Something to look for in each remaining Big Ten spring game

There aren’t many, if any, places in the Midwest where it has felt like spring in the past few weeks.

But for 3 Big Ten programs — Michigan, Purdue and Nebraska — spring football is already in the books. None of their spring games were especially revealing, but each provided a glimpse into what we might expect from each team this fall.

As for the 11 schools who still have their spring games on tap, here is what I am interested to see.

Illinois

Spring game: April 21

What to watch for: There’s not much mystery here. Illinois has to get better throwing the ball. The Illini were dead last in the Big Ten in passing yardage and 12th in passer rating last season.

Syracuse transfer Tommy DeVito was brought in to compete with and likely supplant Artur Sitkowski as the starter, and that battle will play out in the spring game.

But those with an eye toward the future will also want to keep an eye on freshmen Jake Huber and Samari Collier. Those guys will be upperclassmen by the time Bret Bielema has the Illini ready to compete for anything, and it will be interesting to see if either shows signs of potentially becoming the guy in 2023 and beyond.

Indiana

Spring game: TBA

What to watch for: Any offensive improvement. Former UMass head coach Walt Bell was brought in to resuscitate the Big Ten’s worst offense from a year ago.

A quarterback competition is part of the equation for the Hoosiers. Missouri transfer Connor Bazelak will vie for the job against Jack Tuttle, whose injury issues prevented him from getting a true stranglehold on the job last season.

The lone question is when the game will actually take place — Indiana has yet to make an announcement.

Iowa

Spring game*: April 23

What to watch for: The Hawkeyes won’t hold a traditional spring game but will have their final practice open to the public.

For Iowa, the defensive backfield bears watching as Phil Parker replaces Dane Belton, Matt Hankins and Jack Koerner.

And with new faces in the mix, one wonders if Iowa’s quarterbacks will be able to take advantage. Spencer Petras and Alex Padilla didn’t exactly ride a wave of momentum into this offseason.

Maryland

Spring game: April 30

What to watch for: Whether new coordinator Brian Williams can get improvement out of one of the Big Ten’s worst defenses.

Williams, it should be noted, was not the first choice for that position. The Terrapins initially thought they landed Kevin Steele for that opening, but Steele backed out and ended up with Miami instead.

And Williams will have to make those improvements without one of his most promising young players. Edge rusher Demeioun Robinson, who had 3 tackles and a sack in the Pinstripe Bowl win over Virginia Tech, entered the transfer portal on March 28.

Michigan State

Spring game: April 16

What to watch for: In the case of the Spartans, the obvious spring question is which running back will fill the shoes of Kenneth Walker III, who had one of the best seasons in Michigan State history before departing for the NFL Draft.

Perhaps the most interesting name in the mix is Wisconsin transfer Jalen Berger, who joined the Michigan State program in January. Berger was the Badgers’ starter at the end of 2020 before being dismissed by Paul Chryst midway through last season.

Minnesota

Spring game: April 30

What to watch for: The Gophers have to replace 4 starting offensive linemen, which is no easy task in any scenario. It’s even tougher when 3 of them were named all-conference last season.

Fortunately, 2nd-team all-Big Ten center John Michael Schmitz is the lone returner, so there’s certainly something to build around.

It’s also going to be difficult to determine just how much progress the group has made this spring, as the Gophers will have one of the Big Ten’s toughest defenses in the upcoming season. It’s a very good sign if the O-line holds its own.

Northwestern

Spring game: April 15

What to watch for: Can the Wildcats afford to go into the summer without adding another quarterback?

Ryan Hilinski was 1 of 3 Cats who started at the position in 2021, and none was very good. Hilinski completed just 54% of his pass attempts. However, he is the presumptive QB1 this spring, and his performance could determine whether Pat Fitzgerald needs to bring someone in from the post-spring round of transfers.

Ohio State

Spring game: April 16

What to watch for: Given the timing of this game, it’s probably going to be a highly emotional day at Ohio Stadium, which will be exactly one week after former Buckeyes star Dwayne Haskins was killed by a truck at the age of 24.

No tribute has been announced yet, but there’s no more fitting venue to honor Haskins’ life.

As for what will happen on the field, the eyes of most fans will be on what improvements new coordinator Jim Knowles is able to make to Ohio State’s defense.

Penn State

Spring game: April 23

What to watch for: It’s unclear what we’ll be watching. James Franklin said the Nittany Lions only have 11 offensive linemen on the roster this spring, which will make it just about impossible to split his team into 2 equal squads.

Penn State fans will no doubt be eager to get their first looks at freshman quarterback Drew Allar and running back Nick Singleton, both of whom enrolled early so they could participate in spring practice. Singleton figures to be closer to reaching the field in the fall, but if Allar can show off his 5-star bona fides there could be a quarterback competition come August.

Rutgers

Spring game: April 21

What to watch for: Only real ones will be tuned in for Big Ten Network’s back-to-back Thursday night spring game showcase of Rutgers and Illinois.

And if you’re among the real ones, you’ll be watching for the same thing from both games — evidence that either team can pass the ball. Noah Vedral has plenty of experience but averaged just 139.5 yards per game with 7 touchdowns and 7 interceptions in 2021.

There will need to be signs of improvement if Rutgers is to continue making progress as a program this fall.

Wisconsin

Spring game: April 22

What to watch for: This is Wisconsin. So even though the Badgers have a new offensive coordinator in Bobby Engram, expect them to still have a run-first identity. But after Wisconsin swung and missed for Oklahoma transfer Caleb Williams, it will be interesting to see if Graham Mertz steps up to prove the haters wrong.

On defense, Jim Leonhard has to replace Leo Chenal and Jack Sanborn at inside linebacker. It will be interesting to see who steps up to fill those oversized shoes.