Ohio State is the most talented team in the Big Ten again this season, at least on paper (or, should we say, in the recruiting rankings).
Inspired by Dan Hope and Matt Gutridge’s outstanding piece breaking down Ohio State’s 2023 roster by the numbers, I took a look at how many composite five-star prospects each of the 14 Big Ten teams have on their respective rosters heading into this season.
The Buckeyes have 10 five-star players on their roster this season (six on offense, four on defense), down from the 14 Ohio State had in 2022. In fact, the 10 five-star players this season are the fewest the Buckeyes have had since 2018, when they also had 10 five-star players on their roster. (All recruiting rankings referenced are via 247Sports' composite rankings.)
| Player | Rating |
|---|---|
| DE JT TUIMOLOAU | 0.9989 |
| DE JACK SAWYER | 0.9980 |
| WR JULIAN FLEMING | 0.9979 |
| LB C.J. HICKS | 0.9948 |
| WR EMEKA EGBUKA | 0.9945 |
| S SONNY STYLES | 0.9937 |
| OG DONOVAN JACKSON | 0.9901 |
| RB TREVEYON HENDERSON | 0.9872 |
| QB KYLE MCCORD | 0.9858 |
| WR BRANDON INNISS | 0.9855 |
Although it's the fewest five-star prospects OSU has had on its roster in five years, the Buckeyes still have one of the deepest rosters in college football and far outpace the rest of the Big Ten in that category. The rest of the Big Ten has just seven five-star prospects combined, three fewer than Ohio State.
| School | Five-Stars on 2023 Roster | Highest-Rated Player |
|---|---|---|
| PENN STATE | 3 | SO DE DANI DENNIS-SUTTON (FIVE-STAR, .9869) |
| MICHIGAN | 2 | SO CB WILL JOHNSON (FIVE-STAR, .9924) |
| NEBRASKA | 1 | SO TE ARIK GILBERT (FIVE-STAR, .9972) |
| WISCONSIN | 1 | SO OT NOLAN RUCCI (.FIVE-STAR, 9918) |
| MICHIGAN STATE | 0 | SO DL TUNMISE ADELEYE (FOUR-STAR, .9811) |
| IOWA | 0 | SO DB XAVIER NWANKPA (FOUR-STAR, .9773) |
| MARYLAND | 0 | JR DB AVANTAE WILLIAMS (FOUR-STAR, .9766) |
| PURDUE | 0 | JR QB HUDSON CARD (FOUR-STAR, .9721) |
| NORTHWESTERN | 0 | JR QB RYAN HILINSKI (FOUR-STAR, .9695) |
| INDIANA | 0 | SR WR E.J. WILLIAMS (FOUR-STAR, .9682) |
| ILLINOIS | 0 | JR WR ISAIAH WILLIAMS (FOUR-STAR, .9479) |
| MINNESOTA | 0 | SR OL QUINN CARROLL (FOUR-STAR, .9472) |
| RUTGERS | 0 | SO LB MOSES WALKER (FOUR-STAR, .9297) |
Some interesting tidbits:
- Ohio State has as many five-star wide receivers (three) as Penn State has five-star players in 2023. The Nittany Lions have the second-most five-star players in the conference behind only the Buckeyes and are one of just five Big Ten teams to have at least one five-star player on their roster this season.
- The Buckeyes have three players who have a better composite rating than the next-best non-OSU player in the Big Ten (Nebraska tight end Arik Gilbert, who transferred to the Cornhuskers from Georgia this offseason).
While Ryan Day's Buckeyes are looking to beat Michigan for the first time since 2019 and win a national championship for the first time in nine seasons, Ohio State’s recruiting prowess continues to stand out among its Big Ten competition. The Buckeyes have won at least 11 games in every season since 2011 (not counting the COVID-shortened season in 2020), and that’s because of how much talent they consistently have on their roster.
That said, Ohio State's goals and aspirations are larger than just winning the Big Ten. So, for comparison's sake, here's how Ohio State's 10 five-star players stack up against the other top 10 programs in the preseason AP poll.
| Team | Five-Stars on 2023 Roster |
|---|---|
| 1. GEORGIA | 13 |
| 2. MICHIGAN | 2 |
| 3. OHIO STATE | 10 |
| 4. ALABAMA | 18 |
| 5. LSU | 7 |
| 6. USC | 6 |
| 7. PENN STATE | 3 |
| 8. FLORIDA STATE | 1 |
| 9. CLEMSON | 7 |
| 10. WASHINGTON | 0 |
Recruiting stars aren't the be-all, end-all when it comes to success on the field, as there are many other components that determine success including coaching, development and team chemistry. But it’s no coincidence that the three teams that have the most five-star players on their respective rosters – Alabama, Georgia and Ohio State – are among the top four teams in the country to begin the 2023 season.
With a 2024 class that currently includes five composite five-star commits – the only five currently committed to Big Ten schools – and seven of the eight top-50 prospects committed to Big Ten programs, Ohio State looks poised to remain the most talented program in the Big Ten and one of the most talented teams in the entire country for years to come.
