Top 10 Big Ten classes in the On3 Industry Team Recruiting Rankings

The Big Ten is home to some of the top recruiting classes in the country. The conference currently boasts four programs with a class that ranks top 10 in the nation, while seven are in the top 25. 

Here are the top 10 Big Ten classes in the On3 Industry Team Recruiting Rankings, as of Friday at 5 PDT and a synopsis of each class written by On3’s Hunter Shelton.

1. Ohio State (92.925)

Breakdown: 3 five-stars | 11 four-stars | 4 three-stars | 18 total commits
Top Commit: Hollywood (Fla.) Chaminade-Madonna wide receiver Jeremiah Smith, No. 1 in On3 Industry Ranking
Summary: The Buckeyes own the No. 2 class in the nation, behind only Georgia. OSU is currently the only program in the Big Ten that has a commitment from one five-star, let alone three. Flanking Smith at the top of the class is Chicago St. Ignatius defensive lineman Justin Scott and New Haven (Ind.) WR Mylan Graham, the No. 12 and 16 overall players in the cycle, respectively. The top six prospects in Ryan Day’s crew of blue-chippers are all top-100 players in the class, per the On3 Industry Ranking. 

2. Michigan (91.410)

Breakdown: 0 five-stars | 17 four-stars | 9 three-stars | 26 total commits
Top Commit: Cincinnati Archbishop Moeller running back Jordan Marshall, No. 56 in On3 Industry Ranking
Summary: Michigan may be ranked behind its rival, but it still checks in with the No. 5 class in the country. No program currently has more four-stars pledged than the Wolverines. Charlotte Providence Day quarterback Jadyn Davis, the No. 65 overall player and No. 7 QB, sits atop the class next to Marshall, while Rochester (Mich.) Adams tight end Brady Prieskorn follows as the No. 84 player and one of only three in-state products committed to maize and blue. 

3. Penn State (91.280)

Breakdown: 0 five-stars | 15 four-stars | 9 three-stars | 24 total commits
Top Commit: Belle Vernon (Pa.) athlete Quinton Martin, No. 43 in On3 Industry Ranking
Summary: Penn State sits in a similar spot to Michigan, as it ranks No. 7 nationally. All 15 of the Nittany Lions’ four-star commits rank inside the top 300 overall. Where PSU differs from both the Buckeyes and Wolverines, however, is its reliance on in-state recruiting, as 33% of the class hails from the Keystone State. Martin and Erie McDowell interior offensive lineman Cooper Cousins, the top two players in the state, are both committed to James Franklin and Co. 

4. USC (91.082)

Breakdown: 0 five-stars | 11 four-stars | 5 three-stars | 16 total commits
Top Commit: Los Angeles Sierra Canyon wide receiver Xavier Jordan, No. 79 in On3 Industry Ranking
Summary: As the Trojans navigate the move from the Pac-12 to the Big Ten, Lincoln Riley and his staff still carry a top-10 recruiting class, coming in at No. 9, just behind Penn State. USC lost the commitment of Modesto (Ca.) Central Catholic four-star offensive tackle Manasse Itete on Friday, but still hold pledges from 11 four-stars and have an average recruit rating of 90.70, the second-best mark in the conference, behind only Ohio State.

5. Nebraska (89.005)

Breakdown: 0 five-stars | 6 four-stars | 18 three-stars | 24 total commits
Top Commit: Ainsworth (Neb.) tight end Carter Nelson, No. 58 in On3 Industry Ranking
Summary: Nebraska has added seven of its 10 highest-ranked prospects in its class since June, highlighted by Nelson, the only top-100 overall player in the group. Three of the top 10 players in the class play for the same high school — Bellevue West — in Nebraska: four-star wide receiver Dae’vonn Hall, four-star quarterback Daniel Kaelin and three-star WR Isaiah McMorris. The Cornhuskers’ class ranks No. 21 in the nation.

6. Wisconsin (88.694)

Breakdown: 0 five-stars | 4 four-stars | 16 three-stars | 20 total commits
Top Commit: Olney (Md.) Good Counsel running back Dilin Jones, No. 185 in On3 Industry Ranking
Summary: After just barely cracking the top 50 in the 2023 On3 Industry Team Recruiting Rankings, Wisconsin currently sits at No. 23 in the nation for the 2024 cycle, though it’s still in the middle of the pack in the Big Ten. Jones, the Badgers’ latest commit, is now the highest-ranked prospect in the class for new head coach Luke Fickell. 

7. Purdue (88.268)

Breakdown: 0 five-stars | 4 four-stars | 17 three-stars | 21 total commits
Top Commit: Cincinnati La Salle cornerback Koy Beasley, No. 114 in On3 Industry Ranking
Summary: Despite being behind Wisconsin, Purdue has currently made a larger year-to-year jump in the rankings, going from No. 56 in 2023 to No. 25 in the lead-up to August 2024. New head coach Ryan Walters and offensive coordinator Graham Harrell are still behind the cream of the crop on the recruiting trail, but the Boilermakers rank in the top half of the Big Ten and are above multiple programs with a higher pedigree. 

8. Iowa (87.467)

Breakdown: 0 five-stars | 2 four-stars | 18 three-stars | 20 total commits
Top Commit: Winthrop (Iowa) East Buchanan interior offensive lineman Cody Fox, No. 320 in On3 Industry Ranking
Summary: The Hawkeyes are smack dab in the middle of the conference recruiting rankings. They currently have the commitments of seven of the 10 highest-ranked players in Iowa, headlined by Fox and Williamsburg linebacker Derek Weisskopf, the only other four-star in the class. In true Iowa fashion, five of its 10 highest-ranked commits are linebackers or EDGE rushers. 

9. Minnesota (87.328)

Breakdown: 0 five-stars | 2 four-stars | 21 three-stars | 23 total commits
Top Commit: Mukwonago (Wis.) offensive tackle Nathan Roy, No. 94 in On3 Industry Ranking
Summary: Nine of Minnesota’s commits have come in June or July, spearheaded by Roy, the No. 1 player in Minnesota and No. 6 OT in the cycle. Esko (Minn.) Lincoln Secondary safety Koi Perich is the No. 306 player in the On3 Industry Ranking, but On3 rates the No. 2 player in Minnesota much higher at No. 144 overall. 

10. Rutgers (87.068)

Breakdown: 0 five-stars | 2 four-stars | 20 three-stars | 22 total commits
Top Commit: Riverhead (N.Y.) St. Anthony’s tight end KJ Duff, No. 292 in On3 Industry Ranking
Summary: Rutgers is another program that has taken a respectable leap in the team rankings, even if it’s still in the bottom half of the Big Ten. Checking in at No. 34 nationally, the Scarlet Knights and coach Greg Schiano have tapped into the Florida recruiting trail, as six of the 22 commits hail from the Sunshine State.