Big Ten Recruiting Focus: The Window is Narrowing for Power 5 Schools to Find a Top Tier 2018 Quarterback

Written by Ryan Wright

Twitter: @RyanWrightRNG

Photo credit: Raymond Joyce Photography

Twitter: @RJPSports

Every college football program wants to build their recruiting class around a gunslinger that can put points on the board and lead the team on and off the field. Finding a fit between a program, staff, and player along with style of quarterback wanted, pro-style verses dual-threat, and regional talent available in a given year helps play the part in which program lands which recruit and which top quarterback gives a team new hope for the future.

In a five-part series focusing on Power Five Conferences and Class of 2018 quarterbacks committed, the following breaks down which schools are set for now in the pocket and which schools are left scrambling. Next up is the Big Ten Conference.

The ACC

The Big 12

The Big Ten

If the Big Ten was anything during the 2016 season, it was exciting. The 2015 season had six teams finish with double-digit win totals but the 2016 schedule had a fierce battle in the East Division between Ohio State, Michigan, and Penn State while Wisconsin surprised everyone winning the West. Penn State won the East due to a tie-breaker but was shutout of the playoffs with the selection committee preferring the Buckeyes in the big money rounds. The snub for the Nittany Lions, along with Michigan looking for payback against Ohio State after a 30-27 overtime loss, sets up for a very intriguing 2017 season.

The level of talent coming into the conference is on the rise, which is no surprise given the abilities and notoriety of the head coaches manning the respective programs at the top. If the Athlon Sports pre-season rankings hold any water, the Big 12 is in for another slugfest with Ohio State (No. 2), Penn State (No. 6), Michigan (No. 10), and Wisconsin (No. 12) all ranked in the Top 15. This year’s success is predicated on work put in on the recruiting trail years before with all four teams returning a starting signal caller.

Great defenses may win championships but great offenses win regular season games building to the big game. Per Rivals quarterback rankings for the 2018 class, 25 pro-style and 30 dual-threats, there are only five ranked uncommitted pro-style and 10 ranked dual-threat quarterbacks left to cover the country.

Uncommitted Dual-Threat Quarterbacks

(Player/Home State/Ranking)

Justin Fields – Georgia, No. 1 ranked dual-threat; previous committed to Penn State

Jace Ruder – Kansas, No. 14 ranked dual-threat

Gerry Bohanon – Arkansas, No. 15 ranked dual-threat

Kaleb Eleby – Maryland, No. 16 ranked dual-threat

Woodrow “Trey” Lowe – Tennessee, No. 17 ranked dual-threat

Chance Amie – Texas, No. 21 ranked dual-threat

Ben Bryant – Illinois, No. 23 ranked dual-threat

Cordel Littlejohn – Georgia, No. 25 ranked dual-threat

John Holcombe – Texas, No. 26 ranked dual-threat

Jordan McCloud – Florida, No. 29 ranked dual-threat

Top Uncommitted Pro-Style Quarterbacks

Tanner McKee – California, No. 3 ranked pro-style

Tyler Shough – Arizona, No. 9 ranked pro-style *Committed to North Carolina (June 15)

Brevin White – California, No. 11 ranked pro-style

Maurice Robinson – Alabama, No. 18 ranked pro-style

Will Levis – Connecticut, three-star pro-style

Riley Smith – Florida, three-star pro-style

Talent Left on the Shelf

Of the 14 Big Ten teams, four are without a committed Class of 2018 quarterback. Of the 10 committed recruits, six of the quarterbacks are currently ranked within the top 55 in the nation.

As the teams work the recruiting trail for talent in the pocket, if a Big Ten program wants a highly ranked quarterback as part of the 2018 class they will more than likely have to go outside the conference’s boundaries. Ben Bryant (Illinois) and Kaleb Eleby (Maryland) are the only uncommitted top ranked quarterbacks left on the market. Penn State has to hope they can lure five-star Justin Fields back into the fold. PSU suffered a big blow losing Fields, the No. 1 ranked dual-threat in the nation, days after earning an invite to Nike’s The Opening.

The Future in the Big Ten

If committed talent means anything per recruiting rankings, Ohio State and Michigan are set. The Buckeyes have Emory Jones, the No. 2 ranked dual-threat, heading to campus and Michigan has the No. 6 ranked dual-threat, Joe Milton.

Worth noting, of the 10 verbal commits only Illinois has pulled an in-state talent. All other nine teams have gone outside the state to find their quarterback of the future.

Big Ten Class of 2018 Committed Quarterbacks

West

Illinois – Coran Taylor (Illinois), No. 27 ranked dual-threat

Iowa

Minnesota – Brennan Armstrong (Ohio), No. 22 ranked dual-threat

Nebraska

Northwestern – Jason Whittaker (Michigan), three-star pro-style

Purdue – Jack Plummer (Arizona), three-star pro-style

Wisconsin – Chase Wolf (Ohio), three-star pro-style

East

Indiana

Maryland – Tyler DeSue (Virginia), No. 23 ranked pro-style

Michigan – Joe Milton (Florida), No. 6 ranked dual-threat

Michigan State – Theo Day (Michigan), No. 17 ranked pro-style

Ohio State – Emory Jones (Georgia), No. 2 dual-threat

Penn State

Rutgers – Jalen Chatman (California), three-star dual-threat