Big Ten Rankings 1/3/2003

There have been several big commitments during the dead period. Purdue has made the most noise. Ohio State landed the top cornerback tandem in the nation. NU gets a commit from a big Michigan Lineman. Is Michigan still #1?

1. Michigan 3.83

The Wolverines have the best class in the Big Ten from top to bottom. This class starts with 5- star tight end Prescott Burgess.

2. Penn State 3.66

The Nittany Lions lost Terrell Golden. Penn State may not have a big 2003 class but they’re going to make every scholarship they have, count.

3. Ohio State 3.61

Kenyon Buford also verbally committed to Ohio State, bringing down Ohio State’s overall score. Prescott Burgess would give this class a big lift.

4. Wisconsin 3.07

14 solid commitments for the Badgers and more good news as Joe Thomas?

5. Purdue 2.91

The Boilers have been on a tear in late December and early January. Joe Tiller and his staff raided the state of Michigan for three solid prospects, Doug Van Dyke (Marshall), Raymond Edwards.

6. Illinois 2.80

The addition of 4-star Junior College running back Brad Bower are the cream of the crop in this recruiting class.

7. Iowa 2.71

Kirk Ferentz hasn’t finished in the top five in (Big Ten) recruiting since he took over as head coach of the Hawkeyes. That being said, Ferentz is getting the last laugh as he wins the conference in 2002 and takes his team to the Orange Bowl. If we were giving out rankings for talent evaluation, Iowa would be in the Top 2 along with Joe Tiller and Purdue.

8. Minnesota 2.45

Glen Mason and his Golden Gophers had a successful 2002 season and they aren’t doing too bad in the recruiting wars either. Florida quarterback Paris Hamilton (Texas) have jumped on board as well.

9. Northwestern 2.41

Fred McConnell is the latest to pledge Northwestern. January will be a big month for the Wildcats as they’ll bring in the majority of their top talent in on official visits.

10. Indiana 2.33

Gerry DiNardo had a very good first season as head coach but he’s finding out quickly that Indiana is a basketball school. DiNardo and his staff continue to leave no stone unturned on the road and recently received commitments from Indianapolis (Ben Davis) tight end Aaron Mitchell.

10. Michigan State 2.33

The Spartans have a new coach and now John L. Smith and his staff hit the road looking for talent to bring to East Lansing. All-American linebacker Lamarr Woodley (Saginaw) says he’s now considering Michigan State. Don’t look for Michigan State to finish last come February.