The Hurry-Up: Buckeyes, Nittany Lions, Leading the Way in B1G Recruiting Race

When you look at the Big Ten football standings, it's clear that the conference — long dubbed the "big two and the little eight" — has not changed much over the years. Yes, there's expansion from 10 to 14, there's coaching changes and offense's updating their approach to the modern era, but on the field, there's still the cream at the top and bunch of stragglers fighting to catch up.

Right now, it's Michigan State, Ohio State, Nebraska and Wisconsin acting as flag-bearers for the conference ten others scuffling to try and improve.

In the new world of college football, one where recruiting is king and the attention spent to commitments and mailers and "top five lists" almost matches the enthusiasm for the game on Saturdays, the conference sees a large disparity in success there as well.

On this front the Buckeyes, Badgers, Spartans and Huskers still rule with one exception: Penn State and James Franklin. Let's take a closer look at the 2015 recruiting classes, using 247Sports.com rankings, and see who's got the chance to make an impact in the future inside of the Big Ten.

14. INDIANA // 12 COMMITMENTS // 3.00 AVG STAR RANKING

The Hoosiers are, and always seem to be, quite an enigma on the field and off it. On the field they've lost to Bowling Green and Michigan. They've gone to, and won at, Missouri. Kevin Wilson is a well-respected coach who made his name running high-powered offenses at Oklahoma.

For the Hoosiers, the inconsistency on the field often leads to some frustration on the recruiting trail. Last weekend, their top commitment, quarterback Tommy Stevens from Indianapolis, was offered by and made an official visit to, Penn State.

If the Nittany Lions were to swoop in and steal one from Indiana, from right in their backyard? That'd be a devastating blow.

13. MINNESOTA // 16 COMMITMENTS // 3.00 AVG STAR RANKING

Minnesota, with 16 commitments, has done a fairly decent job capitalizing on the new energy around their football program. A hot start to the season and the lovable Jerry Kill at the helm have provided the Gophers, their fans and their players, something to smile about. 

Lineman Quin Oseland committed to the Gophers in August, choosing Minnesota over Arizona State, California and many others, including his home-state Illini. In fact, nearly a third of the Minnesota class is from Illinois, including twins Jacob and Julian Huff, a three-star safety and linebacker, respectively.

The Gophers are in the hunt for Oak Park, Michigan defensive back/running back John Kelly, who would be a nice boost for their class. Southfield, Michigan's Ray Buford Jr. is a dynamic player who could help the Gophers in a number of ways, including the kick and punt return game.

12. PURDUE // 17 COMMITMENTS // 2.64 AVG STAR RANKING

One of my personal favorite coaches, Darrell Hazell, leads the Boilermakers and his cool, calm demeanor have made him a personal favorite of many over the years. As he attempts to lead often-terrible Purdue to respectability, he'll need a top-flight quarterback to do so and I think he's got himself one in Kentucky's Elijah Sindelar.

The Boilermakers are hoping that improvement on the field can turn into a bit more prowess on the recruiting trail and as of now, it's not working out as planned. One reason? Purdue has the lowest paid coaching staff in the Big Ten, including the two lowest paid assistants in the conference.

Matt McCann, a big three-star tackle from Indianapolis anchors is one of only two lineman currently committed, an area the Boilermakers hope to address further. Davidson (Hilliard, Ohio) linebacker Markus Bailey could be a steal for Purdue and linebacker's coach Marcus Freeman.

11. ILLINOIS // 14 COMMITMENTS // 2.93 AVG STAR RANKING

Tim Beckman is an excellent recruiter, so don't let Illinois' spot on this list fool you. It's his football team that stinks. Unfortunately in football, a bad football team often leads to a bad recruiting class and that connection is in full effect here.

The Illinois class is led by Jacksonsville, Illinois offensive lineman Gabe Megginson, who Ohio State has offered and continues to recruit. Megginson hopes to be the draw for Beckman's class and wants to be a leader that keeps Illinois' best players in the state. So far, that's not working.

If Illinois were to remove Beckman from his post after this season as has been postured, the program could take an even more disappointing step backwards. Wide receiver A.D Miller is one of my favorite players in the Illini class, and he's looking around. He visited Nebraska officially last weekend, so it could be a challenge keeping him in the fold.

10. MARYLAND // 16 COMMITMENTS // 3.06 AVG STAR RANKING

The Terrapins are smack-dab in the middle of a fertile recruiting area and have a long-time reputation for keeping the best players from their area home. That is, up to this point, not happening since they've joined the Big Ten.

Only four of their 16 recruits are from Maryland and the state's best have all but written off the Terrapins and Randy Edsall in favor for Franklin and Penn State.

Maryland offensive lineman Isaiah Prince could be the latest in a line of late deciders who decide to stay home, and he's an important piece of the puzzle for Maryland. 

9. RUTGERS // 19 COMMITMENTS // 2.73 AVG STAR RANKING

With 19 commitments, Rutgers is tied with the Buckeyes for the second most commitments up to this point for 2015. The problem for Rutgers is then — we can assume — not quantity but quality

As one of the conference's members, Rutgers had hoped the move to the B1G would lead to more success in their own state. Last year, the Buckeyes swooped in and took Noah Brown from under their nose and this year they've done the same with a pledge from Kevin Feder. Once more though, it's Penn State and James Franklin who have really hurt Kyle Flood and the Scarlet Knights. Of the Top 15 players in New Jersey, Rutgers has zero commitments: Penn State has five.

The gem of the class is defensive tackle Greg Webb, who was originally a four-star defensive tackle in the class of 2013, who had signed and enrolled at North Carolina. He'll make his way to Rutgers via Hutchingson Community College in Kansas. One of my favorite players in the class is tight end Nakia Griffin, a big-bodied wide receiver who could play a number of roles in their offense. 

8. IOWA // 17 COMMITMENTS // 2.94 AVG STAR RANKING

As you'd expect Iowa's recruiting class is line heavy. Of the Hawkeyes' 17 commitments, five are offensive lineman led by Ohioan James Daniels, who chose the Iowa over Ohio State. 

Iowa is still hoping to lure Ohio State commitment Justin Hilliard, who they hope will follow Daniels' path and decide to play alongside his brother rather than at home in Ohio.

The Hawkeyes are also still in the mix for Texas running back Chris Warren III and budding star Raequan Williams, a defensive lineman from Chicago. Iowa has their own set of twins committed, Landan and Levi Paulsen, a pair of offensive lineman.

7. NORTHWESTERN // 17 COMMITMENTS // 3.00 AVG STAR RANKING

Northwestern and Pat Fitzgerald are where you'd expect them to be: right in the middle of the Big Ten. The Wildcats started their recruiting year well, but have lost some momentum in recent months. Decommitments from a pair of Ohio twins — Andrew and David Dowell — resulted in strict "no visit" policies enforced by Fitzgerald and his staff.

Lasalle (Cincinnati) defensive lineman Jordan Thompson is the gem of the class currently, but the Wildcats are involved in a number of important pursuits. Their unique blend of academics and football makes them an attractive option to players throughout the country.

They hope to land a commitment from Justice Shelton-Mosley, a shift all-purpose back from California, later this month. 

6. MICHIGAN // 9 COMMITMENTS // 3.66 AVG STAR RANKING

Chalk this one up to what what might've been, Michigan fans. Damien Harris, George Campbell, Shaun Crawford, Garrett Taylor, and Darian Roseboro are all former commitments. Tyree Kinnel, Brian Cole, Chris Clark, Grant Newsome, Mike Weber and Darrin Kirkland, Jr. are all at least discussing the possibility of doing the same. 

Uncertainty around the football program and Brady Hoke's future has decimated a class that was at one time the nation's best. Now with just nine commitments — and at least six of them looking elsewhere — it's actually impressive that Michigan remains this high on the Big Ten list.

They've got the conference's best quarterback commitment at this point in Alex Malzone, and he — along with Jon Runyan, Jr. and kicker Andrew David — appear resolute in their commitments. It's nearly impossible to project what happens in Ann Arbor, but the writing is on the wall for Hoke and another coaching change confused off-season isn't good for a program already in flux. 

5. NEBRASKA // 12 COMMITMENTS // 3.16 AVG STAR RANKING

Bo Pelini has seen the face of the inevitable firing that's before Brady Hoke and he's laughed in it. He has strode upon feline-inspired glory into the sunset and has emerged victorious.

He's now coaching the country's 15th-ranked team and has his Cornhuskers at 8-1. The commitment Nebraska made to Pelini has paid off on the recruiting trail. 

While they're lacking star power in this class, the 'Huskers have a solid group highlighted by cornerback Eric Lee, a four-star defensive back from Colorado. A strong finish to the season could see an upswing in recruiting success for Pelini. One of their top remaining wide receiver targets, New Orleans three-star Stanley Morgan, decides this Friday.

4. MICHIGAN STATE // 13 COMMITMENTS // 3.15 AVG STAR RANKING

It's perplexing that the recent on-the-field success for Michigan State hasn't yielded a similar degree of wins in the living room. Despite Michigan's uncertainty, the Wolverines beat the Spartans for a number of the state's top players and others still appear to be waiting for Michigan to make a move before they do. 

Hubbard, Ohio's L.J. Scott is their top verbal at this point, and the commitment from him was important as much in that they "stole" one from the Buckeyes as it was his running back talents.

Another pair of Ohioans, offensive lineman Noah Listermann and defensive end Justice Alexander are sure to spend their careers with a chip on their shoulders when they line up against the Buckeyes. I'm a big fan of linebacker Tyriq Thompson from Detroit Martin Luther King as well. The Spartans could end up the winner in the Mike Weber and Brian Cole sweepstakes if they do as expected and decommit from Michigan.

3. WISCONSIN // 22 COMMITMENTS // 3.05 AVG STAR RANKING

Beyond being much more likable, Gary Anderson and Wisconsin aren't much different than Bert Bret Bielema and Wisconsin were. As the conference's third-ranked recruiting class, the Badgers are once more positioning themselves nicely for the future.

A solid class full of solid players, the Badgers have continued to use their identity to bring in the type of player that works in their system. The top six players in their recruiting class are offensive lineman or tight ends. A shifty running back from Texas with above-average speed is on the rolls. 

They have the most commitments in the Big Ten, numbers-wise and they're not done. The Badgers are hopeful to lure a number of players with Ohio State offers into the mix. Wisconsin has hosted Florida running back Jordan Scarlett for an official visit previously and is still hoping to do the same with Georgia defensive back Josh Norwood.

2. PENN STATE // 18 COMMITMENTS // 3.61 AVG STAR RANKING

Last January, when James Franklin took over at Penn State, the expected happened. Penn State, like Michigan will, got a recruiting boost from the initial efforts of a new and exciting head coach. The new plan for future destruction of the Big Ten — combined with a depleted roster — was a winning recipe for Franklin.

He came in late and took Brandon Wimbush and Sterling Jenkins from Ohio State's grasp. He swung Indiana linebacker Josh Barajas on a weekend visit. He sold Adam McLean on Penn State before he ever visited the Buckeyes. After the NCAA removed the sanctions it had imposed on Happy Valley, Franklin and his team found themselves with even more room to recruit than they'd expected.

Wimbush and Barajas' decommitments may have slowed things down a bit, but the Nittany Lions are primed to make another run. A fantastic showing from the team and the fans in at Penn State two weeks ago has helped Franklin move into a neck-and-neck position with the Buckeyes for Matt Burrell. Christian Wilkins, Garrett Taylor, Ricky DeBerry, Jr. and Tim Settle are all still realistic options for the Nittany Lions.

1. OHIO STATE // 19 COMMITMENTS // 3.89 AVG STAR RANKING

With the recent addition of Torrance Gibson, the Buckeyes have regained the top spot in the Big Ten's recruiting rankings. The Ohio State class, which stood with only two commitments in May, is now at 19 verbals and could finish anywhere between 22-25.

The remaining group of prospects high on the Buckeyes, a number of which are also interested in Penn State, is likely to determine which school eventually wins the recruiting "championship" for 2015. 

The Buckeyes are hoping to finish with a final group that includes any number of Matt Burrell, Damien Harris, Lawrence Cager, Branden Bowen, Garrett Taylor, Rashad Roundtree and Josh Norwood. Bowen, Burrell, Roundtree and Norwood are all close to a decision and could happen at anytime. The Buckeyes continue to battle Kentucky for Damien Harris. How much Torrance Gibson's decision impacts him is up for debate, but Gibson has stated Harris will be one of his priorities.