Wolverine Digest

National Signing Day 2024: Big Ten winners and losers

Gauging the winners and losers of signing day within the Big Ten Conference...

Matt Lounsberry

Junfu Han / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images
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The early signing period has come and gone, and the vast majority of next wave of athletes have signed with their respective programs.

The SEC and the Big Ten continue to dominate recruiting, with the two conferences holding 19 of the top 25 classes in the 2025 cycle (SEC - 11, Big Ten - 8), per 247Sports' Composite team rankings.

Looking exclusively at the Big Ten, here are the biggest recruiting winners and losers from the league with the early signing period concluded.

Winners

Oregon

The Ducks have turned into a recruiting power, backed by NIL funding from Nike CEO Phil Knight and a brand that's appealing to young athletes. Oregon had one of the biggest wins of Early Signing Day when it flipped five-star cornerback Na'eem Offord from Ohio State. In total, the Ducks signed four five-star and 16 four-star prospects in the Big Ten's top-ranked recruiting class. Oregon's average player rating of 94.35 leads the entire country. Just a monster class for the Ducks.

Ohio State

The Buckeyes lost the commitment of Offord, but still finished with the clear second-best class in the Big Ten. Ohio State signed a pair of five-stars in quarterback Tavien St. Clair and cornerback Devin Sanchez, and a quintet of four-stars who rank inside the nation's Top 100: offensive tackle Carter Lowe, safety Faheem Delane, linebacker Riley Pettijohn, wide receiver Quincy Porter and edge rusher Zion Grady. In total, the Buckeyes signed 20 four-star players, and have the fifth-best average player rating (92.46) in the country.

Michigan

If not for the loss of four-star and Top 100 tight end Andrew Olesh (flipped to Penn State), Michigan probably would have had the second-best early signing period in the conference. While the loss of Olesh leaves a mark, the Wolverines made up for it by landing four-star linebacker Nathaniel Owusu-Boateng earlier in the week. Michigan signed two five-stars, including the nation's No. 1 overall recruit in quarterback Byrce Underwood and the No. 14 overall player in offensive tackle Andrew Babalola. The Wolverines hae signed 14 four-stars, led by Top 100 prospects in defensive lineman Nathaniel Marshall, wide receiver Andrew Marsh and cornerback Shamari Earls. Michigan's class ranks No. 9 overall in the country.

USC and Penn State

These two programs deserve an 'honorable mention' in terms of signing day winners, with the fourth- and fifth-best classes in the Big Ten. It was an up and down early signing period for the Trojans, who missed on several targets but reeled in their most-coveted player in five-star defensive lineman Jahkeem Stewart. USC also signed five-star quarterback Husan Longstreet and 11 four-star prospects. Meanwhile, the Nittany Lions got a huge win in flipping Olesh from Michigan, as the tight end immediately becomes Penn State's highest-ranked player in their class. In total, the Nittany Lions signed 18 total four-star prospects, but no five-stars.

Losers

Purdue

It was a disatrous season on the field for the Boilermakers, who went 1-11, and it's been an equally disatrous 2025 recruiting cycle. Purdue had just six players sign their letters of intent, and currently have just two other players committed to its class. Head coach Ryan Walters was fired after just two seasons leading the Boilermakers' program, which certainly played a part in the lackluster recruiting efforts in West Lafayette.

Michigan State

I was high on the Spartans' hire of Jonathan Smith to turn around the mess that Mel Tucker left behind in East Lansing, but stressed it was going to take time for Smith to right the ship. However, after failing to reach bowl eligibility against a manageable schedule, Smith and the Spartans also have an underwhelming recruiting class in the 2025 cycle. Michigan State signed just one player who ranks inside the nation's Top 500, East Lansing running back Jace Clarizio, whom the Spartans nearly lost to Alabama. Smith and his staff are all about development, but a class ranking No. 56 in the nation and 16th out of 18 Big Ten teams is not going to get the job done in this new and improved league.

Northwestern

It's always going to be tough sledding for the Wildcats on the recruiting trail, but finishing only higher than the eight-commit Purdue class mentioned above in the conference doesn't bode well for Davis Braun's program going forward. Northwestern's average player rating of 85.89 ranks dead last in the Big Ten, behind even Purdue, and 68th in the FBS.

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Matt Lounsberry
MATT LOUNSBERRY

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