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The Big Ten has always been blessed with big stars, the kind of iconic football heroes who arrive with allure and immediately build themselves into names who are firmly entrenched in the conference’s proud history.
These are the players who take the path of least resistance, who were supposed to be great out of high school and became great in the Big Ten. The players who everybody already knew all about and everybody celebrated when they signed on to play for their school.
They were always in the limelight, and they never carried the challenge of being an unknown. Then there are the Big Ten players who don’t get to live in that wondrous world, who don’t travel that direct path from sure-fire prospect to sure-fire stardom. They take the long way to the spotlight, using patience and persistence to transform from unknown to unforgettable.
With the launch of the 2026 season just days away, there are household names we already celebrate in August, and then there are those special August unknowns who just might be ticketed for a meteoric rise.
In that spirit of special determination mixed with unique opportunity, here are 5 current Big Ten unknown players who have a real shot to thrust themselves into household names by Thanksgiving:
1. Payton Pierce, LB, Ohio State
Not only is the Texas native set up for a starring role in the middle of Ohio State‘s defense in 2026, he really is destined to become a known commodity around the Big Ten and around college football. That’s because after spending his freshman season in 2024 on special teams, then seeing the field more as a linebacker in 2025, Pierce was given the honor of wearing the green-dot helmet as the Buckeyes’ Mike linebacker this season.
Pierce will be counting on himself to make it all work during a potential breakout junior season, and Ryan Day will be counting on Pierce, too. With Ohio State losing star linebackers Sonny Styles and Arvell Reese to the NFL, there is heavy production from 2025 that’ll be missing and a leadership role to fill, too. So, Pierce isn’t just slated to pile up the stats this fall, he’ll be looked at in a whole new way, as that green dot will signify.
Styles wore that all-important green dot last season in Columbus, but he’ll be suiting up for the Washington Commanders this fall. Pierce has said that he learned a ton from Styles and will try to incorporate that knowledge into the same leading role that Styles starred in last year. Day and defensive coordinator Matt Patricia are putting their trust in Pierce that he can become that leader after playing supporting roles during his first 2 seasons.
As a freshman, Pierce appeared in 12 games and had 4 tackles while contributing on special teams. As a sophomore, things changed a bit for Pierce, who played in all 14 games, totaling 44 tackles, 1 interception, 1 forced fumble and 1 fumble recovery while gaining that crucial experience as a linebacker.
And now, as a junior, things might be about to change a lot for Pierce. Those in Columbus hope that means Pierce is about to become pretty well known outside of Columbus.
2. Tanook Hines, WR, USC
Hines had a couple pretty good wideouts to learn from during his freshman season at USC. Makai Lemon and Ja’Kobi Lane were key mentors for Hines last year and now that they’ve moved on to the NFL, it’s time for Hines to take his game to a whole different level as a sophomore.
How will Hines go from Big Ten shadows to Big Ten stardom? With Lemon and Lane not playing in front of him anymore, Hines will have a big chance to not just pile up the stats but also take on a leadership role in trying to finally get USC to the College Football Playoff.
Hines had a pretty respectable freshman season while playing behind 2 NFL-bound wideouts. He posted 34 catches for 561 yards and 2 touchdowns, and he showed an ability to stretch the field while averaging 16.5 yards per catch. Those numbers are set to be shattered by Hines, who told reporters that before fall camp began he “became big on film,” figuring knowledge gained now would mean production gained this season.
If all goes according to plan for Hines, he’ll use what he learned from Lemon and Lane as well as what he’s gained from the film room to become a known commodity in the Big Ten by season’s end. Hines can be a lot of things by the time his sophomore campaign comes to a close, including a leader himself for USC, which has brought in 4-star prize wideouts Ethan Feaster and Kayden Dixon-Wyatt.
With an opportunity to be that leader in his own locker room and even a No. 1 receiver for a Playoff contender at prestigious USC, Hines is poised for a memorable sophomore run. And if all that happens, he’ll probably be pretty well known outside of Los Angeles by the time the Playoff field is picked.
3. Devon Jackson, LB, Oregon
Oregon has designs on doing special things in 2026, and that pursuit of ultimate greatness in Eugene would be helped by Jackson achieving greatness himself. The 6-foot-2, 235-pounder has been fine so far during his Oregon career, totaling 47 tackles in 2024 and 41 more last season. But a whole lot was expected of the 4-star recruit when he arrived in 2022, and the Ducks are still waiting for that promise to shine through.
Perhaps the redshirt senior can turn his final season at Oregon into the kind of campaign Dan Lanning has been looking for. What could set Jackson apart on his own team and in the Big Ten is a characteristic most linebackers don’t possess — blinding speed. Yes, Jackson is so fast that at media day earlier this month, Ducks coaches and players kept insisting to reporters that he’s the fastest player on the team.
How many times have you heard that a linebacker was the fastest player on a football team?
Like, never, right?
Especially at a skill position factory like Oregon, where speed seems to grow on trees. So, if Jackson can use that ridiculous speed at the linebacker position and stay healthy, he’s got a chance to blow away those tackle totals from the past few seasons and set himself apart on his team, in the conference and around the country.
Jackson only has 1.5 career sacks, so maybe he can use that speed and combine it with his experience to start getting to the quarterback this fall? Lanning has been talking up Jackson to reporters and pointing to Jackson’s potential to explode individually and elevate the Ducks’ D in 2026.
When a linebacker has that kind of speed, it can really cause nightmares for offensive coordinators. Surely, with Oregon’s sky-high expectation level this season, Jackson wreaking havoc can transform him from a curious commodity in the Pacific Northwest to a well-known commodity across the Big Ten.
4. Luke Dehnicke, TE, Northwestern
Give Chip Kelly a diamond in the rough to work with and who knows what can happen. Kelly is taking over as offensive coordinator in Evanston this season, and he has a transfer tight end in Dehnicke who comes to the Big Ten from tiny Division II Minnesota Duluth.
How much can really be expected of the sophomore in not only his first season in the Big Ten but his first year at the FBS level? Well, combine raw talent with a 6-foot-6 target with Kelly’s bottomless pit of know-how and who knows the leap that Dehnicke can make from absolute unknown to potential Big Ten standout.
Dehnicke achieved immediate standout status at the DII level, being named an American Football Coaches Association First Team All-American last season. Piling up 1,074 yards receiving during the regular season, Dehnicke averaged nearly 100 yards per contest and had no problem finding the end zone with 14 touchdowns.
The Minnesota product stayed in-state to start his collegiate career, and it worked out really well for him. But this season will be a whole different experience for Dehnicke at Northwestern, playing in the Big Ten with a legendary offensive mind like Kelly whispering in his ear. The possibilities are intriguing, Dehnicke’s ceiling is really high, and by the time the holidays hit many might be shaking their heads at what the kid from DII has done.
5. Malachi Goodman, OT, Penn State
Before the former 5-star recruit can be an impact player at Penn State and in the Big Ten, he first must win the starting left tackle job in fall camp. That’s no guarantee either, with the New Jersey product battling Garrett Sexton and Owen Aliciene to be the one protecting new quarterback Rocco Becht’s blindside.
Goodman didn’t play any snaps last season as a true freshman and was redshirted, but it didn’t take long for him to impress new Nittany Lions offensive coordinator Taylor Mouser. He called Goodman “one of the most talented guys I’ve ever seen with my two eyes,” the kind of high compliment that speaks to Goodman’s high ceiling.
He’s got the size (6-foot-6, 321 pounds) and the talent within him. All Goodman needs is a shot now, and he can make that happen himself by winning that fall camp battle. If Goodman can accomplish this in August, it wouldn’t be a shock if by December he had played himself into one of the Big Ten’s best offensive tackles.
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