by Sean Szymczak
While Big Ten football is still won and lost in the trenches, the modern game continues to put an emphasis on running backs, wide receivers, and tight ends. They are the ones that can exploit miss-matches. They are the ones who score the points. They are the ones that make all the highlights.
With a variety of different schemes and philosophies, the Big Ten is home to some of the nation’s best talent at the offensive skill positions.
We rank the Big Ten teams with the best offensive skill position players, 1-18:
1) Ohio State
Top Players: RB TreVeyon Henderson, RB Quinshon Judkins, WR Emeka Egbuka, WR Carnell Tate, WR Jeremiah Smith
TreVeyon Henderson has averaged nearly 7 yards per touch over the past three seasons while amassing over 3,300 total yards and 37 total TDs. His passing-catching ability & devastating speed contrast perfectly with the power & agility of transfer Quinshon Judkins. Henderson and Judkins make up the nation’s best backfield.
Even with Marvin Harrison Jr and Cade Stover off to the NFL, the Buckeyes still boast some of the nation’s best receiving talent. Emeka Egbuka’s 2023 was plagued by drops and injury, but he will remind the nation why he was pegged as 1st-round pick the season before. Jeremiah Smith was the top player in the 2024 class and has stolen spring headlines as a star-to-be. But don’t forget Carnell Tate – last year’s off-season darling whose performance as a true freshman forced Julian Fleming to transfer.
With plenty of other top-rated talent backing up these stars, Ohio State’s QB will have no excuse for not leading an electric offense in 2024.
2) Oregon
Top Players: RB Jordan James, RB Jay Harris, WR Tez Johnson, WR Evan Stewart, TE Terrance Ferguson
The margin between Ohio State and Oregon for the Big Ten’s (and probably the nation’s) best skill-position talent is razor thin.
The Ducks bid farewell to star RB Bucky Johnson but should have no issue producing explosive plays on the ground with Jordan James and Jay Harris. James racked up nearly 900 total yards and 12 total TDs on over 7 yards per carry as a redshirt freshman last year. Jay Harris racked up over 1,800 total yards as a redshirt freshman at Missouri State last year and showed great pass-catching ability in the spring game.
Speedster Tez Johnson is one of the best receivers in the country and is partnered with A&M transfer Elijah Stewart – the #1 WR in the 2022 class. Terrance Ferguson can be a matchup nightmare at TE after putting up All Pac-12 seasons the past two years.
New QB Dillon Gabriel has more talent at his disposal than he ever had at UCF or Oklahoma. This offense will be electric once again.
3) USC
Top Players: RB Quinten Joyner, RB Jo’Quavious Marks, WR Duce Robinson, WR Zachariah Branch, WR Kyron Hudson, WR Ja’Kobi Lane, WR Makai Lemon, TE Lake McRee
Duce Robinson, Zachariah Branch, Ka’Kobi Lane, and Makai Lemon were all elite prospects from the 2023 class and have flashed their potential at moments throughout the season and into the spring. Kyron Hudson was a 4-star prospect from the 2021 class and has caught 32 passes over the past two seasons.
With the departure of their top three wide receivers from last year, the Trojans have plenty of talented, options to turn to. Add in Pac-12 Honorable Mention TE Lake McRee (who may miss the start of the season as he recovers from a knee injury sustained in the Holiday Bowl), new QB Miller Moss or Jayden Maiava should have plenty of athletes at their disposal.
Quinten Joyner is an exciting up-and-comer at running back. A top-100 prospect in the 2023 class, Joyner dominated his small share of touches and averaged 7 yards per carry. They also add veteran Jo’Quavious Marks from Mississippi State. With over 3,000 total yards and 214 receptions in his career, Marks could be a difference-maker on 3rd downs.
4) Minnesota
Top Players: RB Darius Taylor, RB Sieh Bangura, RB Jordan Nubin, WR Daniel Jackson, WR Le’Meke Brockington, WR Elijah Spencer
Darius Taylor was on pace to be the best true freshman in all of college football before a September injury cost him most of the rest of the season. He came back full-healthy for the bowl game and led the Gophers to victory with over 200 yards. In the five games Taylor started in 2023, he racked up 796 yards and 5 TDs on nearly 6 yards per carry. He’s a name to watch in 2024.
Taylor won’t have to shoulder the entire run-game though. Minnesota added Sieh Bangura, who racked up nearly 2,300 total yards, 50 receptions, and 25 total TDs for Ohio over the past two seasons. Jordan Nubin also returns after stepping up in place of Taylor last year, rushing for nearly 600 yards on 4.5 yards per carry.
Minnesota also has one of the Big Ten’s top receivers in Daniel Jackson. He was top-three in the Big Ten in catches (60) yards (826) and receiving touchdowns (8) last year. Behind him are Le’Meke Brockington and Elijah Spencer, who each have plenty of experience and are primed for breakout seasons.
5) Maryland
Top Players: RB Roman Hemby, WR Kaden Prather, WR Tai Felton, WR Octavian Smith, TE Preston Howard
Roman Hemby might be the most underrated and under-appreciated running back in all of college football. He’s racked up over 2,300 total yards, 71 receptions, and 18 total TDs over the past two seasons despite some of the worst offensive line play in the conference.
Kaden Prather and Tai Felton are one of the top receiving duos in the Big Ten. They each earned all-conference honors while combining for 90 receptions, 1,389 yards, and 11 TDs last season. Prather and Felton are both sharp route-runners and possess tremendous jump-ball ability.
After showing some flashes over the past two seasons, former 4-star Octavian Smith will have an opportunity to step up with the departure of Jeshaun Jones. Tight end Octavian Smith will have a similar opportunity with Cory Dychess off to the NFL. Smith proved to be a reliable run-blocker last year and will build on his 16 catches.
6) Penn State
Top Players: RB Nick Singleton, RB Kaytron Allen, TE Tyler Warren, WR Julian Fleming, WR Harrison Wallace
Despite a slight drop in production last year, Nick Singleton & Kaytron Allen remain one of the best backfields in all of college football. The duo has combined for over 3,500 rush yards, 600 receiving yards, and 51 total TDs over the past two seasons.
Tyler Warren is also difference-maker and one of the top tight ends in the Big Ten. He had nearly 500 yards and 7 TDs while sharing time with NFL-bound Theo Johnson and will now see an expanded role in 2024.
Penn State is not higher on this list because of their question marks at receiver. The most note-worthy returner is Harrison Wallace. He came into last year as a starter and one of the more reliable options at receiver but battled with injury throughout the season. The former 4-star prospect looks to rebound and be an impact player in 2024.
The Nittany Lions added Julian Fleming via the portal. The former 5-star had nearly 80 catches and 1,000 yards in his Buckeye career. He’s a strong receiver and terrific blocker on the perimeter, but he lacks the explosion or hands to be a true #1 option.
7) Indiana
Top Players: WR Donaven McCulley, WR Elijah Sarratt, WR Myles Price, WR Miles Cross, WR Ke’Shawn Williams, RB Kaelon Black, RB Ty Son Lawton, RB Justice Ellison
Donaven McCulley is a converted QB and might be one of the best athletes on Indiana’s roster. He caught 48 passes for 644 yards and 6 TDs in his first full season at receiver. Standing at 6’5″ 200 lbs with the athleticism to outrun and make defenders miss, McCulley is a matchup nightmare.
There is plenty of depth and experience behind McCulley. Elijah Sarratt joins Curt Cignetti from JMU after putting up nearly 2,000 yards and 21 TDs over the past two seasons. Myles Price, Miles Cross, and Ke’Shawn Williams all have multiple years of starting experience with a combined 256 catches between the trio.
Indiana’s backfield is entirely new faces, but there is still plenty of experience. Kaelon Black and Ty Son Lawton dominated the Dukes’ backfield last year, combining for over 1,600 total yards and 11 total TDs. They also add Justice Ellison from Wake Forest, who’s racked up nearly 2,000 total yards and 15 total TDs over the past three seasons. Though none of the three may be fantastic individually, there is something to be said for strengths in numbers.
The Hoosiers have a tremendously underrated collection of talent at the skill-positions.
8) Michigan
Top Players: RB Donovan Edwards, TE Colston Loveland, WR Tyler Morris, WR Semaj Morgan
Although his production and efficiency took a tremendous hit in 2023 compared to 2022, Donovan Edwards proved in the national championship why he remains one of the nation’s best running backs. Michigan should not have any trouble running the ball in 2024.
Colston Loveland is the best tight end in all of college football. He is a great blocker and acted as JJ McCarthy’s security blanket down the stretch of the season. Loveland has all the tools to be a 1st-round pick in next year’s draft.
But Michigan’s inexperience and lack of depth at wide receiver is alarming. Tyler Morris and Semaj Morgan look like the replacements to Cornelius Johnson and Roman Wilson. Although they caught a mere 35 passes combined last year (compared to Johnson & Wilson’s 95).
9) Wisconsin
Top Players: RB Chez Mellusi, RB Tawee Walker, WR Will Pauling, WR Bryson Green
The Badgers will turn to a committee in order to replace star RB Braelon Allen. Sixth-year Chez Mellusi has been incredibly explosive over his career but has missed 17 games over the past three seasons due to injury. If Mellusi can stay on the field, he could be in for a special season.
Wisconsin also added Tawee Walker via the portal. A former JUCO transfer, Walker rushed for over 500 yards and 7 TDs on 5 yards per carry as a rotational back at Oklahoma last year.
Will Pauling is a complete receiver and one of the nation’s best slots after putting up 74 catches for 837 yards and 6 TDs last year. Bryson Green emerged as a reliable starter on the outside after transferring from Oklahoma State. The duo should be even more productive with (hopefully) more reliable QB play from Tyler Van Dyke.
10) Rutgers
Top Players: RB Kyle Monangai, WR Christian Dremel, WR Naseim Brantley, WR Dymere Miller
The least talked about star in college football resides in Piscataway, NJ. Kyle Monangai led the Big Ten in rushing last season (yes, the same Big Ten as TreVeyon Henderson, Blake Corum, Braelon Allen, Nick Singleton, Kaytron Allen, and Roman Hemby). He dragged an otherwise incompetent offense on his shoulders and helped deliver a 7-6 season for Rutgers. Monangai’s value and talent cannot be understated.
There aren’t any other stars on the Rutgers offense, but their wide receiver situation looks much better than last year. Christian Dremel returns after leading the team in catches, yards, and touchdowns.
Naseim Brantley was an FCS All-American in 2022 and transferred last year but was deemed ineligible by the NCAA. Now good to play, Brantley showed a great connection with new QB Athan Kaliakmanis in the spring. The Scarlet Knights also added Dymere Miller, another FCS All-American who has put up over 2,100 yards the past two seasons for Monmouth.
11) Washington
Top Players: RB Jonah Coleman, RB Cameron Davis, WR Jeremiah Hunter, WR Giles Jackson
The Huskies lost stars Dillon Johnson, Rome Odunze, Jalen McMillan, and Ja’Lynn Polk, but still managed to piece together a nice collection of talent on offense. Jonah Coleman is the highlight, joining Jed Fisch from Arizona. Coleman racked up nearly 1,200 total yards and 6 TDs on nearly 7 yards per touch for the Wildcats last year. He is likely to be the centerfold of Washington’s offense in 2024.
The Huskies also return Cameron Davis after missing all of last season due to injury. The 6th-year veteran amassed over 1,000 total yards and 15 TDs in the two seasons prior. Together with Jonah Coleman, Davis should help fill the hole at running back.
Washington’s situation at receiver is a bit worse. They bring in Jeremiah Hunter from Cal – a fast, long receiver who excels at jump balls. He’s caught 122 passes over the past two seasons and should be the top option for Will Rogers. Giles Jackson also returns at the slot after catching 42 passes over the past two seasons. But behind those two, question marks linger.
12) Illinois
Top Players: WR Pat Bryant, WR Mario Sanders, WR Zakhari Franklin, WR Malik Elzy, TE Close Rusk, RB Kaden Feagin
Pat Bryant, an electric athlete and jump-ball savant, will build on his great 2023 campaign as the Illini’s top receiver. He has All-Big Ten potential and plenty of exciting options behind him.
Mario Sanders is one of the nation’s top JUCO prospects and figures to slide in at the slot to replace Isaiah Williams. Illinois also adds Zakhari Franklin from the portal. Franklin put up over 2,200 yards and 27 TDs over his final two seasons at UTSA. He transferred to Ole Miss but was limited to just four games. He could be a game changer. Malik Elzy is another name to note after a fantastic spring. The blue-chip prospect from 2023 struggled with drops last year but seems to have put that behind him.
Cole Rusk is a big tight end who transferred from Eastern Michigan this season. His solid play in the spring forced incumbent starter Griffin Moore to the portal. And even though the Illini’s run game struggled mightily last year, they do return their most productive back in Kaden Feagin, who averaged 4.6 yards per carry as a true freshman.
Despite losing their leading rusher and receiver from last year, Illinois is built to be able to put up some points in 2024.
13) Iowa
Top Players: RB LeShon Williams, RB Kaleb Johnson, WR Kaleb Brown, WR Seth Anderson, TE Luke Lachey, TE Addison Ostrenga
Iowa’s offensive woes over the past few seasons have had more to do with the coaching and QB play – not so much to do with their skill players.
The Hawkeyes will be able to lean on a reliable backfield duo of LeShon Williams and Kaleb Johnson as the primary ball-carriers. They combined for nearly 1,300 rush yards and have shown the ability to break off big plays while also wearing the defense down.
Iowa also has an elite option at tight end in Luke Lachey, who could challenge Colston Loveland as the best tight end in college football. Lachey has 46 catches over the past three season and came out of the gate hot last season before going down for the year in game three. He’s poised to be the next great Iowa tight end in the NFL. Lachey is joined by Addison Ostrenga, who performed admirably as a redshirt freshman when Lachey and Erick All went down.
But the concern for Iowa comes at wide receiver. Seth Brown and Kaleb Brown are the clear top returners after combining for 33 catches last year. Brown has a lot of potential. The former Ohio State transfer has game-changing speed and had all 22 of his catches in the final six games. But no one else who is challenging for play time had a single catch last season.
14) Nebraska
Top Players: RB Gabe Ervin, RB Dante Dowdell, WR Jahmal Banks, WR Jaylen Lloyd, TE Thomas Fidone III
Nebraska is being pegged by many as a dark-horse CFP contender. If there is an obvious blemish that could keep them from attaining that, it’s the lack of proven talent at the offensive skill positions.
Gabe Ervin was a highly regarded by Matt Rhule last spring and got off to a good start before going down for the year in the third game. Hopefully he’s 100%. Either way, Ervin will have the assistance of Oregon transfer Dante Dowdwell in the backfield. Dowdell was a top-200 prospect in last year’s class and had 90 yards on 17 carries as a true freshman.
Wide receiver is up in the air with the departures of Marcus Washington and Billy Kemp. Jaylen Lloyd is a breakout candidate. The shifty speedster had a 50+ yard TD catch in three of his final five games last year. Lloyd could be the deep-threat this offense has desperately needed. The arrival of Jahmal Banks, who caught 101 passes for Wake Forest the past two season, also helps. But outside of Banks and Lloyd, the Husker receiver room is lacking any experience.
Thomas Fidone III is an incredible athlete and versatile playmaker at tight end. If he finally reaches his potential as a top-100 prospect in 2021, he could be the chess piece this offense needs.
15) UCLA
Top Players: RB TJ Harden, WR J Michael Sturdivant, WR Logan Lloya, WR Rico Flores, TE Moliki Motavao
TJ Harden had nearly 1,000 total yards and 8 TDs as the backfield mate to Carson Steele, who is off to the NFL. Harden, a tough-to-tackle bruiser, will have more of the rushing workload on his capable shoulders in 2024.
Two of UCLA’s top three receivers from last year return in Logan Loya and J Michael Sturdivant. Loya is a reliable veteran from the slot, while Sturdivant stretches the field. They also add Rico Flores, who caught 27 passes as a true freshman at Notre Dame last year. And at tight end, the Bruins can lean on Moliki Motavao – one of the conference’s most underrated at the position.
UCLA has a good amount of experience at the offensive skill positions. But I struggle to find the source for explosive plays in this offense.
16) Michigan State
Top Players: RB Nate Carter, RB Kay’Ron Lynch-Adams, WR Montorie Foster, WR Nick Marsh, TE Jack Velling
Nate Carter has finally taken hold of a Spartan backfield that has been ambiguous since Kenneth Walker’s departure, as Kalen Berger and Jaren Mangham hit the portal. Carter led the Spartans with 798 rush yards last year and should build on that as the RB1.
The backfield will also feature Ka’Ron Lynch-Adams – a 6th-year transfer originally from Rutgers who rushed for 1,157 yards for UMass last year.
Michigan State returns its leading receiver in Montorie Foster, but lose their #2-4 receivers. Jaron Glover, Alante Brown, and Antonio Gates Jr will all battle for a starting position. But I think the name to watch behind Foster is true freshman Nick Marsh. The top-200 prospect shined in the spring and could be WR2 by season’s end.
Jack Velling was a quietly solid addition at tight end. Following Jonathan Smith over from Oregon State, Velling has caught 45 passes over the past two seasons.
17) Purdue
Top Players: RB Devin Mockobee, RB Reggie Love III, WR CJ Smith, WR Morrissette De’Nylon, WR Jahmal Edrine, TE Max Klare
Tyrone Tracy left early for the NFL, so the backfield now belongs to Devin Mockobee. The former walk-on has over 2,200 total yards and 16 total TDs the past two seasons. Purdue also added Illinois’ leading rusher from last year in Reggie Love.
Max Klare could be in for a big season at tight end. He had 22 catches in the first four games last year while sharing time with Garrett Miller but then went down for the season with injury. Klare returns and Miller is now graduated.
But the situation at wide receiver is dire with last year’s top three receivers all gone. Former FAU transfer Jahmal Edrine is the top returner. He was supposed to be a breakout last year but got hurt in practice before the season started.
The Boilermakers did add a few receivers in the portal – most notably a couple speedsters from Georgia. CJ Smith and De’Nylon Morrissette were each blue-chip prospects and track stars in high school. Although they combined for only 10 catches last year, they could be the key to this offense.
18) Northwestern
Top Players: RB Cam Porter, WR AJ Henning, WR Bryce Kirtz, TE Thomas Gordon
Northwestern is going to struggle to generate plays in 2024. Cam Porter has the backfield virtually all to himself. The 5th-year vet led the team in rushing last year but averaged fewer than 4 yards per carry. Porter is a big bruising back who can’t break many tackles or outrun most guys on the field.
Thomas Gordon is an underrated tight end and one of the leaders of the offense. The Wildcats also return their top two receivers from last year in AJ Henning and Bryce Kirtz. Kirtz is great at creating separation while Henning does his damage after the catch.
The receiving duo is reliable at the very least, but the problem is the lack of depth behind them. CJ Johnson looks like the top backup, but he has just six career catches. Other than Johnson, it’s looking like true freshmen will have to play a big role in 2024.