As the 2017 season draws nearer by the day, it’s time to start taking a look at some of the top players to watch in the Big Ten Conference.
We continue our Ranking the Big Ten series today with the defensive tackles, which despite some inexperience still boasts a bevy of potential NFL talent.
1. Maurice Hurst, Michigan
Despite having only started four games in his career, including not starting a single game last year as a junior, Michigan's Maurice Hurst impressed so much in his limited opportunities that he still had legit chance to jump to the NFL.
Instead, he decided to return for his fifth year in Ann Arbor and will now be the centerpiece of a relatively inexperience but fully reloaded defensive line.
Hurst put up 34 tackles, 11.5 tackles for loss, 4.5 sacks and seven quarterback hurries while rotating in behind a star-studded Michigan defensive front. He played so well, in fact, that ESPN draft analyst Todd McShay called Hurst one of “the best ‘non-starters’ in college football last season.”
Many others agree with that evaluation, as the 6-foot-2, 282-pound native of Westwood, Mass., was named preseason first-team All-Big Ten by Athlon, Lindy’s and Street & Smith’s.
2. Steven Richardson, Minnesota
Steven Richardson was one of Minnesota’s most disruptive defensive players last year as a junior, finishing with 31 tackles and a team-high 11 tackles for loss with seven sacks.
The 6-foot, 300-pounder is a player who was labeled "undersized" and held just three scholarship offers coming out of Chicago’s Mt. Carmel High School, but Richardson is now set to be a four-year starter for the Golden Gophers.
Richardson enters his senior season regarded as one of the top defensive tackle prospects in the country, including being named preseason first-team All-Big Ten by Lindy’s.
3. Dre'Mont Jones, Ohio State
Thrust into the starting lineup just two weeks into his redshirt freshman season after Tracy Sprinkle went down with an injury, Dre'Mont Jones ended up being one of Ohio State's most pleasant surprises.
A former defensive end who moved inside to replace Sprinkle due to a lack of tackle depth, Jones ended up starting 12 games for the Buckeyes while leading all defensive linemen with 52 total tackles.
He joined some pretty elite company in doing so as well, becoming just the third OSU freshman defensive lineman to record double-digit starts as a freshman along with Dan Wilkinson and Luke Fickle.
Jones ended up earning Freshman All-American honors for his performance, and he's now on track to be OSU's next future NFL defensive tackle if he stays on his current pace.
4. Tyler Lancaster, Northwestern
Following an impressive sophomore season in 2015, Tyler Lancaster had a quieter junior year after becoming one of the focal points of Northwestern’s defensive line.
He still managed 28 total tackles and 3.5 sacks, but his production took a hit because often times he was facing double teams on nearly every snap.
But with a more veteran line around him heading into his senior season, Lancaster is expected to get back to his old form in 2017. He was named preseason third-team All-Big Ten by both Lindy’s and Athlon.
5. Nathan Bazata, Iowa
Once a former eight-man football star at Howells-Dodge (Neb.), Nathan Bazata now has a chance to become the anchor of Iowa's defensive line as a senior in 2017.
Though he battled an ankle injury last season, Bazata still managed to play in all 13 games with 10 starts and racked up 39 total tackles, three tackles for loss and two sacks.
The 6-2, 285 Bazata was named honorable mention All-Big Ten a year ago, and now he enters the fall having been tabbed preseason third-team all-conference by Lindy's and fourth-team by Athlon.
