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Ranking the Top 10 most impactful Big Ten players ahead of 2024 college football season
By Jesse Simonton,
5 hours ago
The 2024 season is nearly here. Rejoice! With Week 0 just around the corner, I’m unveiling my Top 10 players from each power conference and then unveiling the Top 25 players nationally.
This is a fun, but tough exercise. In these loaded conferences — especially the SEC and Big Ten — whittling down to just 10 guys is nearly an impossibility.
But that’s what makes it fun!
Real stars and All-Americans don’t even make the cut.
Notably, this is not a list of the 10 best future pros — although that does factor into my equation. But ultimately, it’s my Top 10 most impactful players in the Big Ten, right now, heading into the 2024 season.
Despite a semi-disappointing 2023 season, no one would’ve been surprised if Egbuka had left for the NFL Draft. Instead, after being overshadowed by Marvin Harrison Jr. the last two years, he’s ready to be the main man for Ohio State in 2024. He should see an uptick in production (akin to his 2022 year) with improved QB play. Egbuka is elite has finding open holes in teams’ zone defense, and is capable of playing multiple spots on offense. Also, despite lacking game-breaking speed, the former 5-star is sneaky hard to tackle after the catch.
The lone Big Ten quarterback on my list is a newcomer to his third league in four years. Gabriel lit up the AAC and Big 12, with the southpaw leading Oklahoma to a 10-win season last year by posting top numbers in the conference in yards, completion percentage and touchdowns. He’s a hand-glove-fit in Will Stein’s RPO-heavy offense and should flourish being surrounded by an elite set of playmakers (again apologies to Evan Stewart and Tez Johnson) and a beefy offensive line. He’s the Heisman Trophy favorite, and it’s easy to see why that’s the case.
The Wolverines have four players on my Top 10 list, which is why I’m selling the narrative of the decline of Maize & Blue in 2024 . With Brock Bowers off to the NFL, Loveland is arguably the best tight end in college football now. The junior is a ruthlessly efficient route runner and pass-catcher. Last season, he finished No. 2 on the team in yards per catch (14.4), receiving yards (649) and touchdowns (four). Whoever starts at quarterback for Michigan is going to lean on Loveland as a main security blanket this fall.
The Hawkeyes saw Cooper DeJean head off to the NFL, yet they still boast one of the top secondaries in the nation this fall thanks to the likes of one of the better nickel/star ‘backs Sebastian Castro. The senior is excellent against both the run and pass. Per On3’s Clark Brooks, his 54 “impact plays” were the most among any Core 4 defender last season. Castro sports the best-returning coverage grade per PFF, too. With all the great players in the Big Ten, Castro may get lost in the cornfields, but the dude is legit awesome.
Last season, Carter was the guy for the Nittany Lions’ Top-5 unit, playing the most snaps on the team and finishing with 48 tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss, 4.5 sacks, five pass breakups and a pick. And yet, it was a bit of a letdown from a terrific freshman year. He outgrew his inside linebacker role (he’s now 250 pounds), so he transitioned to end this offseason . Good call. Carter is a devil as a rusher, recording 28 pressures in 2023 — despite rushing the passer on only 33% of PSU’s defensive snaps. Now that’s his full-time role. Look out.
Tuimoloau opted to return to Columbus rather than entering the NFL Draft , giving the Buckeyes one of the most experienced edge rushers in the country this fall. Despite recording career highs in tackles and sacks last season, the former 5-star was actually more consistent and disruptive overall as a sophomore in 2022. I mean he single-handedly beat Penn State that year. Based on reports out of Ohio State this offseason, I’m betting on more reliable play from JTT — and likely a career-year in his swan song season.
There’s a reason why Grant ranks No. 3 on Bruce Feldman’s annual Freaks List in 2024 : He’s a 6-4, 350-pound beast who is fast enough to run down Penn State tailback Kaytron Allen in the open field. Along with Graham, Grant anchored Michigan’s front seven in 2023, recording 3.5 sacks, six quarterback hurries and 29 tackles. He was disruptive with his hands, too, with six pass-breakups at the LOS and a pick.
Downs essentially flashed All-American skills on Day 1 at Alabama, as the freshman 5-star became the leader of the Tide’s defense in 2023. He led the team with 107 tackles — a first in school history. He had 16 coverage stops, including a pair of picks. Downs is in the conversation for the most valuable transfer in the 2024 cycle — a legit X-factor in the national title race .
The All-Big Ten tackle is among the most disruptive interior linemen in all of college football, grading out as the fourth-most valuable tackle in the sport as a sophomore, per PFF. Graham finished the year with 18 hurries, four sacks and seven quarterback hits to lead Michigan in total pressures on the title team. With even more help off the edge this season ( Josaiah Stewart is back, Derrick Moore should have a bigger role), Graham could see another uptick in production in his final season in Ann Arbor. Crazy.
Johnson has fully lived up to his 5-star billing, quickly developing into a lockdown corner for one of the best defenses in the nation the last two years. In Michigan’s run to the national title, Johnson had four interceptions (including a pick-six) and eight PBUs. He’s a surefire Day 1 NFL Draft pick and is a major reason why the Wolverines’ defense should see much of a drop-off in 2024.
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