Big Ten Football: Top 10 Contenders for 2015 Player of the Year
Last year saw the Big Ten Conference go from being an abject disappointment to the top of the college football world, the result of Ohio State's winning the national title and teams like Michigan State and Wisconsin posting impressive performances during bowl season.
Throughout the season, though, the league wasn't lacking in terms of individual talent. Four players were named first-team Associated Press All-Americans, including a clean sweep of the running back position.
Melvin Gordon and Tevin Coleman have moved on to the NFL, though, as have other Big Ten stars from 2014. Yet there's plenty of talent still around to take their place, including many players who figure to contend for Big Ten Player of the Year honors.
Here's the most likely candidates, listed alphabetically.
Joey Bosa, DE, Ohio State
1 of 10
Year: Junior
Height, weight: 6'5", 278 lbs
Last year's performance
Joey Bosa led the Big Ten in sacks and tackles for loss, dominating in league play with 11 sacks and 15.5 tackles for loss. He helped anchor a defensive line that allowed only 21.7 points per game against conference opponents, and with him on the field, no quarterback or ball-carrier was safe.
Bosa earned Big Ten Lineman of the Year honors in 2014.
What's in store for 2015
What will likely be his final season of college should be a big one for Bosa, who WalterFootball.com has projected as the No. 1 overall pick in the 2016 draft. He'll have to pick up the slack for the graduated Michael Bennett and Steve Miller up front, which could mean more double-teaming.
But Bosa faced a lot of that last season and handled it just fine, and there's nothing to indicate that will be a problem.
Shilique Calhoun, DE, Michigan State
2 of 10
Year: Senior
Height, weight: 6'5", 256 lbs
Last year's performance
Shilique Calhoun didn't have as overwhelming a year in 2014 as he did in 2013, when he scored three defensive touchdowns, but he was still Michigan State's most effective pass-rusher and run-stopper. Calhoun recorded eight sacks and 12.5 tackles for loss and also had a blocked kick.
What's in store for 2015
Calhoun chose to return to the Spartans for one more season, partly because he had more to work on before his game was NFL-ready and also because he felt Michigan State has a chance to win the Big Ten this year. Calhoun told Joe Rexrode of Michigan.com:
"As I watched the College Football Playoff play out and I see the two teams that are in the national championship (Oregon and Ohio State) are the two teams we lost to. It just shows that we're inches away, as (coach Mark Dantonio) would say, from being in that game. It just shows we have the potential to go there. So it definitely was a big factor in me coming back, understanding how strong of a team we have.
"
Corey Clement, RB, Wisconsin
3 of 10
Year: Junior
Height, weight: 5'11", 217 lbs
Last year's performance
Corey Clement finished 10th in the Big Ten in rushing in 2014 with 949 yards and nine touchdowns, a showing that becomes far more impressive when you remember that he was Wisconsin's backup running back. He played behind 2,500-yard rusher Melvin Gordon yet still managed to outgain the leading rushers from Illinois, Iowa, Maryland, Penn State, Purdue and Rutgers.
Clement didn't just get garbage carries, as he regularly spelled Gordon or was on the field at the same time as him in key situations. He had four 100-yard games, including in the Badgers' Outback Bowl win over Auburn, and he averaged 6.46 yards per carry.
What's in store for 2015
Clement inherits the No. 1 running back spot at Wisconsin, though, he faces a major challenge with the Badgers graduating three starters on the offensive line and blocking tight end Sam Arneson. He also is dealing with a new coaching staff, as Gary Andersen left for Oregon State and was replaced by former Wisconsin offensive coordinator Paul Chryst.
However, Chryst figures to lean heavily on Clement like he did James Conner at Pittsburgh last season. Conner set the school single-season rushing record in 2014.
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
Connor Cook, QB, Michigan State
4 of 10
Year: Senior
Height, weight: 6'4", 218 lbs
Last year's performance
The Big Ten passing leader threw for 3,214 yards and 24 touchdowns last season, improving on a breakout year in 2013 when Connor Cook led Michigan State to the conference title and a Rose Bowl victory. In his two years as starter, Cook is 22-3 overall and 16-1 against conference opponents.
Cook was especially huge in big games last year, throwing for 343 yards and two touchdowns against Oregon and 358 yards with two scores against Ohio State. He then was integral in the Spartans' fourth-quarter comeback to beat Baylor in the Cotton Bowl, throwing two TD passes in the final period, including the game-winner to Keith Mumphery with 17 seconds left.
What's in store for 2015
Cook will be starting over in a way this season, as he no longer has his top receiver (Tony Lippett) and leading rusher (Jeremy Langford) to work with. But that will just allow him to work on his leadership skills and handle tough situations, things that are making him a top prospect for next year's draft.
"Cook has the look of a first-round pick in 2016, assuming he makes the requisite on-field growth next season," NFL.com's Mike Huguenin wrote.
Mike Dudek, WR, Illinois
5 of 10
Year: Sophomore
Height, weight: 5'11", 185 lbs
Last year's performance
Mike Dudek was the Big Ten's top freshman offensive player in 2014, finishing third in the conference in receiving yards (1,038) and second in receptions (76) while scoring six touchdowns. He gained more yards through the air than any other two Illinois players and was a key reason the Fighting Illini were able to reach a bowl game.
Dudek had 11 receptions for 115 yards in Illinois' key 16-14 win over Penn State in mid-November, then had seven catches for 63 yards and a TD in the victory over rival Northwestern that clinched bowl eligibility.
What's in store for 2015
Illinois needs to get its quarterback situation straightened, after playing three passers last season because of injuries and inconsistency. Wes Lunt missed five games and played sparingly late in the season, but he's likely to be the one throwing to Dudek this fall.
Dudek managed to thrive no matter who was on the other end of the passes, and he has a chance to be the Big Ten's leading receiver this fall.
Ezekiel Elliott, RB, Ohio State
6 of 10
Year: Junior
Height, weight: 6'0", 225 lbs
Last year's performance
In a league that featured a pair of 2,000-yard rushers, Ezekiel Elliott wasn't able to crack the all-conference team despite having a strong regular season. But it was in the postseason where he really made his mark, carrying Ohio State to a national title as it dealt with a sudden change at quarterback and three very talented opponents.
Elliott ran for 696 yards and eight touchdowns over the course of the Big Ten title game, the Sugar Bowl semifinal and the national championship game, increasing his output each time. Overall, he ran for 1,878 yards and 18 scores.
What's in store for 2015
As Ohio State tries to figure out its "problem" of choosing between three stellar quarterbacks to run its offense, Elliott will be the source of consistency and dependability that will help the Buckeyes deal with any hiccups that might come from that situation. He recently had surgery to repair a left wrist injury that he played much of 2014 with, but it's not expected to impact his availability for the fall.
In fact, it's apt to strengthen what right now is looking like a pretty likely Heisman campaign, as he'll not be playing in pain.
"Just thinking that I'm going to have the opportunity next year to compete for the Heisman just means everything," Elliott told Bleacher Report's Ben Axelrod.
Christian Hackenberg, QB, Penn State
7 of 10
Year: Junior
Height, weight: 6'4", 234 lbs
Last year's performance
Christian Hackenberg had what could best be described as a sophomore slump in 2014, throwing more interceptions (14) than touchdowns (12) and only surpassing his freshman-year yardage total by 22 despite one extra game. Some of it was his own doing, but Hackenberg also had to deal with a difficult situation around him.
Penn State's offensive line was atrocious last year, allowing 44 sacks (including 35 in the eight Big Ten games) that caused Hackenberg to be under constant pressure. This contributed to his woeful 55.8 percent completion rate, as did a Nittany Lions run game that was last in the conference at 101.9 yards per game.
But Hackenberg did have big games at the start and end of the season, setting the single-game school passing record with 454 yards in the opener and then throwing for 371 yards and four TDs in the overtime victory against Boston College in the Pinstripe Bowl.
What's in store for 2015
Hackenberg has been pegged as a high draft pick in 2016 since he started as a true freshman two years ago, but for that to remain the case, he'll need to have a big junior season. He's got a young-but-talented receiving corps to work with, led by sophomore DaeSean Hamilton, and Penn State is working to shore up the line and improve its rushing.
But it will also be on Hackenberg to make the necessary jump forward, improving his accuracy and working to avoid getting sacked.
William Likely, CB/KR, Maryland
8 of 10
Year: Junior
Height, weight: 5'7", 175 lbs
Last year's performance
William Likely was the best multithreat player in the Big Ten last season, not just as a defensive back but also a return specialist. He tied for the conference lead with six interceptions, bringing two back for touchdowns, and he was the top kick returner at 31 yards per play along with a TD.
Likely also scored on a punt return, giving him TDs in three different ways.
What's in store for 2015
Likely is one of just three defensive starters returning for Maryland this fall, so he figures to draw all of the toughest coverage responsibilities. That will give him more opportunities to show off his closing speed, while on kickoffs and punts he can flash the open-field quickness that was so valuable to the Terrapins last year.
Ohio State's Quarterback
9 of 10
Year: Senior (Braxton Miller), junior (Cardale Jones), sophomore (J.T. Barrett)
Height, weight: 6'2", 215 lbs (Miller); 6'5", 250 lbs (Jones); 6'1", 225 lbs (Barrett)
Last year's performances
Braxton Miller was expected to be Ohio State's starting quarterback for a fourth straight year, but then a freak injury suffered during the late stages of training camp changed his and the Buckeyes' fortunes. Miller injured his throwing shoulder on a throw, requiring season-ending surgery, and the job was handed down to unproven redshirt freshman J.T. Barrett.
Barrett struggled at first, but by the end of the regular season, he had set numerous school records with 3,772 yards of total offense and 45 total touchdowns. But then he suffered a season-ending injury, breaking his ankle during the Michigan game, forcing sophomore Cardale Jones to take over.
And all Jones did was navigate OSU to wins over Wisconsin in the Big Ten championship game, Alabama in the Sugar Bowl national semifinal and then Oregon to claim the national title. In those three games, the first starts of his career, Jones threw for 860 yards and seven touchdowns while rushing for 296 yards and a TD.
What's in store for 2015
The most closely watched quarterback competition in recent memory is worthy of its own reality series, as coach Urban Meyer has to decide which of his capable talents will be the starter. Miller and Barrett are still recovering from their surgeries, which puts Jones out in front during spring practice, but by the fall all three should be healthy. Barrett figures to have the advantage based on his larger body of work from last season.
Whoever ends up being Ohio State's quarterback, though, their skills and talent combined with the Buckeyes' proven system should make any of them a strong candidate to be the Big Ten's top player in 2015.
Jabrill Peppers, S, Michigan
10 of 10
Year: Redshirt freshman
Height, weight: 6'1", 202 lbs
Last year's performance
Jabrill Peppers came to Michigan as the highest-rated recruit in program history and the No. 3 overall player in the 2014 recruiting class, according to 247Sports. An outstanding defensive back, running back and return man in high school, Peppers was expected to get started in the secondary but potentially see time all over the field for the Wolverines.
However, early injuries limited him to just eight tackles and one punt return in three games before he was shut down for the season. Peppers was awarded a medical redshirt, leaving him with four years of remaining eligibility.
What's in store for 2015
New Michigan coach Jim Harbaugh has moved Peppers to safety after he played cornerback last year, the first of what could very well be several positions that he played this fall.
"It's safe to assume that more than one [assistant] coach will have a hand in his development, leaving new defensive coordinator D.J. Durkin with plenty of ways to utilize one of the top all-around athletes in the nation," Bleacher Report's Adam Biggers wrote.
Michigan can use any help it can get to be more explosive on offense and more effective on special teams, and if Peppers is the one handling those duties, he'll be the key to their success.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
