Ranking the Big Ten: Return Specialist

As the 2023 college football season quickly approaches, it is time to look at the top players at each position in the Big Ten.

We continue our Ranking the Big Ten series today with the returners. There are a number of repeat appearances from earlier rankings highlighting the top athletes in the conference.

Previous Rankings: QB | RB | WR | TE | OT | OG | C | DT | OLB/EDGE | ILB | CB | S | K | P |

1. Jaylin Lucas, Indiana

Jaylin Lucas racked up the accolades last season.

The 5-foot-8, 175-pound sparkplug earned Freshman All-American honors as a returner, but that’s not all. He led the FBS with two kickoff-return touchdowns and won the Rodgers-Dwight Return Specialist of the Year award.

Lucas finished as a first-team All-American and first-team All-Big Ten selection.

A native of Houma, Louisiana, Lucas was one of three true freshman with a kickoff return touchdown last season. He’s the first Indiana player to return a kickoff for a touchdown since Tevin Coleman in 2012.

Athlon Sports selected Lucas for its preseason first-team All-Big Ten squad.

2. A.J. Henning, Northwestern

Next up is a member of 2022’s ranking the Big Ten class, A.J. Henning. The junior from Frankfort, Illinois, returns to his home state after spending his last two seasons at Michigan. Henning announced his commitment to Northwestern in early May.

Henning is coming off a season in which he picked up consensus second-team All-Big Ten honors. Athlon Sports sees a rise to first-team All-Big Ten in 2023. He has already earned All-Big Ten recognition twice as a punt returner.

The former Wolverine wideout caught nine passes for 60 yards last season and will get a chance to shine with the Wildcats as one of their primary skill players. Henning returned 28 punts for 201 yards and a 61-yard touchdown against UConn last year.

3. Nicholas Singleton, Penn State

Versatility and athleticism are keys for any returner. There may not be a better all-purpose player on this list than Nick Singleton.

The Big Ten media named him to its second-team All-Big Ten in 2022 while the coaches gave Singleton an honorable mention. The Football Writers Association awarded Singleton Freshman All-American honors as its top all-purpose athlete.

Singleton returned 14 kickoffs for 349 yards (24.9 per attempt), with a 100-yard touchdown against Rutgers.

The sophomore jumped on a lot of radars with his 120 rushing yards and two touchdowns in the Rose Bowl. Keep an eye on Singleton as a returner, too.

4. Isaiah Williams, Illinois

The quarterback turned wide receiver is back. Isaiah Williams makes his second appearance after coming in at No. 3 in the wideout rankings.

Williams was a consensus All-Big Ten honorable mention last season and Athlon Sports sees the athlete as a 2023 third-team All-Big Ten honoree.

At 5-foot-9 and 170 pounds, Williams is elusive with a quick burst that helped him return 16 punts for 120 yards last year. He finished 25th in the country and led the Big Ten with 7.5 return yards per punt in 2022.

TOUCHDOWN @IlliniFootball 🙌@i_williams11 puttin' on a clinic with that 60-yard TD score! 🔥 pic.twitter.com/jWplxs5RP3

— FOX College Football (@CFBONFOX) November 5, 2022

5. Cooper DeJean, Iowa

Cooper DeJean is known for his defensive prowess but he’s a key weapon for Iowa’s special teams, too.

Athlon Sports picked DeJean as a preseason second-team All-Big Ten honoree. He returned four punts for 81 yards against Wisconsin last year bolstered by a 41-yard burst that setup Iowa’s final touchdown.

DeJean excelled in the Music City Bowl, too. The junior from Odebolt, Iowa, had three returns for 42 yards with a long of 34 and earned the MVP award in Iowa’s win over Kentucky.

The Hawkeye athlete led his team with 16.5 return yards per punt in 2022.