Ranking the Big Ten: Inside linebacker

Many questions remain for what the 2020 college football season will look like, but that doesn't mean we still can't evaluate some of the top players to watch in the Big Ten Conference.

We continue our annual Ranking the Big Ten series today with the inside linebacker position, which features some of the most productive defenders the conference has to offer.

Rankings: QB | RB | WR | TE | OT | OG | C | DE | DT

Northwestern's Paddy Fisher has been a mainstay on these lists in recent years, and now the fifth-year senior comes in at No. 1 entering his final season with the Wildcats.

After posting two-straight 100-tackle seasons to begin his college career, Fisher's numbers took a bit of a step back last season when he "only" finished with 89 stops and six tackles for loss.

That was still good enough to earn second-team All-Big Ten by the league's media and third-team honors by the coaches, and most seem to be expecting a big finish for Fisher in 2020.

He was tabbed a consensus preseason all-conference pick by Lindy's, Athlon, and Streets & Smith's, and Lindy's had him as a preseason second-team All-American and the No. 2 overall inside linebacker in the country.

Ohio State's defense will once again be one of the best in the country this season, and senior Tuf Borland returns as the heartbeat of the unit.

Already a three-year team captain with 180 career tackles to his name, Borland comes into 2020 having played a whopping 42 games with 34 starts. He ended last season with 55 total tackles, three sacks, and an interception

Borland was tabbed a preseason first-team All-Big Ten pick by Lindy's and second-team by Athlon, while Lindy's rated him the No. 9 inside linebacker in the country.

Michigan's defensive front seven is as good as there is in the country, and Cam McGrone will be the quarterback of the unit after a breakout sophomore campaign.

After posting 66 tackles, 9.5 TFLs, four sacks, five quarterback hurries, and a forced fumble in his second season with the Wolverines, McGrone earned honorable-mention All-Big Ten honors from the league's coaches and media.

Now entering his junior season, McGrone was named second-team preseason all-conference and the No. 10 inside linebacker in the nation by Lindy's entering 2020.

Few programs churn out consistently productive linebackers like Wisconsin, and Jack Sanborn is well on his way to being the next on that list.

Sanborn led UW with 80 tackles and tied for the team lead with three interceptions as a sophomore in 2019, adding 5.5 sacks and nine TFLs in the process.

He didn't earn any postseason honors for his efforts, but Sanborn comes into 2020 as a first-team preseason All-Big Ten selection by Athlon and a member of the Lott IMPACT Trophy Watch List.

Illinois didn't have much to write home about last season, but the play of Jake Hansen was certainly one of the highlights for the Fighting Illini in 2019.

Despite missing the final four games to injury, Hansen still racked up 72 tackles, 7.5 TFLs, 3.5 sacks, an interception, three fumble recoveries, and led the nation with seven forced fumbles.

Hansen was a semifinalist for the Butkus Award and was All-Big Ten honorable mention by the coaches and media. Now the senior is a preseason second-team all-conference selection by Lindy's entering his senior campaign.