Is the Big Ten the SEC's Biggest Threat on 2016 Recruiting Trail?

The SEC may no longer monopolize national championship trophies, but the conference continues to reign supreme in the recruiting spectrum.

Led by Alabama's unreal five-year streak atop national signing day rankings, SEC squads annually fill up the top tier of incoming freshman classes. Among the top seven 2016 recruiting hauls so far, more than half—Georgia, Ole Miss, LSU and Kentucky—currently belong to SEC programs in 247Sports' composite rankings.

The conference claimed seven straight national titles between 2007-2013 and still carries distinction as the most formidable collection of programs in college football. Still, we're always looking for a rival conference on the rise that could challenge for a spot atop the mountain. 

The 2015 championship matchup was the first that didn't feature at least one SEC team in nine years. The game's winner—Ohio State—headlines a conference that seems to be on the upswing on and off the field.

Big Ten football failed to produce a national championship competitor during the final six seasons of the BCS era but captured glory in inaugural College Football Playoff action when the Buckeyes beat Oregon.

The conference scored another victory weeks before the title game when Jim Harbaugh came to Michigan following a four-year NFL stint that featured three conference championship appearances and a Super Bowl trip. With Urban Meyer and Harbaugh on board—and immediately placed against each other in one of sports' greatest rivalries—the Big Ten features two of America's most well-known coaches.

Last year, the conference welcomed Maryland and Rutgers, and it tapped into a new market. The additions opened the door for new marketing and recruiting possibilities in a Mid-Atlantic region that includes Baltimore, Philadelphia and New York City.

Though some viewed the arrival of Rutgers and Maryland with skepticism, both programs proved they're more than just new doormats.

The Scarlet Knights defeated Michigan, won eight games and topped an ACC opponent in bowl action. The Terrapins won at Penn State, claimed seven victories and faced Stanford in the postseason.

Maryland is one of five Big Ten teams rated among the top 30 teams in composite 2016 class rankings after beating out Florida and Notre Dame for 4-star quarterback Dwayne Haskins earlier this month. The Terps sit at No. 21 on the list, with Ohio State (No. 2), Michigan State (No. 9), Penn State (No. 15) and Minnesota (No. 28) joining them. 

Michigan, which finally began to gain momentum with the junior class this spring, is ranked 32nd as summer approaches. 

Credit: 247Sports

Among non-SEC conferences, the ACC and Pac-12 also have five teams inside the top 30. Like the Big Ten, both feature two top-10 classes.

The way things are trending, it's easy to anticipate increased momentum for Big Ten recruiting efforts that could push the conference past others.

Ohio State, the reigning champ, is primed for another strong season and could produce a historic amount of NFL talent in next year's draft. The Buckeyes will challenge to dethrone Alabama atop recruiting rankings in February and already lead the 2017 cycle with two 5-star and four 4-star recruits on board.

Michigan State has developed a reputation as a program that maximizes midlevel high school talent, but the roster is steadily improving, and head coach Mark Dantonio may soon have more to work with than ever. The Spartans are perhaps the hottest team on the recruiting trail right now, with 10 commitments since April 22. 

Penn State wasn't expected to resurface on the national landscape again for perhaps a decade after unprecedented post-Joe Paterno sanctions. Instead, head coach James Franklin has full scholarship capabilities at his disposal and looks likely to secure a second straight top-15 class.

And then there's Michigan, the program that ultimately holds the key to Big Ten ascension. The SEC may stand alone as recruiting king for years to come, but any chance for the Big Ten to at least challenge that superiority hinges on things working out during a new era in Ann Arbor.

Harbaugh is arguably the hottest name these days when you speak with recruits, to the point that one blue-chip prospect called him "the LeBron James of coaching" when speaking with MLive.com. There's a lot of intrigue swirling around the new regime and a sense many players are taking a wait-and-see approach with the Wolverines this season.

Dismal seasons during stretches under Rich Rodriguez and Brady Hoke have taken some of the luster away from Michigan. Harbaugh, with his big personality and well-documented football pedigree, could quickly restore much of that shine with a strong start at his alma mater.

Meanwhile, new coaching staffs at Nebraska and Wisconsin can also be expected to steadily climb up the recruiting ladder. 

Searching for a conference to push aside the SEC outright probably isn't wise considering its stranglehold in talent-saturated states like Louisiana, Alabama, Georgia and Florida. However, when surveying the scene for a potential "next-in-line" conference, the Big Ten stands out as top contender.

Regional expansion, coaching clout and a perennial title contender like Ohio State leave little doubt the Big Ten is in better shape than its been in quite some time. Expect this development to resonate during bowl season and, eventually, on national signing day.

Recruit ratings courtesy of 247Sports.