Huge 10 Spotlight: Five establishing recruiting storylines
Nick Lucero/Rivals. com Rivals national recruiting analyst Greg Smith analyzes five establishing recruiting stories in the Big 10 as June gos to loom.THIS SERIES: 5 establishing recruiting storylines in the SEC|ACC storylines CLASS OF 2025 RANKINGS
: Rivals250|Group|Position|State CLASS OF 2026 RANKINGS: Rivals250| Group|Position|State CLASS OF 2027 RANKINGS: Rivals250 |
. Team|Position|State TRANSFER WEBSITE: Complete coverage|Gamer
ranking|Group ranking|Transfer search|Transfer Tracker Can USC hold on to its early lead?The efforts of USC on the recruiting path
have been among the stories of the 2026 cycle.
Coach Lincoln Riley revamped the recruiting department and it paid off immediately. The Trojans presently have the No.
1 class in the country with a massive 27 commitments. However will it last?Advertisement In what’s ending up being an annual custom(regardless of staff )the Trojans protected an early dedication from a Georgia local
. Now summer has actually struck which player– Xavier Griffin– has decommitted from the program.Is this the start of the slide for the Trojans I actually do not think so. This time around USC has built its class mainly on keeping in-state stars home. Seventeen of its commitments are from California, which is a winning formula for the Trojans. Particularly as employees await the wins to pile up on the field.SHARE YOUR IDEAS WITH USC FANS AT TROJANSPORTS.COM Will Oregon rebound?Coach Dan Lanning has discovered himself in a position he isn’t used to during this recruiting cycle. The losing side of several prominent recruitments.
Recently, luxury quarterback Jared Curtis recommitted to
Georgia over Oregon. Before
that, high four-star receiver Kayden Dixon-Wyatt surprised and chose Ohio State over the Ducks.Advertisement Then Oregon struck back when it landed a huge surprise of its own. First-class defensive lineman Richard Wesley devoted to Oregon in a surprise. It wasn’t unexpected that he devoted but the timing of it stunned lots of, including his household. The Ducks now have a top-10 class, but it talks to the current expectations that we believe
they need to be even higher.We have actually learned to not count out Lanning on the recruiting trail, but for the first time in a while we are seeing the Ducks’recruiting maker sluggish down.SHARE YOUR IDEAS WITH OREGON FANS AT DUCKSPORTSAUTHORITY.COM Can Penn State beat out Ohio State for Cincere Johnson?Birm/ Dotting the’Eyes Ad The believed process around elite linebacker prospect Cincere Johnson’s recruitment all along has been
that Ohio State is the clear group to beat. That is likely real. He’s an Ohio native that the Buckeyes have prioritized heavily and his high school has a strong pipeline to
Columbus.But there is another Huge Ten group lurking.Penn State also has its own rich linebacker custom and the program has done a fantastic job recruiting Johnson.Of course the added wrinkle here is that defensive coordinator
Jim Knowles is now in
location at Penn State. He was recruiting Johnson to Ohio State so the two are really knowledgeable about each other.Advertisement Alabama is also an excellent choice for Johnson however this feels like a heavyweight fight in between two Huge Ten powers.SHARE YOUR IDEAS WITH OHIO STATE FANS AT DOTTINGTHEEYES.COM SHARE YOUR IDEAS WITH PENN STATE FANS AT HAPPYVALLEYINSIDER.COM Will Michigan State keep Kahlief Canty home?Michigan State coach Jonathan Smith had the Spartans off to a hot start in the 2026 class early on. They nabbed a commitment from
their preferred quarterback Kayd Coffman, who has actually continued to see his stock increase this cycle. Tight end Eddie Whiting may be among the most underrated players in the area, stashed in South Dakota.Advertisement But the momentum stalled and the Spartans have just four commitments.This summer season
could be huge for the program and nobody is a bigger target than Michigan native Khalief Canty.
The four-star interior lineman is a great possibility that has fun with a mean steak and something to prove. If the Spartans can keep him home it would truly begin
to bring the class together. Also, it ‘d be a terrific
in-state win for a training staff that is still getting its footing in a new region.SHARE YOUR IDEAS WITH MICHIGAN STATE FANS AT SPARTANSILLUSTRATED.COM When will Nebraska’s class get steam?Nick Lucero/Rivals. com Ad The Huskers have recruited well under coach Matt Rhule. The lineup is essentially turned totally now between high school and transfer recruiting. However it’s a little curious that the Huskers only have 4 dedications for the 2026 class today. Specifically when you factor in four-star defensive
back CJ Bronaugh being a soft commitment.Nebraska is looking at generating a smaller sized high school class this cycle that will likely have a max of 15 players. So that does aspect into where the class is right now. Rhule and his personnel seem content to go after larger recruits that they will have to close after the main go to season.Four-star defensive end Titan Davis, four-star running back Dezephen Walker and four-star pass receiver Ryan Mosley are simply a couple of top-of-board targets that Nebraska wants.If the Huskers have the ability to land these guys(and others)it’ll be a substantial summer season in Lincoln.SHARE YOUR THOUGHTS WITH NEBRASKA FANS AT INSIDENEBRASKA.COM