Big Ten Football Recruitment Thoughts: USCS Impressive Start, Marylands Big Get

In this new era of schedule building, June and July are now the most active months on the recruitment calendar. The majority of the prospects in the 2026 class, including some who have already made commitments, will soon be on campuses for official visits.

Let's check in and see where every Big Ten program is before things pick up in the coming weeks and months.

Comments Note: All rankings are of the 247Sports Composite.

USCS impressive start

It is still early in the 2026 cycle, but so far I repeat, so far USC has put itself in position to have a strong class. The Trojans have 15 obligations the most in the country and the class is number 1 nationally.

Although the class size is a factor in the ranking, the Trojan horses also have a strong average player assessment of 92.72. At present, USC has obligations of eight TOP-150 prospects.

The Trojans strengthened their class 2026 last week with three Blue-Chip obligations, with the head of the Top-100 defensive Lineman Jaimeon Winfield, a resident of Texas. Four -star Trent Mosley, a local product by Santa Margarita Catholic, and four -star attacking Lineman Esun Tafa, from Utah, also promised to the Trojans.

This is the first cycle at USC for the new general director Chad Bowden, who has made it clear that recruiting South California will be a priority that has not been the case in recent years. He also said that USC will sign more high school players than ever, and it will be very aggressive with name, image and parable.

It all sounds good on paper, but USC has to complete the cycle strongly. Can the Trojans sign a top-five class? Riley never did this as a head coach, at Oklahoma or USC, and the Trojans did not end with a top -five class since the 2018 cycle. That was the last time they really had a stranglehold on South California.

What does Oregon have in the store?

The ducks have ended in the top five in the last two cycles. They are third, but it has been a quiet few months for Oregon, which has only landed one commit since January 1. The class contains six Blue chip obligations, with five ranking in the top 150 national.

We know that Oregon will be heard much more during this cycle, especially with Quarterback. The ducks are a finalist, together with Georgia, for the Nations Top QB-Rekruut, five-star Jared Curtis, who plays for Nashville (Tenn.) Christian School. And they are in the mix for five -star Ryder Lyons from Folsom (Calif.) High, which is essentially a commit of 2027 because he will probably take a Mormon mission.

Oregon has routinely landed some of the best recruits in California Dan Lanning. It will be worth seeing if an more aggressive USC can make fights more competitive in this cycle.

Maryland winds big

It is a pretty extraordinary cycle for the state of Maryland, the home of two of the top four prospects in the country. When Mike Locksley was hired, the hope was that what an underrated state was locked for talent.

But Maryland has not signed the top player in the state since 2019. This cycle has the chance to be different. In December, the Terrapins scored an extremely important recruitment gain by receiving a commitment from five-star in-state edge Rusher Zion Elee (no. 4 overall player in the classroom). There is still a long way to go, but Elee announced in February that he closes his recruitment.

My recruitment is closed.

Zion Eee (@D1Zion26) February 21, 2025

And the terps are firmly in the mix for five -star attacking Tackle Immanuel Iheanacho, the number 3 player in the cycle. It will be a fight against some of the most controversial programs. Iheanacho On3s Steve Wiltfong told that Maryland is my number 1.

See if that takes. He has planned an official visit to Maryland on June 20. The Terrapins had a top 25 class in the 2025 cycle, a positive step for Locksley. Can they build on this by keeping some of the States at home best?

What is the next for Ohio State?

Ohio State started strongly in the 2025 cycle and had one of the top classes in the country for most of spring before he ended at number 4.

The Buckeyes were not so active in this cycle early. Their season ended much later, with a profit from the National Championship on January 20 and the coaching staff was in transition. Ryan Day has brought each of the last six cycles a top five class, so it is safe to assume that they will make a considerable leap in the coming months.

Ohio State is in 21st place nationally with only five obligations (all blue-chip perspectives). Four-star, in-state attacking Tackle Maxwell Riley dedicated to the Buckeyes last week, only their second obligation of 2025.

Five star receiver Chris Henry Jr. (National No. 9) is the crown jewel of the class. Henry has been dedicated since July, but various programs are still trying to make a push for him. Note for the competition: It is not wise to bet against Buckeyes offensive coordinator/recipient coach Brian Hartline in a competition for a top recipient recurrence.

Can Indiana benefit from CFP -appearance?

In the past, when a non-traditional power made the four-team College Football Play-Off, there was a conviction that the programs that recruit programs would get a considerable boost. However, the evidence has never really demonstrated that.

Indiana was one of the best stories in the University Football last season, racing to a 10-0 start and earned a place in the CFP. Last cycle, the Hoosiers class is in 47th place and included 25 signatories (only one blue chipper). It is important to note that the majority of the class is committed before Curt Cignetti coached a competition at IU.

If Indiana received a recruitment boost, this would probably be in this cycle. But the Hoosiers currently only have one obligation.

Cignetti and his staff worked wonders in the Portal Last season and brought 20 transfers from the most recent cycle. It is difficult to consistently trust the portal to win, but that must be the path for the Hoisiers in 2025.

What about Penn State and Michigan?

The Nittany Lions class is in seventh place and includes eight obligations. Penn State received only one promise in the first months of 2025, but just like several other programs, the staff did some early work with this class in the fall.

The Nittany Lions have the basis for a solid offensive class with obligations of four-star Quarterback Troy Huhn, a resident of southern California, and a few teammates in Harrisburg (PA.) High four-star who have Messiah Mickens and four-star offensive Linin Brown. Brown is the top player in the state and is national number 43.

Penn State has not signed a top 10 class since the 2022 cycle.

Regarding other Big Ten programs from the brand, Michigan, just like last year, is a slow start with only three obligations and none in the top 200 nationwide.

The Wolverines picked it up in the summer and closed the 2025 cycle with a flurry, landing obligations of five-star Quarterback Bryce Underwood and five-star Tackle Andrew Babalola along the piece to end with the No. 6 class. Can the Wolverines do the same this time?

Elsewhere in the Big ten

Illinois: To repeat a well -known chorus, it is still early in the cycle, but the Illini fighting lists have the number 6 class in the country. It would be a shock if that holds that Illinois has not signed a top 30-class since 2009, but the Illini has a solid momentum after winning 10 games in 2024. The headliner of the class is four-star corner Victor Singleton from Toledo, Ohio, which is national number 81. Illinois has not signed TOP-100 front view since the recruitment cycle of 2019.

Iowa: It is no surprise that the Hawkeyes are two highest rated recruits Linemen four -star attacking Tackle Carson Nielsen and four -star defensive Linson Hudson Parliament. What is more interesting is that Iowa went to California for a Quarterback this cycle Three-Star Cash Herrera, which plays for the Bishops school in La Jolla.

Michigan State: Jonathan Smith will probably never be a coach who builds programs through highly ranked recruitment classes. He was successful in the state of Oregon, but it was due to evaluation and development. His first full class in Michigan State is in 56th place and included only one blue-chip perspective. The Spartans have four obligations for 2026, head by four -star Quarterback Kayd Coffman from Grand Rapids, Mich. It is always good to build a class around an in-state four-star quarterback.

Minnesota and UCLA: The Golden Gophers received a promise last month from the four -star Justin Hopkins from Nashville, Tenn. He was their first obligation since last July.

De Bruins are in a similar boat. Just like Minnesota, they have four obligations. UCLA is 33rd in the recruitment ranking. The Golden Gophers are 34th. De Bruins have not received any obligation since November. Here is a peculiarity: all four UCLAS obligations are broad recipients.

Washington and Rutgers: These programs signed large classes last year (27 prospects each). The Husky's ended 23rd National and the Scarlet Knights ranked 33rd. Although their lessons were both large in figures, they were relatively short on high-end talent. Washington only signed eight blue chippers, while Rutgers only signed three.

Both programs have six obligations, but only three blue-chip commitments between them (two for Rutgers, one for Washington). That must improve.

Nebraska: The Cornhuskers did not receive an obligation from 2026 since November (Top-150 Safety CJ Bronaugh). Nebraskas Three-Man Class also includes Quarterback Dayton Raiola, the younger brother of the current starter Dylan Raiola. Dayton is number 988 nationally.

Northwest, Purdue and Wisconsin: These schools still have to be rolled in the class of 2026. Wisconsin has only two obligations, while Northwestern and Purdue each have one each.

(Photo of Lincoln Riley: Steph Chambers / Getty images)