Ranking the Big Ten: Cornerback
As the 2025 college football season quickly approaches, it is time to look at the top players at each position in the Big Ten.
We continue our annual Ranking the Big Ten series today with the cornerbacks. All five of the top five corners are Big Ten conference returners.
Previous Ranking the Big Tens: QB | RB | WR | TE | OT | OG | C | OLB | DT | ILB |
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1. D’Angelo Ponds, Indiana
Indiana cornerback D’Angelo Ponds is an easy pick for the best cornerback in the Big Ten. He was a 2024 First-Team All-Big Ten selection by the coaches and media. The junior was a first-team selection in his first season in the Big Ten after transferring from James Madison.
Last season, the 5-foot-9, 170-pound corner had 55 tackles, nine pass breakups, three interceptions and 4.5 sacks. Ponds had two interceptions for 67 yards against Washington. He was named the Jim Thorpe Award National Defensive Back of the Week.
Ponds’ 91.8 overall PFF grade over the last two seasons is the highest among all returning FBS cornerbacks. He scored an 83.5 defense grade and an 85 coverage grade in 2024.
2. Xavier Scott, Illinois
Along with Ponds, Illinois’ Xavier Scott was an All-Big Ten First Team pick by the media and a second team selection by the league’s coaches. Scott was a Jim Thorpe Award Semifinalist as one of the top 15 defensive backs in college football.
The 5-foot-11, 190-pound CB had 49 tackles, two tackles for loss, one sack, and 10 pass breakups. He ranked second in the Big Ten with four interceptions.
Scott ranked third in the Big Ten with an 82.3 PFF defensive grade. He was fourth amongst the Big Ten cornerbacks with an 85.1 tackling grade. The senior recorded a 91.8 pass rush grade in 2024.
3. Theran Johnson, Oregon
Northwestern star cornerback Theran Johnson transferred to Oregon as a part of the Ducks’ impressive transfer portal class. The 5-foot-11, 170-pound corner was a second-team All-Big Ten coaches selection in 2024.
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At Northwestern in 2024, he had 53 tackles, 3.5 sacks, two interceptions and 11 passes defended. He was the first player since at least 2005 to register over 10 pass breakups and four tackles for loss in a season.
Johnson played in 34 games with the Wildcats. He had 103 career tackles, 21 pass breakups and 5.5 sacks. The Indianapolis, Ind. native was the top defensive back in the transfer portal and is heading to arguably the best teams in the Big Ten.
4. A.J. Harris, Penn State
A.J. Harris is coming off a great sophomore season in 2024 after he transferred from Georgia to Penn State. He was a third-team All-Big Ten selection by the coaches and the media.
In 2024, he totaled 48 tackles, five pass defenses and an interception last season. Harris allowed his receivers to catch 56.5% of their targets and gave up 281 yards in 729 snaps.
The 6-foot-1, 185-pound CB was one of the top 10 most valuable cornerbacks in the nation according to PFF’s wins above average metric. He only allowed 0.76 yards per coverage snap. Harris posted an 81.3 coverage grade and a 78.9 defense grade.
5. Jyaire Hill, Michigan
Michigan cornerback Jyaire Hill is lined up for a breakout junior season. He is coming off his first season starting games. Hill recorded nine starts and played in 12 games as a sophomore in 2024.
The 6-foot-2, 185-pound DB earned 35 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss and one sack. He recorded nine pass breakups and one interception. Hill was Michigan’s Co-Defensive Player of the Game for his performances against USC, Minnesota and Michigan State.
