College Football Network released the top 100 college football players for the 2024 season, and the Big 10 has a whopping 34 of the CFN 100 Top College Football Players from a slew of different schools representing the conference.
Who are the standouts as the Big Ten adds Oregon, UCLA, USC, and Washington to the conference in 2024, and how high did they land on the list? Let’s take a look!
Which Big Ten Players Were Included in the CFN Top 100 College Football Players?
As with several conferences in 2024, the Big Ten added four new members in the offseason all of which are former members of the Pac-12, including 2023 national runner-up Washington. Adding these four schools to the mix has loaded the Big Ten with talent, and much of it is coming into the conference for the first time this year.
Teams with multiple players appearing on the list include Michigan, Ohio State, Oregon, Penn State, Iowa, Wisconsin, and USC.
Only one quarterback, Dillon Gabriel from Oregon made the list from the Big Ten. The highest-ranking player was standout defensive tackle Mason Graham from Michigan, who also projects highly as a future NFL prospect.
This is what CFN College Football Analyst James Fragoza had to say about Graham and the other top players from the Big Ten to make the list.
Mason Graham, DT, Michigan (3rd)
With Kenneth Grant occupying space next to him, Mason Graham often benefits from more 1-on-1s — and he takes advantage. He moves like a man 20 pounds lighter but possesses the heavy hands to club offensive linemen and jolt them backward. His lateral quickness and first-step explosion make him a nightmare to handle against the run.
Abdul Carter, EDGE, Penn State (4th)
Abdul Carter has been a force to be reckoned with at linebacker, but a full-time move to EDGE this offseason will result in widespread paranormal activity in the Big Ten. The 6’3″, 250-pound defender puts offensive linemen in a blender with his combination of power, speed, and bend.
Will Johnson, CB, Michigan (5th)
Will Johnson could’ve started in the NFL last season — that’s how good he is. At 6’2″ and 202 pounds, he has all the physical tools to be a shutdown corner, not to mention his easy-to-see intangibles: competitiveness, patience, and high football IQ to recognize route concepts.
Jay Higgins, LB, Iowa (15th)
Disciplined. Good athlete. Sure tackler. Has a nose for the ball. Stop me if you’ve heard those adjectives describe an Iowa defender before, but Jay Higgins fits the bill. He racked up a country-leading 171 tackles as a full-time starter last season, but he can also blitz effectively and get to his drops in zone.
Caleb Downs, S, Ohio State (16th)
Caleb Downs stepped off the plane and immediately earned Alabama’s starting safety spot as a true freshman. He became the first Alabama freshman to lead the team in tackles (107) and also recorded two INTs, three PBUs, a forced fumble, and a fumble recovery.
His addition to an Ohio State defense already loaded with front-seven talent should translate to dominance in the Big Ten.
Dillon Gabriel, QB, Oregon (20th)
Dillon Gabriel is one of the premier deep-ball artists in the game, and he drastically reduced his pressure-to-sack rate last season. He is also athletic enough to move the chains with his legs when he needs to, and he even ran for 12 TDs in 2023.
With Tez Johnson and Evan Stewart on the outside and Jordan James in the backfield, expect big things from Oregon’s offense in 2024.
Sebastian Castro, DB, Iowa (23rd)
Few defenders made a bigger impact than Sebastian Castro in 2023. The Hawkeyes’ slot DB registered 67 tackles, eight TFLs, a sack, three picks, and eight PBUs. At 5’11”, 204 pounds, he’s a rocked-up nickel with the size to fill gaps in run defense and the athleticism to shut down the short and intermediate parts of the field in coverage.
Denzel Burke, CB, Ohio State (29th)
Denzel Burke’s sophomore slump after an impressive one-INT, 12-PBU true freshman campaign left a bad taste in the mouths of fans. However, the long, explosive CB bounced back in 2023, breaking up eight passes and intercepting one pass. He has to come to balance as a tackler to crack down on YAC allowed, but Burke is also a tenacious support defender against the run.
Xavier Nwankpa, S, Iowa (35th)
We all know about Iowa’s offensive woes last season, but the defense was brimming with talents who kept the score closer than it ever should’ve been. One such defender was Xavier Nwankpa, who is a complete safety at 6’2″ and 210 pounds. Line up in the box, in the slot, single-high, two-high, you name it, Nwankpa can do it — and do it well.
D’Angelo Ponds, CB, Indiana (37th)
D’Angelo Ponds received Sun Belt CB of the Year, Freshman CB of the Year, and Freshman All-American honors from CFN after generating 51 tackles, 15 pass breakups, two interceptions, and two fumble recoveries in 13 games as a true freshman.
The high school track star showcased his speed on the boundary last season, easily carrying routes downfield and sticking to WRs at the breakpoint. Ponds helped James Madison to an 11-2 record in the school’s second season in the FBS.
Evan Stewart, WR, Oregon (39th)
Evan Stewart puts DBs on the back of milk cartons due to his blazing twitch and burst on his routes, sending them to different area codes at all levels of the field. His slight frame (6’0″ and 175 pounds) limits his contested-catch ability, and he wasn’t much of a YAC threat at Texas A&M, but operating in Oregon’s offense should allow Stewart to set a new standard.
Colston Loveland, TE, Michigan (40th)
Colston Loveland was J.J. McCarthy’s safety net, as the first-round pick often looked the TE’s way on key downs. Tight ends rarely reach their potential at the collegiate level, but Michigan knows how to use their height/weight/speed threat, often lining him up in the slot and allowing him to devour smaller slot defenders and slower linebackers.
Donovan Jackson, G, Ohio State (42nd)
Donovan Jackson was born to play on the offensive line at 6’4″, 320 pounds, with 36″ arms. He is still refining his technique, but he has the movement skills to thrive in Chip Kelly’s offense.
Kenneth Grant, DT, Michigan (45th)
At 6’3″ and nearly 340 pounds, Kenneth Grant is a grizzly bear rushing the passer. He won’t win at an elite rate, but when he does, QBs feel it. His sheer size and knockback power also allow him to plug multiple gaps against the run, and he fits right at home at nose tackle vs. smaller centers.
Dillon Thieneman, S, Purdue (47th)
As a true freshman, Dillon Thieneman stuffed his résumé with accolades, including Big Ten Freshman of the Year and a spot on the AP All-American team.
He made QBs pay from his free safety alignment, snatching six interceptions. But what really pops off the screen is Thieneman’s trigger downhill in the run game, obliterating unknowing ball carriers careening toward open space.
Full List of Big Ten Conference Players Included in the CFN Top 100 College Football Players
- Mason Graham, DT, Michigan (3rd)
- Abdul Carter, EDGE, Penn State (4th)
- Will Johnson, CB, Michigan (5th)
- Jay Higgins, LB, Iowa (15th)
- Caleb Downs, S, Ohio State (16th)
- Dillon Gabriel, QB, Oregon (20th)
- Sebastian Castro, DB, Iowa (23rd)
- Denzel Burke, CB, Ohio State (29th)
- Xavier Nwankpa, S, Iowa (35th)
- D’Angelo Ponds, CB, Indiana (37th)
- Evan Stewart, WR, Oregon (39th)
- Colston Loveland, TE, Michigan (40th)
- Donovan Jackson, G, Ohio State (42nd)
- Kenneth Grant, DT, Michigan (45th)
- Dillon Thieneman, S, Purdue (47th)
- Emeka Egbuka, WR, Ohio State (51st)
- Jabbar Muhammad, CB, Oregon (56th)
- Ajani Cornelius, OT, Oregon (57th)
- Quinshon Judkins, RB, Ohio State (59th)
- Tez Johnson, WR, Oregon (60th)
- Jonah Monheim, OT, USC (62nd)
- Jack Sawyer, EDGE, Ohio State (63rd)
- Tyleik Williams, DT, Ohio State (64th)
- Sonny Styles, LB/S, Ohio State(65th)
- TreVeyon Henderson, RB, Ohio State (66th)
- J.T. Tuimoloau, EDGE, Ohio State (69th)
- Hunter Wohler, S, Wisconsin (70th)
- Ricardo Hallman, CB, Wisconsin (74th)
- Jaishawn Barham, LB, Michigan (81st)
- Zachariah Branch, WR, USC (86th)
- Dani Dennis-Sutton, EDGE, Penn State (91st)
- Kaytron Allen, RB, Penn State (94th)
- Donovan Edwards, RB, Michigan (97th)
- Jeremiah Smith, WR, Ohio State (98th)
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