Phil Steele releases Preseason All-Big Ten Teams ahead of 2025 season

Phil Steele released his preseason All-Big Ten teams ahead of the 2025 college football season. He went from first to fourth teams across the conference.

It’ll be interesting to see how these predictions hold up by the end of the season. There are many players that are stars in the Big Ten that are some of the best players in the country.

Without further ado, let’s take a look at Steele’s All-Big Ten teams for 2025. We start at quarterback.

Quarterback

1st Team: Drew Allar, Penn State
2nd Team: Luke Altmyer, Illinois
3rd Team: Fernando Mendoza, Indiana
4th Team: Nico Iamaleava, UCLA

Allar is the top quarterback on the All-Big Ten list from Steele. A potential first round pick, if not top 10 selection, Allar looks to lead Penn State to a national title.

Altmyer returns to Illinois in 2025 after a 10-win season and could elevate the Fighting Illini to Big Ten title contention. Mendoza comes in from Cal after a successful stint and Iamaleava had a much talked about transfer from Tennessee that will be under the magnifying glass.

Running Back

1st Team: Makhi Hughes, Oregon; Nick Singleton, Penn State
2nd Team: Jonah Coleman, Washington; Kaytron Allen, Penn State
3rd Team: Justice Haynes, Michigan; James Peoples, Ohio State
4th Team: Darius Taylor, Minnesota; CJ Campbell, Rutgers

Hughes and Singleton should dominate their way to season-long accolades. It helps that Singleton shares the backfield with Allen, who’s listed on the second-team All-Big Ten list from Steele.

Perhaps Coleman should be talked about more outside Big Ten circles. We know the Big Ten breeds running backs year to year and this season will be no different.

Wide Receiver

1st Team: Jeremiah Smith, Ohio State; Elijah Sarratt, Indiana; Denzel Boston, Washington
2nd Team: Makai Lemon, USC; Evan Stewart, Oregon; Carnell Tate, Ohio State
3rd Team: Dane Key, Nebraska; Trebor Pena, Penn State; Devonte Ross, Penn State 
4th Team: DT Sheffield, Rutgers; Ja’Kobi Lane, USC; Nick Marsh, Michigan State

Smith is arguably the best wide receiver in the country and he’s only going into his sophomore season. That’s how good he was for the national champions last year.

The All-Big Ten accolades won’t escape him, that’s for sure. He’ll be joined by Tate on the opposite side of the field. Stewart is still included despite worry that he could miss the entire season with a torn patellar tendon.

Tight End

1st Team: Max Klare, Ohio State
2nd Team: Kenyon Sadiq, Oregon
3rd Team: Jack Velling, Michigan State
4th Team: Dorian Fleming, Maryland

Funny enough, we see more Ohio State playmakers on the All-Big Ten list from Steele. Once they figure out the QB1 job winner, the Buckeyes should have a high flying offense again.

Velling and Fleming should be key playmakers in order to give the Spartans and Terrapins some flash this season. Sadiq is an intriguing tight end who could rise to first-team.

Offensive Line

1st Team: Logan Jones, Iowa; Emmanuel Pregnon, Oregon; Olaivavega Ioane, Penn State; Gennings Dunker, Iowa; Isaiah World, Oregon
2nd Team: Iapani Laloulu, Oregon; Tegra Tshabola, Ohio State; Beau Stephens, Iowa; Caleb Tiernan, Northwestern; Carter Smith, Indiana
3rd Team: Pat Coogan, Indiana; Giovanni El-Hadi, Michigan; Henry Lutovsky, Nebraska; Ethan Onianwa, Ohio State; Alex Harkey, Oregon
4th Team: Nick Dawkins, Penn State; Kwabena Asamoah, Rutgers; Matthew Bedford, Oregon; Riley Mahlman, Wisconsin; JC Davis, Illinois

Iowa has two members on the first-team All-Big Ten projection, which bodes well for however their offense operates this year. As does Oregon with Pregnon and World manning their respective positions.

How about Tiernan? He gives Northwestern some representation in what should be a rebuilding year as the Wildcats try to recapture that 2023 magic.

Defensive Line

1st Team: Mikail Kamara, Indiana; Aaron Graves, Iowa; Zane Durant, Penn State; Gabe Jacas, Illinois
2nd Team: Matayo Uiagalelei, Oregon; Rayshaun Benny, Michigan; Eddrick Houston, Ohio State; Dani Dennis-Sutton, Penn State
3rd Team: Ethan Hurkett, Iowa; Hosea Wheeler, Indiana; Deven Eastern, Minnesota; Derrick Moore, Michigan
4th Team: Anthony Smith, Minnesota; Keeshawn Silver, USC; Parker Petersen, Wisconsin; Eric O’Neill, Rutgers

Jacas may no longer be the best kept secret in the Big Ten. He’s a preseason first-team All-Big Ten per Steele.

Dennis-Sutton is only second-team, yet he might be a high draft pick in 2026. He’s going to be key to Penn State’s national title hopes. It helps that he has Durant on the line with him.

Linebacker

1st Team: Aiden Fisher, Indiana; Bryce Boettcher, Oregon; Sonny Styles, Ohio State; Jaishawn Barham, Michigan
2nd Team: Tony Rojas, Penn State; Ernest Hausmann, Michigan; Taariq Al-Uqdah, Washington; Dariel Djabome, Rutgers
3rd Team: Dylan Rosiek, Illinois; Arvell Reese, Ohio State; Mac Uihlein, Northwestern; Marques Watson-Trent, Nebraska
4th Team: Eric Gentry, USC; Mani Powell, Purdue; Amare Campbell, Penn State; Christian Alliegro, Wisconsin

Michigan graduated a lot of talent over the last two years, so it’s nice to see the team might have a first-team All-Big Ten in 2025. Indiana has been well repped across these projections and Fisher is a wrecking ball.

Hausmann joins his teammate Barham on this list, giving the Wolverines a nice duo. Djabome was quietly a tackling machine for the Scarlet Knights last fall. 

Cornerback

1st Team: D’Angelo Ports, Indiana; Xavier Scott, Illinois
2nd Team: Theran Johnson, Oregon; A.J. Harris, Penn State
3rd Team: Davison Igbinosun, Ohio State; DJ Harvey, USC
4th Team: Tacario Davis, Washington; Jyaire Hill, Michigan

Curt Cignetti has done a great job of making up this Indiana roster from Year 1 to 2. Ports looks like one of the better defensive backs in the nation.

Harris should make waves for the Nittany Lions this fall, being a lockdown cornerback. Johnson is a second-team All-Big Ten player on his own but he’ll be helped by a teammate listed below.

Safety

1st Team: Caleb Downs, Ohio State; Dillon Thieneman, Oregon 
2nd Team: Koi Perich, Minnesota; Zakee Wheatley, Penn State
3rd Team: Kamari Ramsey, USC; Rod Moore, Michigan
4th Team: Preston Zachman, Wisconsin; Matthew Bailey, Illinois

Downs is one of the best overall football players in the country, so first-team All-Big Ten should be expected. He could very well be a top five pick in next year’s draft. That’s how good he’s been through two years.

Thieneman transferred to Oregon from Purdue and is one of the best safeties in the country. He should be elevated more now that he’s on a team that can contend for a national title.

Specialists

1st Team: K Dominic Zvada, Michigan; P Ryan Eckley, Michigan State; KR/PR Kaden Wetjen, Iowa; LS Luke Basso, Oregon
2nd Team: K Drew Stevens, Iowa; P Rhys Dakin, Iowa; KR Makai Lemon, USC; PR Hank Beatty, Illinois; LS Tyler Duzansky, Penn State
3rd Team: K Caden Chittenden, USC; P Atticus Bertrams, Wisconsin; KR Nick Singleton, Penn State; PR Koi Perich, Minnesota; LS Hank Pepper, USC
4th Team: K Mateen Bhaghani, UCLA, P Keelan Crimmins, Illinois, KR Vinny Anthony, Wisconsin; PR Omari Kelly, Michigan State; LS Alan Soukup, Minnesota

Zvada is pretty darn accurate, so his inclusion on the first-team All-Big Ten makes sense. Wetjen is included as the first-team kick and punt returner due to his versatility.

The Iowa special teams don’t stop there. Stevens and Dakin are a great kicker and punter duo, both listed on the second-team.