Ranking the Big Ten: Top transfer additions

There's no telling what the college football season will look like in 2020, but as it stands today, there are plenty of compelling matchups to look forward to this year.

We wrap up our annual Ranking the Big Ten series with a look at the top additions from the NCAA transfer portal coming into the league. This is based on players who will make an immediate impact in 2020.

Rankings: QB | RB | WR | TE | OT | OG | C | DE | DT | ILB | OLB | CB | S | P | K | RET | Best non-conference games | Top conference games | Top newcomers

Not only did the rich get even richer when Trey Sermon decided to leave Oklahoma and join Ohio State, but the Buckeyes also added an invaluable security blanket to their backfield.

Sermon was going to be a factor in the offense this season no matter what, but add in the offseason injury to projected starting running back Master Teague that could force him to miss games, and his role could skyrocket.

Sermon wasn’t the Sooners’ feature back, but he made the most of every opportunity he got. He racked up nearly 1,700 yards and 18 touchdowns over the 2017 and ’18 seasons before injuries cut his 2019 campaign short.

The only reason Peyton Ramsey left Indiana this offseason was because the Hoosiers felt they had a better option in Michael Penix.

Indiana’s choice was Northwestern’s gain, as the Wildcats were able to add a proven Big Ten starter as their new No. 1 quarterback for 2020. Northwestern’s QB room was an absolute disaster last year, posting a combined team passer rating of 84.53 (the fourth-lowest number in FBS since 2009) to go along with 22 total interceptions to just five touchdown passes.

Ramsey comes to Evanston with 23 starts under his belt and has completed 66 percent of his career passes for 6,581 yards and 42 touchdowns. Pair him with new offensive coordinator Mike Bajakian, and the Wildcats’ passing game could take a dramatic jump this season.

No team in the Big Ten was more active in the transfer market than Rutgers, and one of their biggest additions could end up being Nebraska’s odd man out at quarterback.

While the Huskers looked ready to roll with incumbent starter Adrian Martinez and heralded redshirt freshman Luke McCaffrey as their top options under center, Rutgers jumped at the chance to add Vedral to its QB mix.

The former UCF and Nebraska transfer appeared in eight games for the Knights in 2017 and then made two starts in place of the injured Martinez with NU last season. He’s totaled 723 career passing yards as well as 196 rushing yards and six touchdowns so far, and many expect Vedral to be the Scarlet Knights’ Day 1 starter this year.

Iowa’s offensive line has been one of the conference’s best for years, and 2020 should be no different with the addition of Coy Cronk.

A player who started 40 career games at left tackle for Indiana until a Week 4 injury ended his 2019 season, Cronk was a mainstay up front for the Hoosiers before entering the transfer portal this offseason.

Even after losing a top NFL Draft pick at the position in Tristan Wirfs, the Hawkeyes shouldn’t miss much of a beat with Cronk pairing opposite of another pro tackle prospect in Alaric Jackson.

As we said, Rutgers pilfered the NCAA Transfer Portal this offseason, adding a whopping 10 transfers with nine coming from other Power Five schools. One of the most important of those is former Ohio State safety Brendon White, who could arguably be the best defensive player on RU's roster in 2020.

White had a breakout sophomore season with the Buckeyes in 2018 where he racked up 45 tackles and an interception and was named the Defensive MVP of the Rose Bowl. It just so happened that Rutgers head coach Greg Schiano was OSU’s defensive coordinator that season.

When Schiano left, though, Ohio State changed defenses and White’s hybrid “Bullet” position was eliminated. He ended up with just 19 tackles in 11 games in 2019. Now reunited with Schiano at Rutgers, many expect White to return to form in Piscataway.