How 2016 QB Recruits Will Re-Shape Big Ten Football

Spearheaded by reigning national champions and further revitalized by the arrival of a coaching superstar, the Big Ten conference cruises toward football season carrying substantial momentum.

The forecast this fall is strong. Conference action could include as many as three 2016 first-round NFL quarterbacks, a repeat title quest in Columbus and a Jim Harbaugh-led resurgence in Ann Arbor.

Turn attention to conference recruiting efforts, and the outlook becomes even rosier.

Only the Big Ten currently features four programs—Penn State, Ohio State, Michigan and Michigan State—with 2016 classes rated in top-10 national composite rankings. 

"These successful recruiting classes mean everything for the conference. They're going to make a major difference and help get the Big Ten back to where it used to be," Michigan State quarterback commit Messiah deWeaver told Bleacher Report. "People need to remember the SEC isn't college football's only power conference, and I think this group of young players is going to remind them."

Plenty of that positivity can be credited to blue-chip passers like deWeaver, who was one of six Big Ten-bound quarterbacks to attend national Elite 11 finals July 6-10 at Nike's world headquarters in Beaverton, Oregon.

The annual event features 18 invitees handpicked by an accomplished coaching staff led by Super Bowl champion Trent Dilfer. Its alumni include No. 1 overall NFL draft selections Matthew Stafford, Jameis Winston and Andrew Luck.

Quarterbacks journeyed to the Pacific Northwest representing 12 different states. No conference featured more committed prospects in attendance than the Big Ten. 

This development continues an overall trend on the 2016 recruiting trail, as 11 Big Ten squads situated among the top 40 FBS classes. It's a total only matched by SEC representatives.

Conference	Top Class	Top-40 Classes	5-Star Commits	4-Star Commits
ACC	Florida State (2nd overall)	7	4	24
Big Ten	Ohio State (3rd overall)	11	0	45
Big 12	TCU (13th overall)	4	1	10
Pac-12	USC (5th overall)	5	2	29
SEC	LSU (1st overall)	11	5	47

"There should be a lot of quarterback duels ahead in the next few years," said Maryland pledge Dwayne Haskins, who put himself in position to earn 5-star status with a stellar performance.

He's one of five Elite 11 competitors slated to join the Big Ten East in 2016. Haskins (Maryland), deWeaver (Michigan State), Anthony Russo (Rutgers), Jake Zembiec (Penn State) and Brandon Peters (Michigan) are passers with potential to swiftly alter the division's competitive landscape.

"The Big Ten East is already one of the top three divisions in football. There are a lot of tough teams on the come-up, so every week is a test," Haskins said. "If things turn out well, it's going to become even more intense because of the quarterbacks who are coming in."

Southern California quarterback Patrick O'Brien—a Nebraska commit—is the Elite 11 outlier, as the Big Ten West awaits him.

Beyond the young men who traveled to Beaverton, 4-star Texas talent Tristen Wallace (Ohio State) and Arizona gunslinger Kare' Lyles (Wisconsin) are also expected to join the party next year. It's an influx that should resonate for years to come.

"This is a group of guys who can take over, as leaders and passers," Russo said. "The Big Ten already does a great job producing good quarterbacks, legit quarterbacks, and I think this group can really keep that trend going or even take things to a new level."

Russo is on track to play for Rutgers, one of two conference newcomers that arrived last summer along with Maryland. To the delight of Big Ten officials, both programs carried themselves well during inaugural conference campaigns.

The Terps finished 7-6, claiming road victories at Michigan and Penn State. The Scarlet Knights completed an 8-5 season by pummeling North Carolina in the Quick Lane Bowl.

Now both coaching staffs hold commitments from quarterbacks who earned spots in the final 2015 Elite 11, unveiled July 10:

"Rutgers and Maryland, being the conference's new teams, needed to come in and make a statement. With Dwayne at Maryland and me at Rutgers, we can definitely do that," Russo said. "We might be the new guys on the block, but we'll be ready to compete with all the biggest programs on a national stage. That makes the conference stronger as a whole."

Peters, a 4-star prospect and fellow Elite 11 finalist, agrees. He also points to factors beyond his position resulting in Big Ten improvement.

"You can see the Big Ten is moving up by looking at the recruiting classes a lot of these teams are putting together. The quarterback's position is definitely an important part of that, but so are the conference's coaches," Peters said. "When you've got guys like Urban Meyer, who has won national championships, and Jim Harbaugh, who accomplished a lot in the NFL and coached in a Super Bowl, that's huge for everyone."

Credit: 247Sports

There are no guarantees when athletes transition from hometown high school action to 100,000-seat college stadiums. If all six Elite 11 competitors ultimately thrive in the Big Ten, it would beat the odds.

Still, in a game that growingly revolves around the guy behind center, this group represents a major step forward for the conference. After a week of drills, tests and tournament action in Oregon, it's also a collection of quarterbacks who've grown respect for one another.

"The thought of competing in college is exciting stuff because we're all really cool with each other now. Down the road we'll be able to say, 'What's up?' before games, and then it's all business after kickoff," Zembiec said. "You already have some big-time quarterbacks in the conference, like [Penn State's] Christian Hackenberg and the guys at Ohio State. We've watched and learned from them. Soon it will be time for us to step up and create our own legacies."

Hackenberg and Buckeyes star J.T. Barrett were in Beaverton, serving as camp counselors. They provided mentorship weeks before returning to prepare for a conference title chase on their respective campuses.

Established Big Ten stars like Hackenberg, Barrett and Michigan State's Connor Cook highlight the current crop of standout conference quarterbacks. Last week's event provided a promising glimpse of the future.

"We're the next generation," deWeaver said. "I know we all want to become the face of our programs, earn respect and win championships. I think we all feel the same way. We're ready to get out there and compete. It's going to be an exciting time for Big Ten football."

Quotes were obtained firsthand by Bleacher Report National Recruiting Analyst Tyler Donohue.

Recruit ratings are courtesy of 247Sports.