Big Ten Football Recruiting: 10 Biggest Names for 2012 Class

The 2011 college football season will begin shortly, as teams are in the final weeks of their fall camps, but there is always recruiting going on as well. The Big Ten has made a splash in the 2012 college football recruiting so far. 

Here are the 10 biggest names that Big Ten teams have reeled in for the 2012 season and beyond: 

No.1: QB Gunner Kiel

Gunner Kiel is the No. 1 quarterback in the 2012 class, and he is headed Indiana. What? Well, the Hoosiers new coach Kevin Wilson is ready to make Indiana contenders again in the Big Ten. 

Kiel is 6'4" and 222 pounds, and he threw for 2.645 passing yards and 36 touchdowns his junior season of high school. 

No. 2: OT Kyle Kalis

Michigan might be having the best recruiting class in all of the Big Ten. It also helped when Kyle Kalis spurned Ohio State for Michigan. Kalis is 6'5" and 306 pounds.

Kalis was ranked No. 4 at his position in the 2012 recruiting, according to Rivals.com.

Michigan already has 23 commitments made for 2012: 11 four-star athletes, 11 three-star athletes and one two-star.  

No. 3: DB Armani Reeves

Penn State has a pretty good class, and it all starts with defensive back Armani Reeves. 

Reeve's is ranked 10th positionally. Last year in high school, he had 1,701 total yards and 16 touchdowns offensively. Defensively, he registered 37 tackles and intercepted four passes. He had two punt return touchdowns as well.

Joe Paterno's gotten 16 players to commit so far. Wide receiver Eugene Lewis is another top recruit.  

No. 4: DE Se'von Pittman

Michigan State football is on the rise. Another top recruit, defensive end Se'von Pittman, is headed to Michigan State. Pittman is 6'5" and 245 pounds—a four-star athlete. Pittman is ranked eighth positionally. 

Highly-recruited wide receiver Aaron Burbridge is also headed to East Lansing. 

No. 6: RB Warren Ball

Ohio State is in allegations with the NCAA right now, and that makes it tough to recruit. Two blue-collar players, running back Warren Bell and linebacker Josh Perry, will stay committed to the Buckeyes. 

Ball is 6'2" and and 200 pounds, ranked seventh positionally. Perry is a 6'4", 228-pound linebacker. 

No. 7: DE Greg McMullen

Nebraska's list of 2012 commitments is small so far. Defensive end Greg McMullen, 6'5" and 255 pounds, leads the list. McMullen is a four-star athlete and is ranked 23rd positionally.

Offensive lineman Paul Thurston is their other top recruit. Thurston is 6'5" and 274.  

No. 8: DT Jaleel Johnson

Iowa always recruits well. Jaleel Johnson, DT, is 6'2" and 277 pounds. Johnson is a four-star athlete and is ranked 19th positionally. Johnson had 44 tackles (seven for loss) and three sacks as a junior. 

Offensive lineman Ryan Ward is their other four-star athlete so far. Ward is 6'6" and 270 pounds. 

No. 9: OL Dan Voltz

Dan Voltz is Wisconsin's top recruit. Voltz is ranked fifth positionally among offensive lineman. Voltz is a four-star athlete and is 6'4" and 290 pounds.

Other four-star athletes are S D.J. Singleton, OT Kyle Dodson, QB Bart Houston, OLB Vince Biegel and RB Vonte Jackson.  

No. 10: TE Ryan Morris

TE Ryan Morris is Purdue's top recruit for 2012. Morris is 6'6" and 271 pounds. He is a three-star athlete. 

Other key recruits are three-star quarterback Austin Appleby and athlete Anthony Brown.