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Yahoo
27-05-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Big Ten Spotlight: Four programs that need a big June
June has become arguably the most important month in the recruiting calendar, with prospects crisscrossing the country on official visits and lining up announcement dates. Rivals national recruiting analyst Greg Smith looks at four Big Ten programs that need to capitalize in the coming weeks. RELATED: Big Ten team recruiting rankings JUNE PREVIEW: Biggest storylines this weekend RECRUITING RUMORS: Pivotal weeks on deck for 2026 recruiting cycle CLASS OF 2026 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Team | Position | State CLASS OF 2027 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Team | Position | State TRANSFER PORTAL: Full coverage | Player ranking | Team ranking | Transfer search | Transfer Tracker RIVALS CAMP SERIES: Rivals Five-Star heading back to Indy | Rivals Five-Star roster | Schedule/info INDIANA It's always going to be tricky judging Indiana's recruiting classes. The Hoosiers had a magical season last year, finishing 11-2 in coach Curt Cignetti's first season running the program. But a lot of that success was built with players brought in from the portal. But now you'd expect there to be a bump in the Hoosiers' high school recruiting. Advertisement That hasn't happened yet for the 2026 cycle. Indiana has nine commitments right now and things have picked up with three of them coming in May. But if the Hoosiers are going to get a bump on the trail for this class, it'll need a huge June. One name to watch that would change the perception of the class is Jerquaden Guilford. The talented receiver from Indiana is very high on the Hoosiers and would be a game changer. SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS WITH INDIANA FANS AT MICHIGAN Jeff McCulloch/ Things are picking up in Ann Arbor on the recruiting trail with a pair of nice tight end commitments in June. However, we haven't seen the early run of commitments this cycle that we might have anticipated after the Wolverines finished so strongly last cycle. Advertisement There might be a reason for that though. The program is in on a number of high-profile prospects that have elected to take official visits before committing to a school. Five-star offensive lineman Felix Ojo, four-star defensive end McHale Blade and four-star offensive tackle Carter Scruggs are among the blue-chip prospects taking June official visits to Michigan. It'll be a huge month for coach Sherrone Moore. RELATED: Michigan's 2026 commitment list SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS WITH MICHIGAN FANS AT MICHIGAN STATE Nick Lucero/ Right now, the Spartans are sitting last in the Big Ten Team Recruiting Rankings. So it goes without saying that the Spartans need a big June to turn things around. The four commits in the class are great building blocks. Especially four-star quarterback Kayd Coffman, who continues to see new offers come in. But the Spartans need other reinforcements to help coach Jonathan Smith's rebuild. Advertisement They missed out on priority running back target Kory Amachree after spending a lot of time recruiting him. But the Spartans are likely to flip Iowa State defensive back commit Brayden Thomas. If they can find a way to keep four-star offensive lineman Khalief Canty home, it'd be a huge boost to the recruiting class. SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS WITH MICHIGAN STATE FANS AT NEBRASKA Nick Lucero/ The Huskers' recruiting class is very much in limbo right now. There are only four verbal pledges in the class. One of them, four-star defensive back CJ Bronaugh, is a pretty soft commit with several official visits set and other schools trying to get him on campus. The Huskers are going to take a smaller class so it seems the plan was to aim high and see where things land. Advertisement The issue is that Nebraska is already missing on top targets before it can get guys on campus for official visits. The latest example of that is defensive end Titan Davis, who did not have the Huskers in his reworked top group. Nebraska has some huge official visits scheduled. Offensive tackles Kelvin Obot and Claude Mpouma have a lot of upside. Priority four-star linebacker flip target Jordan Campbell would be a jewel of the class. Beating out Oklahoma on four-star running back DeZephen Walker would boost the class. Don't count out the Huskers because they've gone on huge runs before but they need a massive June. SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS WITH NEBRASKA FANS AT
Yahoo
10-04-2025
- Sport
- Yahoo
Big Ten Spotlight: Biggest portal needs in the spring transfer window
© Samantha Madar/Columbus Dispatch / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images The spring transfer window opens on Wednesday and college coaches, GMs and player personnel departments have already been scouring rosters, circling players they'd recruit if they decide to enter the transfer portal. Advertisement Beginning today with the Big Ten, Rivals will break down the portal priorities for each Power Four team. MORE BIG TEN: Panic meter for programs lagging behind in 2026 recruiting PORTAL PREDICTIONS: Hot positions, top programs, Joe Cotton MORE TRANSFER PORTAL: Latest news | Transfer search | Transfer Team Ranking | Football Player Ranking ILLINOIS Illinois was one of the better rushing offenses in the Big Ten last season and expect that style to carry over to this season. To help in that area, look for the Illini to work on adding at least one offensive lineman from the transfer portal. Also on offense, keep an eye on Illinois as a potential landing spot for a tight end. Defensive back will also likely be an area in which Illinois tries to add depth. Advertisement SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS WITH ILLINOIS FANS AT INDIANA Indiana won't sneak up on the college football world this season but it has a lot of work to do to field the same caliber of team as it did last year. The Hoosiers had a strong transfer portal class coming out of the winter window and they'll look to bring in more help this spring. Finding an edge rusher has been a top priority for Indiana and it'll continue to look for additional help at the receiver position this spring now that Tyler Morris, who just transferred in from Michigan, went down with a season-ending knee injury. Advertisement Giving former Cal star quarterback Fernando Mendoza more weapons remains top of mind for Indiana. SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS WITH INDIANA FANS AT IOWA The Hawkeyes made a big move earlier this transfer cycle by signing FCS star quarterback Mark Gronowski out of South Dakota State. Iowa also brought in quarterback Hank Brown, receiver Sam Phillips and defensive linemen Bryce Hawthorne and Jonah Pace. With just five transfers in this class, Iowa is likely to add a few more before all is said and done. Cornerback and at least one offensive lineman seem to be the likeliest positions Iowa's staff will address this spring. Advertisement SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS WITH IOWA FANS AT MARYLAND The Terps and head coach Mike Locksley are looking to bounce back from a four-win season and the transfer portal is supposed to help them take a big step in the right direction. This spring the Terps are expected to focus on adding help in the trenches. Adding experienced offensive and defensive linemen are priorities 1A and 1B for Maryland. SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS WITH MARYLAND FANS AT MICHIGAN Improving on offense will remain the focus for Michigan in the transfer portal. Adding offensive linemen who can protect star freshman Bryce Underwood is right at the top of the priority list but he also needs a more well-rounded receiving corps than Michigan fielded last season. Advertisement Look for the Wolverines to be a big player for any high-end receiver that hits the portal. Tight end is also expected to be one position where Michigan tries to add help. SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS WITH MICHIGAN FANS AT MAIZE& MICHIGAN STATE After addressing most of its offensive needs during the winter transfer window, defense will primarily be the focus for Michigan State during the spring transfer window. According to Pro Football Focus, the Spartans had the lowest pass rush grade and second-lowest coverage grade in the Big Ten last season. Look for Michigan State to add at least one pass rusher and multiple defensive backs to try to reverse those trends. Advertisement SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS WITH MICHIGAN STATE FANS AT MINNESOTA The Golden Gophers have already signed a strong transfer class so this spring may be fairly quiet for them. The defensive line is one position Minnesota could pursue this spring. Adding depth up front is always a good idea but it is tight on roster spots right now so they must really think a transfer is a good fit. SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS WITH MINNESOTA FANS AT NEBRASKA The Cornhuskers have put together one of the best transfer portal classes of any team thus far in the 2025 cycle and they'll still be active this spring. Adding more help along the offensive line and at tight end are two of their top priorities. More depth at running back is also a need for Nebraska. Advertisement The Huskers did lose a lot on the defensive side of the ball during the winter transfer window but have already added a lot of help there. Still, expect the defensive line to be an area of focus for Nebraska. SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS WITH NEBRASKA FANS AT NORTHWESTERN Northwestern has already added north of 10 transfers this cycle but it'll still be active this spring. The Wildcats will look to improve at a number of positions but their No. 1 priority is going to be at receiver. Northwestern needs more help at the position as it looks to get more explosive on offense. SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS WITH NORTHWESTERN FANS AT OHIO STATE The reigning national champions have only added six players in the transfer portal thus far but they're tied for the second-highest average stars per commit. The No. 1 priority for Ohio State this spring will be adding players along the defensive line. The Buckeyes are replacing a number of starters and big-time contributors from last season and they need not only depth but experience as well. Advertisement Don't be surprised if Ohio State adds a quarterback also. With only Julian Sayin, Lincoln Kienholz and true freshman Tavien St. Clair on the roster, Ohio State needs more depth at the position just in case it loses one to the transfer portal. SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS WITH OHIO STATE FANS AT OREGON Unsurprisingly, Oregon did an excellent job addressing its top needs in the transfer portal already. The Ducks were able to add the top-ranked defensive back (Dillon Thieneman), the top two offensive line prospects (Isaiah World and Emmanuel Pregnon) and the No. 1 running back (Makhi Hughes) during the winter transfer window. Advertisement Look for Oregon to work on bringing in a linebacker during the spring and maybe another receiver depending on how things shake out. SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS WITH OREGON FANS AT PENN STATE It should come as no surprise that Penn State needs a game-breaking receiver out of the transfer portal. The Nittany Lions have championship aspirations this year and the last remaining hole on their roster is in their receiving corps. Penn State will also look to solidify the core of its defense by adding help at linebacker and along the defensive line. SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS WITH PENN STATE FANS AT PURDUE Purdue's roster was gutted during the winter transfer window but new head coach Barry Odom and his staff were active in the winter, adding a number of important pieces on both sides of the ball. Advertisement This spring the trenches are going to be a major focus for the Boilermakers. Adding experience and talent along the offensive and defensive lines will go a long way for Purdue this coming season. Receiver and defensive back are also going to be positions they target once the transfer portal opens. SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS WITH PURDUE FANS AT RUTGERS Rutgers is going to primarily focus on adding help in the trenches and at linebacker. The Scarlet Knights have their sights set on adding an offensive tackle but aren't limiting themselves to only tackles once the portal opens. Help on the interior of the defensive line is going to also be a priority as well. Linebacker, however, is likely their top priority. Advertisement SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS WITH RUTGERS FANS AT UCLA The Bruins are looking to regain their footing this season and their spring portal efforts will likely focus on the offensive line. Expect UCLA to sign multiple offensive linemen during the spring portal window. After ranking in the bottom half of the Big Ten in tackles for a loss and sacks last season, the Bruins are also likely going to target an edge defender who can make plays in the backfield. SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS WITH UCLA FANS AT USC The Trojans did a great job addressing their biggest need by signing a pair of coveted defensive tackles in Keeshawn Silver and Jamaal Jarrett early in this portal cycle. If USC is going to continue to be active in the portal, a linebacker is the most likely priority. Don't rule out a cornerback, receiver or offensive linemen if a quality prospect shows up in the portal. Advertisement SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS WITH USC FANS AT WASHINGTON Now entering his second season at the helm in Seattle, head coach Jedd Fisch and his staff landed some impressive defensive transfers earlier in the transfer cycle but this spring they'll likely turn their attention to the offensive side of the ball. Adding help on the offensive line and in the receiver room will likely be two positions Washington focuses on. The Huskies might also sign a defensive lineman this spring if they find one they think can contribute this season. SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS WITH WASHINGTON FANS AT WISCONSIN Wisconsin and head coach Luke Fickell aren't expected to add many transfers this spring. One position the Badgers will likely focus on is cornerback due to the somewhat controversial departure of Xavier Lucas. Wisconsin could pursue a running back or a quarterback that fits their scheme if one shows up in the portal. SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS WITH WISCONSIN FANS AT
