Updated Big Ten Class of 2026 football rankings
The start of a new college football season is just weeks away, and the recruiting game is about to heat up with new revenue-sharing opportunities officially allowed for the Class of 2026. Things are about to change in a big way for the recruiting game, but some familiar names are still sitting atop the Big Ten recruiting rankings for the time being.
Penn State is still sitting pretty among the top Big Ten schools in the most recent recruiting rankings, but they do sit behind some of the other top programs in the conference. USC has taken command in this recruiting cycle with a terrific class being assembled on the West Coast. Can the Trojans cross the finish line with the best recruiting class in the Big Ten after a disappointing debut season in their new conference home?
Defending national champion Ohio State and defending Big Ten champion Oregon are also putting together top-10 classes, and Michigan is just on the outside of the top-10 with a high-quality class lined up already.
Here is a look at the updated Big Ten football recruiting rankings for the Class of 2026 as things stand on August 1, according to the 247Sports composite rankings. Each Big Ten school's national recruiting ranking is noted as well as how many five and four-star commitments the school has at the moment.
18. Nebraska Cornhuskers (No. 72 nationally)
Nebraska head coach Matt Rhule has something brewing this season in Lincoln but the next recruiting class is lagging behind in the national rankings compared to others. Nebraska has the fewest commitments on the board in the Big Ten right now, so the ranking could jump pretty quickly with a few more commitments coming in down the line.
17. Maryland Terrapins (No. 67 nationally)
Maryland is tied with Nebraska for the fewest commitments in the Big Ten right now, but one of those commitments is five-star edge rusher Zion Elee. Elee is the top-ranked player in the state, from Baltimore, so he was clearly at the top of the recruiting wish list for Mike Locksley this recruiting season.
16. Wisconsin Badgers (No. 60 nationally)
Wisconsin always tends to lag behind the rest of the Big Ten in the recruiting rankings this time of year, and this cycle is no exception to that trend. Four-star wide receiver Jayden Petit highlights a recruiting class that, at the moment, has just one in-state recruit (linebacker Ben Wenzel).
15. Northwestern Wildcats (No. 59 nationally)
Northwestern is rarely going to win many heated recruiting battles, but the Wildcats do assemble the bulk of their recruiting class fairly early on. Northwestern is once again putting together a high-character recruiting class while adhering to the university's academic standards.
14. Iowa Hawkeyes (No. 52 nationally)
While Iowa has secured a commitment from the top offensive tackle in the state with four-star Carson Niewlsen, the Hawkeyes missed out on the top in-state recruit (tight end Evan Jacobson) to Texas A&M.
13. Purdue Boilermakers (No. 51 nationally)
There is a lot of work to do with the Purdue program for new head coach Barry Odom, and that is starting with the recruiting game. Purdue's class is lacking in elite players but Odom can build a foundation with a class full of three-star players and maybe with some help from the transfer portal.
12. Rutgers Scarlet Knights (No. 34 nationally)
Rutgers has put together a respectable recruiting class so far. Four-star wide receiver Dyzier Carter leads the way for the Rutgers Class of 2026 and has been committed to the Scarlet Knights since July 2024.
11. Michigan State Spartans (No. 31 nationally)
Michigan State typically falls in the upper half of the Big Ten recruiting rankings, and the Spartans are on pace to do so in the Class of 2026. Michigan State's top prize so far in the recruiting cycle is in-state wide receiver Samson Gash, a four-star receiver who commited in May.
10. Indiana Hoosiers (No. 29 nationally)
Indiana is feeding off the success of last season under head coach Curt Cignetti. After a playoff appearance last season, Indiana is putting together one of the best recruiting classes the program has ever had with five four-star players already lined up. The defensive line is beefing up three of the nation's top-60 defensive linemen in the recruiting cycle.
9. Illinois Fighting Illini (No. 27 nationally)
Illinois continues to build a foundation for some stability under head coach Bret Bielema. The current recruiting class is led by four-star wide receiver Nasir Ranking from Chicago and four-star offensive tackle Kai Pritchard from New Jersey.
8. Minnesota Golden Gophers (No. 25 nationally)
Minnesota head coach P.J. Fleck continues to get the job done on the recruiting trail by having the Gophers in position to finish in the upper half of the Big Ten rankings. We'll see if the Gophers can cross the finish line in the upper half, but things are looking good with the top-three in-state recruits leading the efforts: four-star tight end Roman Voss, four-star defensive lineman Howie Johnson, and four-star offensive tackle Andrew Trout.
7. UCLA Bruins (No. 21 nationally)
UCLA head coach DeShaun Foster is putting some things together in his second season at the helm of the program. The Bruins have secured commitments from four four-star players, including edge rusher Carter Gooden and a couple of four-star offensive linemen with Johnnie Jones and Micah Smith.
6. Washington Huskies (No. 17 nationally)
Washington is looking to add a couple of the top players from California, with commitments from four-star offensive tackle Kodi Greene (no. 38 player overall nationally) and four-star running back Brian Bonner. The Huskies are also adding four-star wide receiver Mason James from Oklahoma.
5. Penn State Nittany Lions (No. 16 nationally)
Penn State is still on track to sign a really good recruiting class, but the Class of 2026 was dinged with a flip of four-star quarterback Peyton Falzone to Auburn in late June. The Nittany Lions are still assembling a high-quality roster through this recruiting class with in-state four-star safety Matt Sieg and offensive tackle Kevin Brown currently highlighting the class.
4. Michigan Wolverines (No. 11 nationally)
A year removed from its national title glory, Michigan is still humming along quite well on the recruiting trail after a few steps back last season (but ending the year with some big wins). Michigan had a big month of June on the recruiting trail with the additions of edge rusher Carter Meadows, defensive lineman Titan Davis, and safety Andrew Clark to beef up the defensive efforts. And four-star wide receiver Zion Robinson from Texas could be the playmaker the Wolverines need at the position.
3. Oregon Ducks (No. 8 nationally)
Oregon has turned some heads with its offers to recruits, but the Ducks are still just third in the Big Ten recruiting class at the start of August. Five-star safety Jett Washington and offensive tackle Immanuel Iheanacho are the top two stars in the recruiting class but Oregon has seven top-100 players in the recruiting class right now.
2. Ohio State Buckeyes (No. 7 nationally)
Ohio State is typically a familiar name toward the top of the Big Ten recruiting rankings, and a national title run certainly helps keep the Buckeyes near the top this recruiting cycle. Not that the Buckeyes need help recruiting given their history, but Ohio State is putting together another top-quality recruiting class worthy of a top-10 ranking. This recruiting class includes another star in the making at wide receiver with Chris Henry Jr. and Kayden Dixon-Wyatt, both from Mater Dei in Santa Ana, California.
1. USC Trojans (No. 2 nationally)
After a disappointing first season in the Big Ten, USC is looking to storm its way to the top of the conference in short time. USC is putting together the top-rated recruiting class in the Big Ten and is pushing for the no. 1 class in the nation. USC is tenths of a point away from having the top-rated recruiting class according to the 247Sports composite rankings. Georgia is the only team ranked ahead of the Trojans. USC has a whopping 31 commitments, including 20 four-star players.
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