2025 Big Ten Media Days: Ohio State QBs, Nebraska Transfers Among Day 1 Storylines
Next came the SEC's turn in the spotlight, which began on Monday in Atlanta, with commissioner Greg Sankey describing his league as a "super conference" and then waxing poetic about both its strength of schedule and sphere of influence in the ongoing discussions about playoff structure.
One week from now, on July 22, Big Ten commissioner Tony Petitti will have his chance to respond to everything his colleagues have said when the league begins its three-day media event in Las Vegas, a locale that reflects the conference's coast-to-coast membership. For the second straight year, each day will feature representatives from six programs:
Day 1: Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Nebraska, Ohio State, Rutgers
Day 2: Minnesota, Northwestern, Oregon, Penn State, Washington, Wisconsin
Day 3: Iowa, Michigan, Michigan State, Purdue, UCLA, USC
To preview the event, FOX Sports analyzed every team ahead of the 2025 campaign. Here's what to expect from Day 1 at Big Ten Media Days:
Last year: 10-3 overall, 6-3 Big TenPostseason: 21-17 win over South Carolina in the Citrus BowlHead coach: Bret Bielema, fifth season, 28-22 at IllinoisCoordinators: Barry Lunney Jr. (offense); Aaron Henry (defense)Recruiting: No. 46 nationally, No. 13 in the Big Ten Transfer portal: No. 43 nationally, No. 13 in the Big Ten
Key storyline: The formula concocted by first-year Indiana head coach Curt Cignetti in 2024 demonstrated to the college football universe exactly what's possible in this expanded playoff era, when the right combination of coaching, player acquisition/retention, veteran leadership and favorable scheduling come together simultaneously in a fairytale season. Many fans and analysts are seeing a very similar mold at Illinois, where head coach Bret Bielema retained both coordinators and 17 starters from a group that reached 10 victories for the first time since 2001. The Illini are led by one of the league's most experienced quarterbacks in former Ole Miss transfer Luke Altmyer, now in his third year atop the depth chart, and an offensive line that returns all five starters. A relatively modest schedule includes winnable non-conference games against Western Illinois, Duke and Western Michigan, while also avoiding Big Ten powerhouses Oregon, Penn State and Michigan. That means the expectations surrounding Bielema's program, which is likely to be ranked among the top 20 in the preseason AP Poll, are soaring ahead of what some believe could be a magical run toward the College Football Playoff. The biggest question is how the Illini, a team unaccustomed to consistent winning, will handle that level of anticipation on a weekly basis.
Last year: 11-2 overall, 8-1 Big TenPostseason: 27-17 road loss to Notre Dame in CFP first roundHead coach: Curt Cignetti, second season, 11-2 at IndianaCoordinators: Mike Shanahan (offense); Bryant Haines (defense)Recruiting: No. 47 nationally, No. 14 in the Big Ten Transfer portal: No. 22 nationally, No. 6 in the Big Ten
Key storyline: An unexpected darling from the 2024 campaign rode the roaching acumen and bravado of Cignetti all the way to the College Football Playoff, where an in-state matchup with blue-blood Notre Dame gave Indiana an incredible platform despite the eventual loss. Shrewd talent evaluation and development skills shown by Cignetti and offensive coordinator Mike Shanahan when it came to quarterback Kurtis Rourke, a former MAC standout at Ohio who developed into a seventh-round pick with the Hoosiers, made Indiana a desirable destination for veteran signal-callers in the transfer portal. That the Hoosiers landed Cal standout Fernando Mendoza, the No. 22 overall transfer and No. 4 quarterback in the portal, speaks to the impression Indiana's work with Rourke made on potential targets. Former Maryland tailback Roman Hemby (No. 237 transfer, No. 15 RB) and former Northern Illinois cornerback Amariyun Knighten (No. 163 transfer, No. 17 CB) were two more high-profile pickups. A rebuilding defense retained arguably its three best players in edge rusher Mikail Kamara, linebacker Aiden Fisher and cornerback D'Angelo Ponds, all of whom received some form of All-American recognition last season. So can the Hoosiers be darlings once more?
Last year: 4-8 overall, 1-8 Big TenPostseason: NoneHead coach: Mike Locksley, eighth season, 33-41 at MarylandCoordinators: Pep Hamilton (offense); Ted Monachino (defense)Recruiting: No. 25 nationally, No. 8 in the Big Ten Transfer portal: No. 34 nationally, No. 10 in the Big Ten
Key storyline: There was a puzzling inequality between the success Maryland enjoyed during this year's NFL Draft and the on-field product it put forth last fall amid the team's worst Big Ten season since 2019, when Locksley first took over the program. Six of Locksley's former players heard their names called in late April to form the Terrapins' largest draft class since 1986 and increase the total to 15 draft picks over the last four years, a stretch in which Maryland never finished above .500 in conference play. Still, accumulating talent has proven fairly easy for Locksley, whose last five recruiting classes all landed among the top 40 in the national rankings. Prior to last year, when the league officially nixed divisions, Maryland's inability to parlay recruiting victories into actual victories could be written off as a product of the relentless Big Ten East, where Ohio State, Michigan and Penn State all lurked. But that excuse wasn't available in 2024 as the Terrapins crumbled without facing the Buckeyes or Wolverines. The hiring of a new athletic director in May means there's even more pressure on Locksley to deliver.
Last year: 7-6 overall, 3-6 Big TenPostseason: 20-15 win over Boston College in the Pinstripe BowlHead coach: Matt Rhule, third season, 12-13 at NebraskaCoordinators: Dana Holgorsen (offense); John Butler (defense)Recruiting: No. 22 nationally, No. 6 in the Big Ten Transfer portal: No. 13 nationally, No. 2 in the Big Ten
Key storyline: Though Nebraska ended on a positive note by upending Boston College in the Pinstripe Bowl, there was still an air of dissatisfaction considering how poorly the second half of the season unfolded. In mid-October, the Cornhuskers were 5-1 overall and 2-1 in the Big Ten entering a highly anticipated road game against then-No. 16 Indiana. What followed was a humiliating 56-7 beatdown in which quarterback Dylan Raiola tossed three interceptions and Nebraska fumbled three times. That loss kickstarted a string of four consecutive defeats that drained much of the momentum from Rhule's second season. Aware that his roster lacked top-end talent, Rhule responded with a spending spree in the transfer portal that produced the No. 13 class in the country and No. 2 haul in the Big Ten, trailing only Oregon. The Cornhuskers added numerous plug-and-play starters, including former Kentucky wideout Dane Key (No. 34 transfer, No. 10 WR), former Missouri edge rusher Williams Nwaneri (No. 36 transfer, No. 3 DL), former Alabama offensive tackle Elijah Pritchett (No. 45 transfer, No. 6 OT), former Oklahoma linebacker Dasan McCullough (No. 123 transfer, No. 4 LB), former Notre Dame right guard Rocco Spindler (No. 139 transfer, No. 10 IOL) and former Cal wideout Nyziah Hunter (No. 200 transfer, No. 35 WR). How well those additions perform relative to the price tags they undoubtedly commanded will be a strong barometer for Nebraska's trajectory this fall.
Last year: 14-2 overall, 7-2 Big TenPostseason: Victories over Tennessee, Oregon, Texas and Notre Dame en route to national titleHead coach: Ryan Day, seventh season, 70-10 at Ohio StateCoordinators: Brian Hartline (offense); Matt Patricia (defense)Recruiting: No. 4 nationally, No. 1 in the Big Ten Transfer portal: No. 26 nationally, No. 7 in the Big Ten
Key storyline: One of the driving factors behind Ohio State's run to the national championship last season was the continuity that peppered both the roster and the coaching staff at critical positions, with so many familiar faces returning after the 2023 campaign ended without a trip to the College Football Playoff. Those strong retention efforts preserved the nucleus of head coach Ryan Day's lauded 2021 recruiting class that eventually produced eight starters on the title-winning squad. Since then, however, the fallout from reaching college football's mountaintop has included changes at offensive coordinator, defensive coordinator, offensive line coach and quarterbacks coach, not to mention the 14 Buckeyes selected in this year's NFL Draft, one of whom was signal-caller Will Howard (sixth round, No. 185 overall). All of which invites plenty of questions entering 2025 regarding how much change is too much change for a legitimate title defense: Can first-time playcaller Brian Hartline match the success enjoyed by predecessor Chip Kelly, now of the Las Vegas Raiders? Can former Detroit Lions head coach Matt Patricia, the Buckeyes' new defensive coordinator, salvage his reputation at the collegiate level? Is former five-star prospect Julian Sayin ready to step forward and win the quarterback job in his true sophomore season? Those are just a few of the unknowns from an attempted repeat that has been all about the moving parts thus far.
Last year: 7-6 overall, 4-5 Big Ten
Postseason: 44-41 loss to Kansas State in the Rate Bowl
Head coach: Greg Schiano, 17th season, 94-101 at Rutgers
Coordinators: Kirk Ciarrocca (offense); Robb Smith and Zach Sparber (defense)
Recruiting: No. 32 nationally, No. 10 in the Big Ten
Transfer portal: No. 51 nationally, No. 16 in the Big Ten
Key storyline: Over the past two seasons, both of which ended with bowl games, running back Kyle Monangai was the unquestioned focal point of Rutgers' offense under freshly hired offensive coordinator Kirk Ciarrocca, formerly of Minnesota. He handled the workhorse role with aplomb by shouldering 498 carries for 2,541 yards and 21 touchdowns during that span, earning All-Big Ten recognition in both campaigns. What the offense will look like without Monangai, who was drafted by the Chicago Bears earlier this spring (seventh round, No. 233 overall), remains to be seen as the Scarlet Knights seek a third consecutive bowl appearance for the first time since winning 23 combined games from 2012-14 under Schiano and former coach Kyle Flood. The likely replacement is former Florida Atlantic standout CJ Campbell Jr., who carried 165 times for 844 yards and 11 touchdowns last season before joining the Scarlet Knights via the transfer portal — though it's worth noting that Monangai's backup, Antwan Raymond, chipped in 113 yards and three scores in the bowl game against Kansas State. Together, Campbell and Raymond will support mobile quarterback Athan Kaliakmanis (251 rushing yards, 3 TDs) to form a three-headed attack on an offense that returns seven starters, including four along its veteran-laden offensive line.
Michael Cohen covers college football and college basketball for FOX Sports. Follow him at @Michael_Cohen13.
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Defensively, Penn State should be excellent once again under new defensive coordinator Jim Knowles and with Dani Dennis-Sutton on the edge. 2. Ohio State The defending champs have a quarterback question with Julian Sayin likely to assume the starting job under center for the first time, but he will have Jeremiah Smith to help ease the transition. Smith is the best receiver in college football, and getting to Sayin is likely the best chance anyone has of slowing him down. However, questions about the offensive line and the running game as a whole loom as the season approaches. Defensively, Ohio State will lean on the experienced returning trio of Caleb Downs, Sonny Styles and Davison Igbinosun for a unit that should be excellent once again even after Knowles left for Happy Valley. Downs is one of the best players in college football and will hear his name called during the first round of next year's NFL Draft. 3. Oregon The Ducks are likely still licking their wounds from the Rose Bowl disaster against Ohio State, but Dan Lanning and company should have plenty of firepower to make another run at the College Football Playoff in 2025. Former top recruit and UCLA flameout Dante Moore is the projected starter in Eugene after sitting behind Dillon Gabriel last season. Losing star receiver Evan Stewart to an offseason injury was a tough blow, but star freshman Dakorien Moore projects to have a big role on offense. Oregon was one of the top transfer portal destinations this offseason, lining arguably the best available running back (Makhi Hughes from Tulane) and the top safety (Dillon Thieneman from Purdue). Thieneman joins Matayo Uiagalelei, one of the top returning pass rushers in the nation, on a defense that should be excellent once again. 4. Michigan In large part thanks to its disastrous quarterback situation, Michigan struggled to score many points at all last season. Now, Bryce Underwood is in Ann Arbor to fix all of that, and should have the raw talent and physical traits to still be productive even as he matures and learns the college game. Alabama transfer Justice Haynes will join Underwood in the backfield to solidify what should be an excellent running game. Defensively, Sherrone Moore hit the portal to replace a lot of the top-end talent from last year's team, specifically Mason Graham in the middle. However, the Wolverines always seem to figure it out on that side of the ball provided the talent is there to do so. 5. Indiana Curt Cignetti and the Hoosiers will have to navigate the transition from the hunters to the hunted this fall, but everything about the direction of the program under its new head coach suggests that it should be just fine doing so. Kurtis Rourke will be difficult to replace, but Cal transfer Fernando Mendoza is a sneaky candidate to rise into the first round of the NFL Draft next spring at quarterback. Indiana's defense deserved much more recognition than it received last season, but it may get that praise this fall. D'Angelo Ponds is the best cornerback that you don't know about but will by the end of September, and pass rusher Mikail Kamara was another silent assassin that is back from the Hoosiers' elite defense. 6. Illinois In classic Bret Bielema fashion, Illinois is going to get it done in the trenches this fall. The Illini return five starters from last season's team to protect Luke Altmyer, who should be one of the best quarterbacks in the Big Ten. Bielema and company also return a ton of starting production from what was an excellent defense last season, so the Illini should be very tough to crack on both sides of the ball and are a live sleeper in the Big Ten this fall. 7. Nebraska Can Matt Rhule take the Year 3 leap with Nebraska like he did at both Temple and Baylor? If he is going to do so, sophomore quarterback Dylan Raiola is going to have to take the flashes that he showed as a freshman and turn them into consistent performances week after week. The Cornhuskers that Raiola can take off in his first full season with Dana Holgorsen calling the plays. Nebraska should have a solid defense again in 2025 despite losing Ty Robinson in the middle. This group is littered with key portal additions and could help them rise out of the middle of the pack in the conference if they can all mesh quickly this fall. 8. USC The pressure is on Lincoln Riley to start performing at USC and producing results, but it's easier said than done in a conference like the Big Ten. Jayden Maiava will get the starting job from the start of the season this year after replacing Miller Moss last season, and he has a potential superstar to throw to in hyper-athletic wideout Ja'Kobi Lane. The defense has always been the problem for Riley-coached teams dating back to his great Oklahoma teams, but the hope is that having Rob Ryan on staff as the linebackers coach helps ease some of those concerns. 9. Iowa Kirk Ferentz has been trying to figure out how to put more points on the board for years, and now it is former South Dakota State standout Mark Gronkowski's turn to come in and try to elevate this Iowa offense. That will be a tough task without Kaleb Johnson, but Gronkowski is arguably the most skilled quarterback that the program has had in a long time. The Hawkeyes' defensive line should be one of the best in the conference one again, and controlling the line of scrimmage on both sides of the ball will be key to their success as usual this fall. 10. Washington Jedd Fisch threw Demond Williams Jr. to the wolves in a night game against Oregon last season, but he hung in there and showed flashes of potential stardom when given a longer leash. He will get that this year, even if this Huskies offense will rely a ton on star running back Jonah Coleman to carry the load. The Washington defense leaves a little to be desired talent-wise, but former Arizona star cornerback Tacario Davis did come over a year late and followed Fisch to Washington. Davis was a potential first-round pick coming into the 2024 season before injuries derailed his campaign, so he will be hungry for a bounce back season. 11. Wisconsin The injury to Tyler Van Dyke derailed Wisconsin's 2024 season, and now it's former Maryland signal caller Billy Edwards Jr.'s turn to try to right the ship. He will get to work with new coordinator Jeff Grimes, who called a very creative offense at Kansas last season even if the numbers were underwhelming at times. Wisconsin's defense was very un-Wisconsin-like last season, but Luke Fickell hit the transfer portal hard on the front seven in order to rot fix that and get the Badgers back to their identity on that side of the ball. 12. UCLA The big story around UCLA is obviously going to be Nico Iamaleava coming in to be the new starting quarterback. The former Tennessee star and highly-touted recruit is a huge upgrade for DeShaun Foster and company, but the supporting cast around him raises many questions. However, Tino Sunseri comes over from Indiana as the new offensive coordinator and is hoping to bring the good vibes over from that Hoosiers program. Foster will run a transfer-heavy defense after losing his pair of star linebackers from last season's team, so getting them all on the same page will be somewhat of an uphill battle early in the season. 13. Rutgers Rutgers has a decent amount of production returning on the offensive side of the ball, but most of its improvement will come down to how well it can replace the production of running back Kyle Monangai. The offense may be more focused on the passing game with returning quarterback Athan Kaliakmanis as a result of Monangai's departure. The defense is the side of the ball where Rutgers could take a step back after losing almost all of its production in the back seven. The defensive line will have to carry this group while everyone else gets on the same page. 14. Michigan State It was a very disappointing first season in East Lansing for former Oregon State quarterback Aidan Chiles, but the former four-star recruit has the talent to turn that around in a hurry. If Chiles can start taking care of the football and play more like he did during his freshman year in Corvallis at times, this ranking could be far too low. The defense should be better with a lot of the spine returning for year two under Jonathan Smith, and that should keep the Spartans in a lot of games. However, the ceiling will come down to the quarterback. 15. Northwestern Northwestern had an absolutely dismal offense last season, but it won the sweepstakes for former SMU quarterback Preston Stone in the transfer portal. Stone got off to a poor start with the Mustangs in 2024 before he was benched for Kevin Jennings, who led SMU to the College Football Playoff. Now, he is hoping that a change of scenery will help re-ignite his career. Northwestern's defense has a chance to keep it in a lot of games this season, with key pieces returning at all three levels including leading tackler Mac Uihlein and star defensive end Anto Saka. 16. Minnesota Minnesota is getting a lot younger after losing Max Brosmer to graduation at quarterback, and now P.J. Fleck will likely turn to unproven redshirt freshman Drake Lindsey behind center. Lindsey will have to hit the ground running in order to keep Minnesota competitive, but the Gophers will likely put a lot of the burden on running back Darius Taylor while Lindsey gets his feet wet. Minnesota does get one of the top defensive backs in the Big Ten, safety Koi Perich, back this season to give it some continuity even after a lot of turnover on staff underneath Fleck. 17. Maryland Maryland lost starting quarterback Billy Edwards Jr. to Wisconsin, and a lot of the rest of the offensive production went with him. Four-star freshman Malik Washington will have thew chance to win the starting job and play in what appears to be a pretty barren offense outside of a solid group of transfer receivers. The Terps also have a young defense that should get better as the season goes along, but they didn't get a ton of reinforcements to help fix a defensive line that was pretty toothless last season. 18. Purdue The Boilermakers were historically bad last season, leading to the midseason firing of Ryan Walters. The hire of former UNLV head coach Barry Odom was a good step in the right direction, but he is staring at an uphill battle in year one of this rebuild. Purdue was gutted by the transfer portal this offseason and is depending on players coming in from all over the place to carry the load. Ryan Browne will likely get the start at quarterback after returning to Purdue following a North Carolina stint. Related: Clemson football coach Dabo Swinney forecasts catastrophic College Football Playoff fate Related: Oklahoma's Brent Venables gets confident endorsement from Baker Mayfield
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Top 5 quarterbacks in the Big Ten for 2025 season
The post Top 5 quarterbacks in the Big Ten for 2025 season appeared first on ClutchPoints. The college football season is right around the corner, and it is going to be an exciting one in the Big Ten. The conference is loaded with good teams, and there are high expectations after back-to-back national championships. Michigan won it all in 2023, and Ohio State captured the crown last season. There should be a good amount of teams that are still alive and contending for a national championship at the end of the 2025 season, and it will be exciting to see if another team from this conference can pull it off. In terms of contenders in the Big Ten, Ohio State, Penn State and Oregon are the teams that you can essentially write in to make the College Football Playoff. All three teams made it last year, and they are all expected to be among the best teams in the country this year as well. Michigan, Illinois, Indiana and USC are all teams to watch, too. The Hoosiers and Wolverines both have CFP experience, and they are hoping to make it again. USC and Illinois are looking for their first appearance. All in all, there is a lot of talent in the Big Ten. That talent is going to be spread out all over the field, but we all know where talent is needed the most: at quarterback. Here are the best QBs in the Big Ten for the 2025 season: 5. Nico Iamaleava, UCLA One of the most intriguing transfers in the country falls at No. 5 on our list. Nico Iamaleava left Tennessee in dramatic fashion during the spring, and he ended up in the Big Ten with UCLA. Iamaleava earned the starting job for the Volunteers for the first time last season, and he showed a lot of promise. He finished the year with 2,616 passing yards, and he tossed 19 touchdowns and just five interceptions. He is a very talented player, and he could be exactly what UCLA needs to flip the trajectory of the program. The Bruins were one of the worst teams in the conference last season, but with solid QB play, they might be able to turn it around. 4. Fernando Mendoza, Indiana Another transfer is up next on the list as Fernando Mendoza was a huge addition to the Indiana football team this offseason. Mendoza put together an incredibly impressive season at Cal last year as he completed just under 69% of his passes, and he threw for over 3,000 yards. He also tossed 16 touchdown passes and just six interceptions. The Golden Bears aren't a great football program, so Mendoza decided to hit the portal in the offseason. Indiana isn't typically a big improvement from Cal, but it is now. Curt Cignetti turned things around completely for the Hoosiers in just one season, taking the team all the way to the College Football Playoff. Indiana was one of the biggest surprises in college football last season, and with more experience at the QB position this year, the team could very well make another run to the CFP. 3. Luke Altmyer, Illinois Speaking of teams that can make a run to the CFP, let's talk about Illinois and its experienced QB Luke Altmyer. Like Indiana, Illinois is a school that typically struggles in football, but Bret Bielema has the Fighting Illini trending in the right direction. Altmyer is a big reason why. Last season, Illinois ended up winning 10 games, and Altmyer had a fantastic season. He threw for over 2,700 yards, and he finished with 22 touchdowns and six picks. That will do the trick. Altmyer has gotten better and better throughout his career, and he is now exactly what you want in a college football QB. He has a ton of experience, he has shown the ability to excel, and he is a terrific leader. The Illinois football team is expected to be a contender in the Big Ten, and Altmyer is good enough to take the team to the CFP for the first time in program history. 2. Dylan Raiola, Nebraska Nebraska QB Dylan Raiola is going to be an exciting player to watch next year. Raiola was far from perfect last season, but he was also a true freshman starting in arguably the toughest conference in college football. Going from high school ball to immediately starting in the Big Ten isn't easy, and Raiola was still one of the better QBs in the conference. He finished the season with over 2,800 yards, but his touchdown to interception ratio wasn't great. He tossed 13 touchdown passes and threw 11 picks. That will need to improve. Raiola came to Nebraska with a ton of hype, and that hype is still there. He experienced some growing pains during his freshman season, but he still helped get Nebraska to a bowl game for the first time since 2016. He should take some big strides during this offseason, and he should be one of the better QBs in the country next year. 1. Drew Allar, Penn State No surprises here. Penn State QB Drew Allar is the best QB in the Big Ten heading into the 2025 season. Allar was one of the best QBs in the conference last year as well, and now that Dillon Gabriel and Will Howard are off to the NFL, there is no one can be placed above Allar on this list. He has shown constant improvement during his Penn State career, and he is a tremendous leader both on and off the field. Last year was a big one for Allar, and he is expected to be even better this season. Last year, Allar finished the season with 3,327 passing yards, and he tossed 24 touchdowns and just eight interceptions. The Penn State football team put together one of its best seasons in the last 10 years as it made it to the Big Ten title game and the College Football Playoff semifinals. The Nittany Lions are returning a ton of talent from last year's team, and no other player is more important than Allar. Penn State is a popular pick to win the Big Ten, and some are picking the Nittany Lions to win the national title as well. As you can see, there is a lot of good talent at the QB position in the Big Ten this year. It was hard to pick just five players, too, as there are a lot of good players that weren't named here. It's going to be an exciting season in this conference. Related: Top 5 running backs in the SEC for 2025 season Related: Penn State football's James Franklin shades SEC with 'easy solution' to CFP expansion
