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The recent reality for Big Ten fans is as exhilarating as it is nauseating for, say, SEC fans, who’ve had to watch 3 straight national championship trophies be awarded to the boys from the Big Ten.
Since Georgia captured its back-to-back crowns in 2021 and 2022 on the heels of Alabama’s 6 chips in a dozen years under Nick Saban, the Big Ten has seized control of the January podium, at least for now. Michigan started the conference’s parade of confetti in 2023, then Ohio State ripped the baton away in 2024 before Indiana‘s season for the ages (and history books) in 2025.
Those national titles were won by teams, in the truest sense of the word but, make no mistake, they were also won by flat-out great individual talent. Star power on both sides of the ball led the way. And that big-time Big Ten talent has college football’s current conference of champions in prime position for a run at a 4-peat this fall (and winter).
Power ranking the Big Ten’s best heading into the summer isn’t an easy task, especially at a ridiculously rich quarterback position. But we’ll give it a shot with the 10 top players in the conference right now, and we’ll go in inverse order, with the very best at the very end:
10. Bryce Underwood, QB, Michigan
If this was based on last season alone, the former 5-star phenom wouldn’t make this list because his much-anticipated freshman season was a bit of a grind, let’s be honest. Yes, he threw for almost 2,500 yards, ran for almost 400 more and combined for 17 touchdowns through the air and on the ground. But there were those 9 interceptions, and there were those shoddy performances in primetime losses at Oklahoma and at USC, plus a home dud against Ohio State. But through the struggles Underwood still showed flashes of big-time potential and being thrown into the fire as a true freshman should pay huge dividends this fall. So should the presence of new offensive coordinator Jason Beck, who Kyle Whittingham brought with him from Utah.
Look for a big leap from Underwood in Year 2.
9. Kade Pieper, OL, Iowa
The Hawkeye veteran enters his 4th year in the program and is coming off a banner 2025 season, during which he helped Iowa‘s O-line capture the Joe Moore Award, given annually to the best unit in the country. Instead of heading to the NFL, Pieper is coming back to Iowa City, only he’s expected to fill a different role this fall as he shifts from right guard to center. ESPN believes the transition will go as smoothly as ever, picking Pieper as the top center on its 2026 Way-Too-Early All-American Team back in February. After helping Iowa get to 9 wins last season, Pieper was named a Pro Football Focus First-Team All-American and a third-team All-Big Ten selection.
The Hawkeyes should be thanking Pieper all fall that he put off NFL riches for another year.
8. Josh Hoover, QB, Indiana
Another year, another transfer being called on by Curt Cignetti to lead the Hoosiers to the College Football Playoff. It’s worked out pretty darn well in Cignetti’s first 2 seasons in Bloomington, with Kurtis Rourke (Ohio) in 2024 and especially with Fernando Mendoza (California) in 2025. Now it’s Hoover’s turn in 2026, as the transfer from TCU dips his right arm into that Cignetti magic potion that elevates signal callers from elsewhere to grandiose heights. Once Cignetti and offensive coordinator Mike Shanahan get their hands on Hoover, look for that shaky interception total (13) from last season to drop.
Hoover threw for almost 3,500 yards and 29 touchdowns last season, so the sky is the limit this fall, and the Big Ten will again be on notice for the latest IU import.
7. Rolijah Hardy, LB, Indiana
The Hoosiers’ relentless offense naturally got a lion’s share of the hype as Indiana was busy going 16-0 last season on the way to that first ever national title. But somebody was stopping the other team from scoring, too, and 1 of those elite defensive players was Hardy, who racked up 103 total tackles, 48 of them solo, to go along with 8 sacks. He excelled at tackling offensive players, whether they were the quarterback or not, and just imagine the insane numbers Hardy could put up this fall during his third season in Bryant Haines’ system. The second-team All-Big Ten selection last season should reach even greater heights in 2026.
6. Anthony Smith, DE, Minnesota
Nobody stalked quarterbacks in the Big Ten better than Smith did in 2025. While helping the Golden Gophers sneak under the radar to 8 wins last season, Smith simply punished quarterbacks, piling up 12.5 sacks. He more than doubled his sack total from the 2024 season, so Smith is on an individual rapid ascension and there’s no reason that should slow down this fall. He didn’t just haunt quarterbacks last season though. Smith also had 17.5 tackles-for-loss and 38 total tackles on the way to a first-team All-Big Ten selection.
What does the Pennsylvania product have in store for his 5th year in the Minnesota program? Big Ten QBs probably shouldn’t be anxious to find out.
5. Carter Smith, OT, Indiana
Smith has become a dominant mainstay at left tackle for the Hoosiers, and the Ohio native decided to spurn the NFL Draft this spring and return for his fourth season as Indiana’s starter on the left side. While guys like Fernando Mendoza got all the headlines last year, Smith did the dirty work, starting all 16 games during the Hoosiers’ historic national championship run while not allowing any sacks during the regular season. Not surprisingly, Smith graded out as the Big Ten’s top overall offensive lineman in 2025, according to Pro Football Focus.
He became the first Indiana O-lineman to ever be named Big Ten Offensive Lineman of the Year, he was a first-team All-Big Ten and consensus All-American selection, and all of this means Smith is destined to become Josh Hoover’s best friend this fall as he vigorously protects Hoover’s blind side.
4. Jayden Maiava, QB, USC
Maiava might have lost his main weapons from last season to the NFL, but that shouldn’t stop him from putting up more huge numbers as he tries to finally push USC into the Playoff. The Hawaii native threw for 3,711 yards and 24 touchdowns while also running for 6 scores during a breakout 2025 season that sets him up to be a Heisman Trophy contender in 2026.
His No. 4 placement on this list merely shows the incredible quarterback depth the Big Ten boasts, but if things break right this fall Maiava could end up being the top QB in the conference and its top player, too.
3. Julian Sayin, QB, Ohio State
Continuing the same theme as Jayden Maiava, the fact that Sayin finished fourth in the Heisman Trophy voting last season and isn’t even the top quarterback on this list (or the top player) speaks volumes about the stunning star power the Big Ten possesses in 2026. It’s pretty remarkable now to think that a year ago at this time, Sayin was still battling to win the Buckeyes’ starting job.
Only 9 months after winning the job, after throwing for 3,610 yards, 32 touchdowns and just 8 interceptions last season, the California kid is one of college football’s brightest stars playing for one of college football’s glamour programs — even if he is only No. 3 on this list.
2. Dante Moore, QB, Oregon
The first victory for Oregon of the calendar year 2026, months before its first game this fall, was finding out that Moore wasn’t going pro and instead was going back to Eugene for another season. Moore’s somewhat stunning announcement this past January that he was returning instantly gave long-suffering Ducks fans hope that Oregon could finally climb to college football’s mountaintop next January after so many near-misses, including Playoff flameouts the past 2 seasons. After Moore threw for 3,565 yards and fired 30 touchdown passes last fall during a season that ended 2 wins short of the ultimate prize, he’ll now have the ultimate motivation to finish the job — to go with all that talent.
1. Jeremiah Smith, WR, Ohio State
Speaking of talent, the wide receiver wunderkind who took college football by storm as a freshman in 2024 and came back with a ton more in 2025 is the Big Ten’s top gun as he enters the summer before his junior season. Smith already has a national championship ring, a combined 163 receptions, 27 touchdown catches and over 2,500 yards receiving after 2 elite campaigns in Columbus. And this fall could be his best fall yet, since he’ll have the same quarterback in Julian Sayin throwing darts to him as the year before. Smith still caught 87 passes last season even while adjusting to a new QB.
Don’t be surprised if Smith checks off another personal box come December and is sitting in New York City as a Heisman finalist.
Honorable mentions
Here are a dozen sure-to-be star players in the Big Ten in 2026 who didn’t quite make the top 10 list but shouldn’t go unnoticed: Demond Williams Jr., QB, Washington; Bo Jackson, RB, Ohio State; Jordan Marshall, RB, Michigan; John Henry Daley, Edge, Michigan; A’Mauri Washington, DT, Oregon; Tyrique Tucker, DT, Indiana; Koi Perich, S, Oregon; Amare Ferrell, S, Indiana; Isaiah Jones, LB, Indiana; Nick Marsh, WR, Indiana; Rocco Becht, QB, Penn State; Brandon Finney Jr., CB, Oregon.