (3) | MARYLAND | .864 | -.013 | 29* | 15 |
6 | (8) | MICHIGAN STATE | .860 | + .002 | 17 | 1 |
7 | (7) | WISCONSIN | .859 | - .002 | 15 | 5 |
8 | (9) | NORTHWESTERN | .853 | + .003 | 17 | |
9 | (11) | RUTGERS | .846 | + .001 | 20 | 2 |
10 | (10) | ILLINOIS | .846 | - .002 | 17 | 7 |
11 | (6) | IOWA# | .845 | - .017 | 15 | 2 |
12 | (12) | INDIANA | .835 | + .003 | 16 | 2 |
13 | (13) | MINNESOTA | .832 | + .001 | 20 | 14 |
14 | (14) | PURDUE | .822 | 19 | 10 | |
B1G AVERAGE | .864 | 263 | 81 |
*Kickers, Punters and Long Snappers not included in averages.
#Iowa QB commit Tommy Herion currently is not ranked and has an average of .699.
The Big Ten and NCAA Are On Notice
The loss to Clemson was Urban Meyer's third bowl loss. The last two times Meyer coached teams lost bowl games they won the national championship the next year.