As the 2018 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 inside linebackers, a group loaded with All-American and NFL talent in 2018.
Previous rankings: QB | RB | WR | TE | OT | OG | C | DE | DT | OLB
1. T.J. Edwards, Wisconsin
Wisconsin had four defensive players drafted in 2017, and Edwards easily could have been No. 5.
Edwards returns to Madison for his senior season after being named as a first-team All-American last year.
As a junior, the 6-foot-1, 244-pounder recorded 75 tackles, 11 tackles for loss, two sacks, four interceptions, and 11 pass break-ups.
He has started 39 games over the past three years and has 254 tackles in his career, including 26 TFLs, five sacks, seven picks and 20 PBUs.
Edwards led the Badgers in tackles both his freshman and sophomore seasons and finished second in 2017. He'll be the feature piece of a loaded Wisconsin defense this year.
2. Devin Bush, Michigan
Bush's blend of speed, athleticism, and physicality make him the prototype of the new era of linebackers.
He's tough enough to play the run and rush the passer - as proven by his 102 total tackles and 9.5 sacks last season - and he's also fast enough to drop into coverage as a hybrid defensive back.
That versatility has his stock soaring entering his junior season, as the returning first-team All-Big Ten selection and third-team All-American is listed as the No. 1 linebacker and the No. 10 overall draft prospect by NFL.com for 2018.
Bush should once again give opposing offenses nightmares when he lines up across from them again this season.
3. Markus Bailey, Purdue
After posting 89 total tackles, 67 solo stops, 11 tackles for loss, seven sacks, an interception, and a fumble recovery, Bailey had all the credentials to be an All-Big Ten selection.
Had he played for another team besides Purdue, maybe he would have seen the recognition.
Accolades and honors aside, Bailey is without a doubt one of the conference’s top returning linebackers and the most valuable asset on the Boilermakers’ roster this season.
After starting the past 25 games, Bailey enters his junior campaign having already accumulated 198 tackles and five interceptions in his career.
4. Paddy Fisher, Northwestern
Last season was the definition of a breakout year for Fisher, as he ended up leading Northwestern - and all first-year FBS players, for that matter - with 113 tackles as a true freshman.
He also led the Big Ten and ranked seventh nationally with four forced fumbles, and his 19 total tackles vs. Michigan State helped him earn the Walter Camp National Defensive Player of the Week.
Fisher was named second-team All-Big Ten and the conference’s Freshman Defensive Player of the Year for his efforts.
The 6-4, 245, native of Katy, Texas, is now viewed as the heart and soul of Northwestern’s defense entering his sophomore campaign.
5. Thomas Barber, Minnesota
Barber did a little bit of everything for Minnesota's defense last season, as he led the team with 115 tackles, forced three fumbles, recovered two fumbles, and added an interception.
He earned third-team All-Big Ten honors for his efforts, and now he's poised to garner even more attention around the league in 2018.
Barber is just scratching the surface of his development entering his junior season, as he didn't make his first career start until last year.
But based what 6-1, 233, native of Plymouth, Minn., showed in his first full-time role as a sophomore, Barber is well on his way to becoming a well-known commodity.
