It’s certainly no hot take to say quarterback is the most important position in sports. NFL salaries reflect that.

But if it were the sole determinator of team success, Alabama and Jake Coker wouldn’t have beaten Clemson and DeShaun Watson for the national title in 2016. Quarterbacks are critical, but it takes an entire team.

The Big Ten has plenty of star power at quarterback in 2019. Who would be surprised to see Justin Fields, Shea Patterson or Adrian Martinez as a Heisman finalist? No one.

While Ohio State, Michigan and Nebraska are three candidates to win the B1G, there are others (Michigan State, Penn State, Wisconsin and Iowa, to name a few) that are also legitimate contenders without elite quarterbacks. Those teams are strong in other areas.

With that in mind, here is most critical non-quarterback from each Big Ten team to keep your eye on this season:

Chase Young (Ohio State)

Ohio State can churn out those pass-rushers, eh? Joey Bosa and Nick Bosa were both taken in the top three in the last four years, and Young will likely be the next Buckeye defensive end to go in the top 10. Let’s just hope he doesn’t get injured in the second game, because that really stunk last year for Bosa and football fans in general.

Simply put, Young is an absolute monster. He indirectly caused a bit of a freakout on social media a few weeks ago when Ohio State tweeted a picture of its team captains. Young looks like a man amongst boys. Think DJ Metcalf but supremely skilled, as evident by his B1G-leading 10.5 sacks last season, plus 15.5 tackles for loss (fifth in B1G).

AJ Epenesa (Iowa)

So remember when I said Young led the conference in sacks? It’s not technically wrong, but Epenesa was right there with him with 10.5. Epenesa profiles as not only an elite pass rusher in the Big Ten, but at the next level too. Mel Kiper had him at No. 5 on his Big Board back in May, and at 6-foot-5 and 277 pounds, he has the build to become a brute force. Think more J.J. Watt (289 pounds) than Khalil Mack (249 pounds).

Jonathan Taylor (Wisconsin)

The leading returning rusher in the Big Ten is a Heisman candidate and arguably the best back in the country. He’s at least in the conversation with Clemson’s Travis Etienne, Georgia’s D’Andre Swift and Alabama’s Najee Harris.

Here’s maybe the best stat about Taylor: He ranks first among returning running backs in yards after contact with 1,309. While he runs behind a strong offensive line, with maybe the best center in the country in Tyler Biadasz, Taylor is clearly more than that.

Rondale Moore (Purdue)

Maybe the most explosive player in the Big Ten and maybe the most explosive player in the country. He isn’t draft eligible yet, but if he continues on his current trajectory, he’ll be going very early in the 2021 draft. The true freshman led the Big Ten in receptions (114), yards (1,258) and receiving touchdowns (12). He’s a stud and a must-watch each week. More than that, though, he’s an elite-level talent that can take a basketball school to the top of the West Division.

 

Ben Bredeson (Michigan)

One of the top guards in the country, Bredeson will likely garner some All-American consideration this year. But it’s more than just his play on the field. Michigan’s only returning captain has made 33 career starts and will be important in steadying a team with sky-high expectations in Jim Harbaugh’s fifth season. He is Michigan’s first two-year captain under Harbaugh.

Kenny Willekes (Michigan State)

The Big Ten sure has some good edge rushers, huh? That’s the name of today’s game. The best teams have a good quarterback, guys who can block for the quarterback and guys who can get to the quarterback. Willekes is part of one of the nation’s best defenses, as he tallied 8.5 sacks last season. The Spartans are a sneaky pick to be very good, but their offense isn’t great. That defense can win them a whole lot of games, and that starts up front with Willekes and Raequan Williams.

Yetur Gross-Matos (Penn State)

The defensive end has a breakout sophomore season with eight sacks and 20 tackles for loss, but there may be even bigger things coming his way. He’s a likely first-round pick, but he’s a little over-shadowed in his own league with Young and Epenesa. The reason some are high on Penn State, even with its inexperience at quarterback, is because of players like Gross-Matos and linebackers Micah Parsons and Cam Brown. It’s going to be one of the best defenses in the league.

Tyler Johnson (Minnesota)

This could be the year that Tyler Johnson becomes a household name nationally as there is considerable buzz surrounding the 6-foot-2, 205-pound wideout. The knock on Johnson is that he doesn’t quite have elite speed, but there is certainly a place at the next level for a guy who can get open and high-point the ball like him. He’s also as good of a red-zone weapon as there is in the Big Ten as he caught 12 touchdowns last season. No one would be surprised if he led the Big Ten in receiving yards (he finished second to Moore last season). For a Minnesota team looking to surprise in the West this year, a few monster games in Gopher wins will get him on the radar in a hurry.

JD Spielman (Nebraska)

Spielman was half of Nebraska’s dynamic duo at receiver last season, and without Stanley Morgan this year, Spielman will have ample opportunity to up those numbers even more. And they were already really good, with 818 receiving yards and eight touchdown receptions. If Nebraska is going to take the big step forward that everyone expects, Spielman has to be a beast.

Paddy Fisher (Northwestern)

Fisher should be one of the league’s top linebackers, along with teammate Blake Gallagher. The duo makes up two of the top four returning tacklers in the league. Northwestern’s early schedule is tough, and if it wants to continue last season’s late momentum, it will need this defense to be very good again. Fisher noted recently that the Wildcats haven’t tackled since the bowl game last season, so that will be something to watch for early on.

Coy Cronk (Indiana)

With news that Indiana is going to start Michael Penix over last season’s starter Peyton Ramsey, it makes sense to go with a lineman — and a very good one at that in Cronk. The left tackle has started 36 of 37 career games. Penix is left-handed, so he won’t be protecting his blind side, but Cronk will still be valuable as a leader for a talented-but-inexperienced quarterback.

Anthony McFarland (Maryland)

McFarland would be a great sleeper pick to lead the Big Ten in rushing if it weren’t for that Jonathan Taylor guy. But could he be second? You bet. The running back averaged 7.9 yards per carry as a freshman, piling up 1,034 yards and four touchdowns. There are reports that he even could get some snaps in the slot since Maryland has solid depth in the backfield.

Damon Hayes (Rutgers)

Hayes is moving back to his natural position of cornerback after spending 2018 at safety. He’s a productive player that the coaching staff is really high on. He is the team’s best chance to make an All-B1G team.

Reggie Corbin (Illinois)

Last but certainly not least for this list is the Illini running back. He’s definitely not least when he got a shoutout from Reggie Bush, who was one of the great college running backs. Corbin averaged 8.5 yards per carry last season for the Illini en route to 1,085 yards and nine touchdowns.