Big Ten Football: New Starters Who Will Dominate in 2016
The Big Ten lost stars such as Ohio State running back Ezekiel Elliott, Penn State defensive end Carl Nassib and Michigan State quarterback Connor Cook to the NFL, but a strong crop of newcomers are ready to step up and dominate in 2016.
The conference's biggest reconstruction is going in Columbus, Ohio, where Urban Meyer and Ohio State are replacing 16 starters from last year's 12-1 team. Running back Mike Weber, a redshirt freshmen out of Detroit, is leading the youth movement for the Buckeyes.
But Michigan, Michigan State, Penn State and Wisconsin are also undergoing a transition at key positions. Here are five new starters who are set to take over and put up big numbers this fall.
Taco Charlton, Michigan Defensive End
1 of 5
Taco Charlton has shown flashes throughout his career at Michigan, playing mainly as a reserve while making four career starts for the Wolverines.
As a senior this fall, though, Charlton is ready to step into a full-time starting role and put it all together.
He's shined when given the chance, especially in Happy Valley last year when he registered career highs with two sacks and three tackles for loss. That's the kind of production and disruptiveness head coach Jim Harbaugh and the coaching staff are looking for on a weekly basis this season.
He'll have every opportunity to shine with defensive tackles Ryan Glasgow, Chris Wormley and Rashan Gary (a 5-star stud and the No. 1-rated player in the class of 2016) anchoring the interior. Opposing offensive lines will have their hands full trying to block the load of talent coming at them, which should free Charlton (and his teammates) up for some big things this season.
"I'm going to set my expectations higher than anyone else can set them," Charlton said in June, according to Nick Baumgardner of MLive.com. "As a D-line we do the same thing collectively, together. We hold ourselves to that point. We feel like we can be the best. But it doesn't mean anything just saying it.
"We have to go out and prove it."
Tyler O'Connor, MIchigan State QB
2 of 5
Tyler O'Connor will extend Michigan State's outstanding play at quarterback under head coach Mark Dantonio.
The position group started producing elite numbers when Kirk Cousins took over in 2009, and during his three-year stretch as a starter, he completed 63.6 percent of his passes for 8,821 yards and 64 touchdowns. After a one-year transition, Connor Cook took command and led the Spartans to a pair of Big Ten championships and last year's College Football Playoff.
But O'Connor was a huge part of Michigan State's run to the final four. On the road against unbeaten Ohio State in Week 12, Cook was sidelined with a shoulder injury, which put O'Connor in the spotlight during the biggest game of the season. The defense was clutch, but the signal-caller was calm and executed the game plan perfectly in a shocking 17-14 upset.
O'Connor completed just seven-of-12 passes for 89 yards, but he threw a touchdown and no interceptions against the Buckeyes. The coaching staff will give him much more freedom and command in an offense that will be replacing it's top two wide receivers in 2016. But once the passing attack finds a rhythm, O'Connor will start putting up big numbers.
Mike Weber, Ohio State RB
3 of 5
The running back replacing Ezekiel Elliott arguably has the biggest shoes to fill in the entire conference, and after an offseason shakeup, that distinction belongs to Mike Weber.
The redshirt freshman was neck-and-neck in a position battle with redshirt senior Bri'onte Dunn coming out of spring. But Dunn was dismissed from the team in July for a violation of team rules, leaving Weber in pole position to join quarterback J.T. Barrett in Ohio State's backfield.
And with no proven entities behind Weber (true freshman Antonio Williams is likely to be Weber's primary backup), he could become a workhorse back for the Buckeyes by default.
That could mean big things for Weber. Since Urban Meyer took over as head coach in 2012, Ohio State's featured backs (Carlos Hyde and Elliott) have averaged 1,547.5 rushing yards and 18 rushing touchdowns per season.
It's hard to imagine a redshirt freshman eclipsing or even matching those numbers, but with the high-powered offense the Buckeyes run, he should be able to pile up some big numbers.
.jpg?w=256 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
Torrence Brown, Penn State Defensive End
4 of 5
Torrence Brown could be the second consecutive defensive end to come out of nowhere and blow up on the national stage.
Last year it was Carl Nassib, who came into the 2015 season with 19 career tackles to his name. That changed in a big way during his final year with the Nittany Lions, when he led the country with 15.5 sacks (which also set a single-season school record) on his way to earning consensus All-American honors and winning the Lombardi Award.
Nassib was selected by the Cleveland Browns with the second pick in the third round, so head coach James Franklin and the Nittany Lions are looking for another elite pass-rusher to set the tone defensively.
They should find that in Brown, who will edge out Evan Schwan and secure a starting spot opposite Garrett Sickels—the lone returning starter along Penn State's defensive line.
Brown has packed on weight in a similar fashion to Nassib in 2015, and his blend of size and speed will make a load to handle off the edge this fall. And when he beats his man and gets the opposing quarterback in his sights, he arrives with bad intentions.
Seeing Brown wreak havoc in the backfield will be a familiar sight this fall.
T.J. Watt, Wisconsin Linebacker
5 of 5
Wisconsin fans should prepare themselves to see another Watt putting up dominant numbers for the Badger defense.
Much like his older brother J.J. Watt, T.J. Watt is a converted tight end who made the switch to defense. T.J., however, will be lining up behind the defensive line at linebacker for Wisconsin, and he'll be tasked with replacing All-American Joe Schobert, who led the Badgers with 9.5 sacks and 19.5 tackles for loss a season ago.
But the redshirt sophomore in shying away from the shadow of his older brother or the pressure of replacing one of the country's most productive linebackers.
"I approach it just like being the younger brother of J.J. Watt," T.J. said, according to Jesse Temple of ESPN.com. "I come in here, I do my best every day. I do extra work on top of it. Hopefully it carries over to the field."
T.J. Watt couldn't be entering a better situation, though. He'll be the lone new starter in Wisconsin's front seven, which was dominant last year in ranking fourth nationally in rush defense. That's a big safety net for Watt to fall back on, but he'll be looking to make a name for himself this fall.
All recruiting rankings and information courtesy of 247Sports.
.jpg?w=480 "Ohio State Team Doctor")
