Ranking the Big Ten: Returner
As the 2025 college football season quickly approaches, it’s time to look at the top players at each position in the Big Ten.
We conclude our annual Ranking the Big Ten series today with the returners. Iowa and Minnesota bring back two of the most dangerous playmakers in the country.
Previous Ranking the Big Tens: QB | RB | WR | TE | OT | OG | C | OLB | DT | ILB | CB | S | K | P
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1. Kaden Wetjen, Iowa
The trend of elite Iowa specialists continues. Wetjen was a consensus first-team All-Big Ten teamer in 2024 and earned FWAA and Phil Steele first-team All-America honors. He took home the Rodgers-Dwight Return Specialist of the Year thanks to 1134 all-purpose yards.
Wetjen returned 26 kickoffs for 727 yards and a touchdown to go along with 26 punts for 328 yards and a score. His 1,055 combined kick return yards ranked No. 1 in the nation and his 28.1 yards per kickoff return led all Big Ten players.
In the Music City Bowl against Missouri, Wetjen took a 100-yard kick return to the house. His 85-yard punt return against Northwestern was the seventh-longest in program history.
Iowa finally put Wetjen on scholarship following the bowl game after he spent three years as a walk-on wide receiver.
2. Koi Perich, Minnesota
On top of a First-Team All-Big Ten campaign at safety, Perich was one of the best returners in the conference.
The true freshman suited up as Minnesota’s primary kickoff and punt return man, earning second-team All-Big Ten honors. He returned 16 kickoffs for 314 yards and 20 punts for 188 yards.
Despite being a defensive player, Perich finished fourth on the team with 565 all-purpose yards. He was the first FBS freshman since 1976 to rack up more than 100 punt return yards, 100 kick return yards and five interceptions in a season.
The Golden Gophers expect to use Perich in all three phases extensively next season, as head coach P.J. Fleck raved about his versatility this spring.
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3. Makai Lemon, USC
Lemon only returned kickoffs in 2024 but finished the year ranked No. 6 in the country with 514 total yards.
The 5-foot-11, 195-pounder saw his role increase significantly as a sophomore, both at wide receiver and returner. He averaged 27.1 yards on 19 total kickoff returns, earning Third-Team All-Big Ten honors.
Lemon only returned one kick before Week Eight but was dominant down the stretch. In his first game with multiple returns, he racked up 122 yards with a 40.7-yard average. Lemon surpassed the 100-yard mark three times, including in the regular-season finale against Notre Dame when he totaled 250 all-purpose yards.
4. Hank Beatty, Illinois
In contrast to Lemon, Beatty primarily returned punts in 2024. Nebraska is familiar with the senior, as he enjoyed one of his best outings of the year against the Huskers.
Beatty racked up 60 yards on three punt returns in Memorial Stadium, one of his three 50+ yard return outings of the season. He led the Big Ten and ranked fourth in the nation with 14.1 yards per punt return. That mark ranked seventh in school history and earned Beatty Phil Steele All-American Honorable Mention honors.
The 5-foot-11, 185-pounder totaled 310 punt return yards on the year, good for the second-most in Illinois single-season history. Beatty only trails Dike Eddleman, whose 77-year-old record of 323 punt return yards was set in 1947.
5. Semaj Morgan, Michigan
Morgan was named an All-Big Ten honorable mention selection in each of the last two years.
He only returned nine punts in 2024 but cashed them in for 100 yards. Morgan’s best game of the season came against USC, where he caught three passes and took three punt returns for 34 total yards.
The junior’s role was increased last season, so expect him to see more playing time next year.
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