Big Ten Spotlight: Summer recruiting scoop

With the summer recruiting season heading into its stretch run before the football season begins, our analysts look at the recruiting landscape in each Power Five conference. We continue the weeklong series today with the Big Ten.

BIG TEN TEAM RECRUITING RANKINGS

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RELATED: Summer recruiting scoop in the ACC | SEC | Big 12 | Pac-12

CLASS OF 2023 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Team | Position | State

CLASS OF 2024 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | Team | Position | State

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1. Ohio State: The Buckeyes' recruiting success has been nothing short of spectacular this summer. Since June 20 the Buckeyes have landed commitments from two five-star players in the nation's No. 1 and No. 2 receiver prospects: Carnell Tate and Brandon Inniss. Those commitments were followed by a string of seven additional four-star players, which vaulted the Buckeyes' class into a tie with Notre Dame for the nation's No. 1 overall class in 2023. While it will be difficult for the Buckeyes to continue recruiting at this pace, they are still in on a number of the nation's top prospects and appear to be heading toward another Big Ten recruiting title.

2. Penn State: We all know James Franklin is a star on the recruiting trail, so it should come with little surprise that Penn State has caught fire recently. That being said, the Nittany Lions' recruiting efforts appeared to be getting a little stale when they went without a single solid commitment between May 11 and June 11. That all changed when four-star receiver Yazeed Haynes gave his pledge to Penn State on June 12, and the Nittany Lions have been on fire since. Their recruiting efforts have been especially impressive on the defensive side of the ball as the have received commitments from two defensive lineman, three defensive backs and two linebackers since June 17. Look for Penn State to stay hot in the coming months, and although it is not likely they will best Ohio State for the No. 1 spot in the Big Ten, they are sure going to try and give the Buckeyes a run for their money.

3. Iowa: The Hawkeyes put their recruiting chops on display when they received one of the biggest commits of the year - and in program history - when Kadyn Proctor gave his pledge to Iowa on June 30. While Proctor will be the headliner of the 2023 Hawkeyes class no matter who they go on to sign, they have technically been on a roll since June 6, when they received a commitment from four-star running back Kendrick Raphael out of Florida. Along with the aforementioned players this class has had some sneaky good commitments of late and you need to look no further than the latest pledge from defensive back Kahlil Tate, who will be in the four-star discussion in the next rankings update.

1. Northwestern: What Pat Fitzgerald and the Wildcats have accomplished at this point in the 2023 recruiting cycle is extremely impressive. Their 20 commitments include four players that carry a four-star rating, and that definitely jumps off the page when you think of Northwestern recruiting on a historical level. Even if Northwestern didn't receive another commitment in this entire class, which obviously will not happen, the 2023 Wildcats class is certainly one to watch.

2. Michigan State: The Spartans carried a lot of momentum into the 2023 recruiting cycle after a banner year on the field under Mel Tucker last season, but for a minute it appeared their impressive results on the field were not transferring to the recruiting trail as many had predicted. That momentum looks to be changing, and after going one and a half months without a commitment, the Spartans have gone on a recent run and cracked the top 25 in the 2023 class. Tucker and his staff can recruit - and I only expect them to get better from here on out. They currently rank No. 5 in the Big Ten but should have a legitimate shot at finishing in the conference's top three when it is all said and done.

3. Nebraska: Nebraska is in "win now" mode and the Huskers are showing their desire to go after and secure some of the nation's top talent. With the addition of Vince Guinta as senior director of player personnel and recruiting - along with ace recruiters Mickey Joseph, Bill Busch and others - there is a different feel surrounding Nebraska on the recruiting trail. The Huskers have had some big in-state recruiting wins and phenomenal out-of state wins in Louisiana natives and fellow four-stars Omarion Miller (WR) and Ashley Williams Jr. (DE). The Huskers will need to secure a couple more big recruiting wins to land the class they need to put them over the hump, but the good thing for Nebraska is one of the nation's top recruits resides in their back yard in four-star ATH Malachi Coleman. Should the Huskers land a pledge from Coleman this class has a chance to be one of the best they have had in years.

1. Indiana: After finishing as one of the biggest recruiting surprises during the 2022 recruiting class the Hoosiers have had a dreadfully slow summer. With only two commitments since the end of the spring evaluation period the Indiana recruiting class currently ranks No. 90 overall. Not all hope is lost in Bloomington, though, as the players the Hoosiers have secured are impressive ballplayers. Look no further than the recent commitment of four-star DB Amare Ferrell out of Florida as an example. Tom Allen is a proven recruiter, as is new defensive coordinator Chad Wilt, so it isn't time for the Hoosier fans to panic yet, but they are going to have to gain some momentum in the near future if they want to compete for the type class they need. Allen is not a pressure recruiter, so don't be surprised if a number of Indiana's commits come closer to the December signing day.

2. Maryland: While Maryland has had a respectable run of commitments this summer in terms of numbers, the Terps' highest-ranked recruits are a trio of 5.6 three-star players. While that isn't necessarily something for Terrapin fans to shake their heads at - and there are some quality players in the group - the Terps are going to need to secure some big recruiting wins after the summer dead period if they want to contend for Big Ten championships. Maryland currently has the lowest average star rating in all of the Big Ten at 2.82 and is one of only three teams in the conference that does not have a four-star player committed in the 2023 class. The DMV is a talent-rich area, and Maryland only needs a couple of local wins to turn this class from average to spectacular, but it appears we are going to have to wait until after summer for that to happen.

3. Rutgers: Following a slow start, the Scarlet Knights went on a hot streak in early June, but then they saw their recruiting efforts come to a halt with only one commitment since June 14, and going 0-fer in July. While the class is respectable in terms of the number of committed players and national ranking of No. 44, the Scarlet Knights currently only rank ahead of Indiana when it comes to the Big Ten rankings. With nine commitments coming between Jun. 1 and Jun. 14, I really thought we may see Rutgers go on a roll that could grab some national attention, but for some reason the run seemed to dry up as fast as it started. Rutgers will need to regain some of that late spring/early summer magic if it is going to make a recruiting splash in 2023.