
Ohio State offers one of Wisconsin's top recruits in the class of 2027
Ohio State extended an offer to class of 2027 four-star offensive tackle Cole Reiter on Monday.
Reiter is a rising junior at Germantown High School in Germantown, Wisconsin. At 90.90, he is 247Sports' second-highest-rated class of 2027 prospect from the Badger State.
Wisconsin and Ohio State now headline Reiter's offer sheet, which also includes Indiana, Iowa State, Kansas, Minnesota and Washington State. Given his top-end recruiting billing, that list is sure to grow over the next several months.
247Sports specifically ranks the 6-foot-7 tackle as the No. 274 overall player in the class and the No. 25 recruit at his position. Iola, Wisconsin, tight end Korz Loken is the only in-state recruit ranked higher than Reiter at No. 125 overall in the cycle and No. 9 at his position.
Wisconsin is looking to improve its in-state recruiting efforts after four consecutive cycles without landing one of the state's top-three-ranked recruits. With the top-ranked Buckeyes now in the mix for Reiter, the Badgers may face an uphill battle to break that streak.
Reiter's recruitment will be worth watching as the 2027 cycle heats up this winter. Wisconsin's immediate focus is still on the class of 2026, where the program's current class of 13 commitments ranks No. 39 nationally.
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USA Today
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NBC Sports
an hour ago
- NBC Sports
2025 Big Ten Football Betting: Contenders, team overviews, players to watch, path to the playoff, win totals
For the first time in more than a decade, the top of the Big Ten offers more than just Ohio State and Michigan. Yes, the Buckeyes are the defending national champions, but the Preseason Top 25 suggests they have company atop the conference in addition to the Wolverines. James Franklin's Nittany Lions of Penn State, in fact, are ranked just ahead of Ryan Day's squad and right behind top-ranked Texas in the season's inaugural poll. Those schools have company with Oregon checking in at No. 7, Illinois 12th, Michigan 14th, and Indiana ranked 20th. Are each of them true contenders for the conference title? Eric Froton (@CFFroton) of NBC Sports takes an in-depth look at each of these contenders starting from the back-end of the Preseason Top 25 Poll offering an overview of each along with a look at players to watch on both sides of the ball, and if said school will go over or under their projected win total. 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Illinois Fighting Illini Head Coach: Bret Bielema (5th year) 2024 Record: 10-3 (6-3 B10) Bowl/Playoff Appearance: Beat South Carolina 21-17 in the Citrus Bowl Offense Ranking: 92nd Offensive Returning Starters: 9 Defense Ranking: 68th Defensive Returning Starters: 7 Illinois Team Overview Heading into 2025, Illinois finds itself on steady ground under Bret Bielema after finishing 10–3 despite a second-order win total of just 8.2, suggesting some statistical good fortune. The Illini posted their best SP+ finish (32nd) of the Bielema era thanks to a defense ranked 25th nationally in SP+ and an opportunistic +6 turnover margin, while the offense remained solid if unspectacular at 56th. With elite power success in the run game (No. 1 nationally) and a defense that excelled at limiting explosiveness (top 15 in IsoPPP and explosive pass defense), Illinois maximized field position and finishing drives enroute to a season-capping win over South Carolina in the postseason. Illinois Player to Watch West Virginia transfer Hudson Clement accrued 1,221 receiving yards on 16.7 yards per reception for the Mountaineers before transferring to Champagne this offseason. Clement is the favorite to take over Pat Bryant's X-WR sideline role and has the skillset to erupt if given the opportunity. Illinois makes the College Football Playoff if: The offensive line contends for the Joe Moore Award, Luke Altmyer boosts his accuracy, and the RB tandem of Kaden Feagin/Aidan Laughery steamroll opposing defensive fronts. Couple those keys on offense with the following defensive musts: Gabe Jacas has to go nuclear creating havoc on B10 QBs, the experienced secondary has to hold opponents under 200 passing YPG, and Illinois ultimately has to handle business against USC, Indiana and Ohio State. Illinois Win Total at DraftKings: Illinois' line currently rests at 7.5 Wins slanted majorly to the Over at -160. 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Oregon makes the College Football Playoff if: QB Dante Moore finally lives up to his recruiting hype, Tulane transfer RB Makhi Hughes teams with Noah Whittington to form a lethal 1-2 RB combo and Dakorian Moore ascends to WR1 status. Oregon simply needs to hold serve against the middle class of the B10 and take 2 out of their 3 toughest games which are road games at Penn State and at Iowa and a home tilt against Indiana. Oregon Win Total at DraftKings Similar to their main B10 rivals Ohio State and Penn State, Oregon's season long line is set at 10.5 Wins juiced -140 to the Under. They are lucky to avoid Michigan and Ohio State, with their toughest games coming at Happy Valley, at home against Indiana, and at Kinnick Stadium. I'm not laying -140 against Oregon to go Under and instead would prefer to take a flier on +320 to win the Big Ten again. Ohio State Buckeyes Head Coach: Ryan Day (8th year) 2024 Record: 14-2 (7-2 B10) Bowl/Playoff Appearance: Defeated Notre Dame 37-23 to win the National Championship Offense Ranking: 30th Offensive Returning Starters: 5 Defense Ranking: 1st Defensive Returning Starters: 4 Ohio State Team Overview Going into 2025, Ohio State remains one of the premier programs in college football under Ryan Day, coming off a 12-2 season capped by a dominant postseason run with victories over Tennessee and Oregon. The Buckeyes finished No. 1 in SP+, featuring the top overall defense in the nation and a Top 3 offense, despite pacing just 110th in tempo and ranking 117th in plays per game. Defensively, Ohio State overwhelmed opponents with an elite pass rush (1st in pressure rate, 10.4%) and smothering coverage (1st in yards per dropback allowed), while offensively they combined a lethal passing game (70.8% completion rate, 11.4 ANY/A) with a productive rushing attack (5.4 YPC) that thrived on explosive, efficient standard downs. How OSU replaces the avalanche of talent defections will determine how successful their 2025 campaign will be. Ohio State Player to Watch S Caleb Downs is the heart & soul of the OSU defense and a likely Top 10 NFL Draft selection. Downs led the secondary with 67 total tackles and a team-best 90.5% tackle rate while contributing 14 havoc plays. He allowed just 24 yards on 9 targets (33.3% completions) with a microscopic 0.7 Defensive QBR and a phenomenal 44.4% forced incompletion rate. The All-American is a rare, special talent and one of the most impactful college safeties of the last decade. Ohio State makes the College Football Playoff if: New QB Julian Sayin fulfills his five-star prep billing, the James Peoples/CJ Donaldson combo picks up where Quinshon Judkins/TreVeyon Henderson left off, and the defensive line replaces the four departed starters with a talent-laden group that is able to generate havoc plays. Ohio State Win Total at DraftKings OSU is favored to win the Big Ten again at +190, with their season Win mark set at 10.5 (Under -140). With the massive roster churn following the Natty victory, and a tough schedule that includes a pivotal non-conference matchup right out of the chute Week 1 in Columbus against Texas, at home against Penn State and at the Big House in Ann Arbor, I'm taking the Under 10.5 Wins for Ohio State. Penn State Nittany Lions Head Coach: James Franklin (12th year) 2024 Record: 13-3 (7-2 B10) Bowl/Playoff Appearance: Beat Boise State 31-14 in the CFP Fiesta Bowl | Lost to Notre Dame 27-24 in the CFP Orange Bowl Offense Ranking: 26th Offensive Returning Starters: 9 Defense Ranking: 7th Defensive Returning Starters: 5 Penn State Team Overview Heading into 2025, Penn State finds itself firmly entrenched in the national title conversation after a 13–2 season that included a College Football Playoff appearance and a No. 6 finish in SP+. The Nittany Lions paired the nation's No. 7 offense and No. 5 defense to average +21.1 points per game in adjusted scoring margin, dominating with efficiency (3rd in success rate), physicality (Top 10 in stuff rate allowed and yards after contact), and a ferocious defensive front that ranked 4th in DL havoc rate. James Franklin's squad proved battle-tested with wins over USC, Washington, and Boise State, and with elite recruiting and development continuing in Happy Valley, Penn State looks poised to remain a Big Ten and CFP contender in 2025. Penn State Player to Watch QB Drew Allar has flashed NFL Starter upside with his prototype frame (6'5/236) and arm strength but needs to cut down on mistakes (11 INTs). Still, his 66.5% completion rate and 14.7% pressure-to-sack rate offer significant promise for the future. Penn State makes the College Football Playoff if: Allar takes a step, the Offensive Line with four starters back paves the way for another pair of 1,000-yard seasons from Nicholas Singleton (1,015 rushing yards at a next-level 6.46 yards per carry) and Kaytron Allen (1,026 rushing yards on 201 carries), and new DC Jim Knowles tightens up the defense into an elite, dominant unit. Penn State Win Total at DraftKings Penn State is currently trading at 10.5 Wins juiced -150 to the Under, as Penn State assumes status as the favorite in the Big Ten. Major showdowns against Oregon in Happy Valley and at Ohio State are the highlights of the schedule but games at Iowa and at home against Indiana and Nebraska will also keep the Nittany Lions on their toes. While I favor the Nittany Lions to win the Big Ten at +240, there's not enough value for me at that price and would prefer to roll the dice on the Over 10.5 Wins at +125. Is the Big Ten as wide-open as the Big 12? No. However, for the first time in at least ten years, Ohio State and Michigan have company atop the odds board. Enjoy the season. Drew Dinsick and Vaughn Dalzell explain why they like Michigan over 8.5 wins, breaking down the Wolverines' favorable schedule and chances to win the Big Ten and make the College Football Playoff. Vaughn Dalzell and Trysta Krick discuss the favorites for the Biletnikoff Award, including Ohio State's Jeremiah Smith and Alabama's Ryan Williams.


USA Today
an hour ago
- USA Today
Steelers countdown to kickoff — No. 24: a history of the number and who wore it best
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