Ranking Every Big Ten Football Team by Best Returning Players
Ten players return next season from the All-Big Ten media first team. Nine players return from the coaches' first team, and 17 players return from either of the second teams.
But how are those star players distributed?
The Big Ten is notoriously imbalanced, a chasm existing between Ohio State and everybody else. Michigan State and Wisconsin make up the second tier, but after that there's another steep drop-off.
Or at least that's how the league was last season. With so many players leaving, might one of those teams be primed for a fall? Might another team be primed for a leap? You never know.
Obviously, there is more nuance to winning football games than "Who returns the best players?" But star power is undoubtedly important. The rosters with the most talent from last year's All-Big Ten teams, plus the honorable mentions, have a distinct early advantage.
Here's a look at who each Big Ten team returns.
14. Michigan
1 of 14
Returning From All-Big Ten Honors
- DB Blake Countess, Honorable Mention
How bad has it gotten at Michigan? So bad that cornerback Blake Countess, a media honorable mention, is the only returning player the Big Ten recognized. Recruiting has not been the problem in Ann Arbor, as Bud Elliott of SB Nation explained in December, but player development has screeched to a halt. How fast can Jim Harbaugh fix the damage?
13. Indiana
2 of 14
Returning From All-Big Ten Honors
- DB Antonio Allen, Honorable Mention
- OL Dan Feeney, Honorable Mention
- OL Jason Spriggs, Honorable Mention
Indiana loses running back Tevin Coleman, the beating heart of its offense, along with wide receiver Shane Wynn. Fortunately, it returns two of the most important pieces of its offensive line: Dan Feeney and Jason Spriggs. The Hoosiers finished No. 27 in adjusted line yards (run blocking) in 2014, their second straight season performing well in the trenches. Without Coleman, they will need to repeat that.
12. Purdue
3 of 14
Returning From All-Big Ten Honors
- DB Frankie Williams, Second Team
- K Paul Griggs, Honorable Mention
- OL Robert Kugler, Honorable Mention
The cupboard at Purdue is pretty bare, although it does return a good one in Frankie Williams, whom Big Ten coaches named a second-team cornerback. The 5'9" junior from Tampa, Florida, had 74 tackles, seven pass breakups and three interceptions. Center Robert Kugler, who has started since 2012, will also be back next season.
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
11. Rutgers
4 of 14
Returning From All-Big Ten Honors
- WR Leonte Carroo, First Team
- DL Darius Hamilton, Honorable Mention
- DL Kemoko Turay, Honorable Mention
Rutgers returns three players with All-Big Ten first-team potential, highlighted by wide receiver Leonte Carroo, who actually made the media first team as a junior. Darius Hamilton and Kemoko Turay combined for 13.5 sacks and 20 tackles for loss, and Turay, a redshirt freshman, was named to the FWAA Freshman All-America team.
10. Northwestern
5 of 14
Returning From All-Big Ten Honors
- DB Nick VanHoose, Second Team
- RB Justin Jackson, Honorable Mention
- DL Dean Lowry, Honorable Mention
- SB Dan Vitale, Honorable Mention
Any other conference, any other year, and Justin Jackson would be more than an honorable mention. The true freshman had 1,388 total yards on 267 touches, but he competed against a stacked deck of Big Ten running backs. He and cornerback Nick VanHoose, who had 10 pass breakups and two interceptions, give Northwestern a player to build around on both sides of the ball. Defensive end Dean Lowry and H-back Dan Vitale are solid complementary pieces.
9. Nebraska
6 of 14
Returning From All-Big Ten Honors
- DL Maliek Collins, Second Team
- DB Nate Gerry, Second Team
- P Sam Foltz, Honorable Mention
- OL Alex Lewis, Honorable Mention
Nebraska returns a pair of second-team defenders, defensive tackle Maliek Collins and safety Nate Gerry, but loses almost everybody else. Ameer Abdullah, Kenny Bell, Randy Gregory, Zaire Anderson, Corey Cooper, Jake Cotton and Josh Mitchell all left after receiving some level of recognition. The cupboard isn't bare, per se, but it is lacking for star power. New head coach Mike Riley needs to find some.
8. Maryland
7 of 14
Returning From All-Big Ten Honors
- K Brad Craddock, First Team
- DB Will Likely, First Team
- DB Sean Davis, Honorable Mention
- LB Yannick Ngakoue, Honorable Mention
Brad Craddock drilled 18 of 19 field goals and won the Lou Groza Award as the nation's best kicker. Will Likely led the conference and finished No. 4 in the country in kickoff-return average (31.0). Basically, the Terps return a lot on special teams. Likely and Sean Davis make for a strong secondary also, but otherwise, this roster has been stripped. Stefon Diggs declaring early for the draft was a huge loss.
7. Illinois
8 of 14
Returning From All-Big Ten Honors
- WR Mike Dudek, Second Team
- DB Taylor Barton, Honorable Mention
- DB V'Angelo Bentley, Honorable Mention
- OL Teddy Karras, Honorable Mention
- LB Mason Monheim, Honorable Mention
- DL Jihad Ward, Honorable Mention
Mike Dudek gives Illinois fans an unfamiliar feeling of optimism. He led all power-conference freshmen with 1,038 receiving yards, edging out 5-star Baylor receiver KD Cannon. But Dudek is not the only thing to get excited about: The Illini also return four honorable mentions on defense. If Wes Lunt comes back healthy, he's one of the five best quarterbacks in the conference, too. Tim Beckman might be building something…decent up in Champaign. Good on him.
6. Iowa
9 of 14
Returning From All-Big Ten Honors
- OL Austin Blythe, Second Team
- DE Drew Ott, Second Team
- TE Jake Duzey, Honorable Mention
- DB Desmond King, Honorable Mention
- DB Jordan Lomax, Honorable Mention
- WR Tevaun Smith, Honorable Mention
Iowa loses a lot from last season—especially along the lines, where Outland Trophy winner Brandon Scherff and defensive tackles Carl Davis and Louis Trinca-Pasat all depart. But the Hawkeyes still return two linemen, center Austin Blythe and defensive end Drew Ott, who made an all-Big Ten second team last season. And in counterintuitive fashion, they have some talent at the skill positions, too.
5. Minnesota
10 of 14
Returning From All-Big Ten Honors
- DB Briean Boddy-Calhoun, First Team
- P Peter Mortell, First Team
- DB Eric Murray, Second Team
- OL Josh Campion, Honorable Mention
- DL Theiren Cockran, Honorable Mention
Don't paper over Peter Mortell, whose 45-yard punting average is crucial for a team like Minnesota, which plays defensive, field-position-oriented football. Really, though, the key to next year's team is the defense, which returns three good ones in Briean Boddy-Calhoun, Eric Murray and Theiren Cockran. Boddy-Calhoun had five interceptions in 2014, the most by a Minnesota player since 1995.
4. Penn State
11 of 14
Returning From All-Big Ten Honors
- DL Anthony Zettel, First Team
- WR Daesean Hamilton, Second Team
- DT Austin Johnson, Honorable Mention
- DB Jordan Lucas, Honorable Mention
- OL Angelo Mangiro, Honorable Mention
- DB Trevor Williams, Honorable Mention
Christian Hackenberg didn't make the list (for obvious reasons), but his potential to bounce back is helped by Daesean Hamilton, who led all FBS freshmen with 82 catches in 2014. Continuity at center with Angelo Mangiro helps, too. But the real star of Penn State's returnees is Anthony Zettel, who slid inside from defensive end and registered 17 tackles for loss. The loss of Mike Hull and Deion Barnes hurts, but Penn State returns enough defensive pieces to compensate.
3. Wisconsin
12 of 14
Returning From All-Big Ten Honors
- LB Vince Biegel, Second Team
- DB Michael Caputo, Second Team
- DB Darius Hillary, Second Team
- OL Dan Voltz, Second Team
- K Rafel Gaglianone, Honorable Mention
- OL Tyler Marz, Honorable Mention
- LB Joe Schobert, Honorable Mention
Wisconsin loses all four of its Big Ten first teamers, Melvin Gordon, Kyle Costigan, Rob Havenstein and Derek Landisch, but returns pieces around them. Dan Voltz and Tyler Marz will keep the offensive line in tact without Costigan and Havenstein; Vince Biegel and Joe Schobert will keep the linebackers in tact without Landisch; and Corey Clement (unlisted) will keep the running backs in tact without Gordon. Not a bad system the Badgers have running up in Madison.
2. Michigan State
13 of 14
Returning From All-Big Ten Honors
- OL Jack Allen, First Team
- DE Shilique Calhoun, First Team
- OL Jack Conklin, Second Team
- QB Connor Cook, Second Team
- LB Ed Davis, Honorable Mention
- TE Josiah Price, Honorable Mention
"I have unfinished business," Connor Cook said about his return to school, per Noah Lister of the Associated Press; and he got some of his teammates to buy in. Namely, presumed first-round picks Shilique Calhoun and Jack Conklin bypassed the NFL draft to help Cook finish that business. Conklin, Cook and center Jack Allen give the Spartans a solid core on offense, and Calhoun will mix with Freshman All-American Malik McDowell to form a scary defensive line.
1. Ohio State
14 of 14
Returning From All-Big Ten Honors
- QB J.T. Barrett, First Team
- DL Joey Bosa, First Team
- OL Pat Elflein, First Team
- OL Taylor Decker, Second Team
- LB Joshua Perry, Second Team
- DB Vonn Bell, Honorable Mention
- RB Ezekiel Elliott, Honorable Mention
- P Cameron Johnston, Honorable Mention
- WR Michael Thomas, Honorable Mention
- DL Adolphus Washington, Honorable Mention
There's almost too many to list—and that's before even mentioning Braxton Miller and Cardale Jones. Joey Bosa will land on every preseason All-America team, and Pat Elflein, Ezekeil Elliott and Vonn Bell might join him on a couple. The Buckeyes have All-Big Ten players at every level of the field, on both sides of the ball. They're the odds-on favorite to repeat as national champion.
Note: All recruiting info refers to the 247Sports composite rankings.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
