Big Ten Roundup: Top 25 Incoming Football Transfers

We're still a few months away from the start of the 2022 college football season as new players get acclimated with the teams they've joined through the transfer portal. Here are the top 25 incoming Big Ten football transfers.

USA Today

With quarterback Michael Penix Jr. transferring to Washington and starting running back Stephen Carr out of college eligibility, Indiana head coach Tom Allen dipped into the transfer portal to add quarterback Connor Bazelak from Missouri and running back Shaun Shivers from Auburn.

As these players compete for starting jobs at Indiana, here's how they compare to the top 25 incoming Big Ten football transfers heading into the 2022 season, according to rankings from 247Sports.

1. EDGE Ochaun Mathis

Old school: TCU | New School: Nebraska

Mathis was a second-team All-Big 12 player at TCU during the 2020 and 2021 seasons. He was tied for the team lead in sacks last season after leading the Big 12 in sacks per game at 0.9 in 2020.

2. OL Victor Oluwatimi

Old school: Virginia  |  New School: Michigan

Oluwatimi was a finalist for the Rimington Trophy in 2021, which is given to the nation's top center. Michigan's offensive had a tough time against Georgia's loaded front seven in the College Football Playoff, making this an important addition.

3. CB Tanner McCalister

Old school: Oklahoma State  | New School: Ohio State

McCalister joins an Ohio State secondary that led the Big Ten with four pick-sixes last season. Denzel Burke and Cameron Brown started at cornerback for Ohio State in the Rose Bowl and will be back in 2022, so McCalister will have some competition for playing time. 

4. CB Jay Shaw

Old school: UCLA  | New School: Wisconsin

Wisconsin had the top passing defense in the Big Ten last season, and its secondary just got better with the addition of Shaw. He was tied for the team lead in interceptions last season, leading to second team All-Pac 12 honors. 

5. EDGE Demeioun Robinson

Old school: Maryland  | New School: Penn State

Arnold Ebiketie led Penn State with 9.5 sacks last season, and was drafted in the second round by the Atlanta Falcons. Robinson was a 2021 Midseason True Freshman All-American and was an important pickup to help replace Ebiketie's production. 

6. RB Shaun Shivers

Old school: Auburn  | New School: Indiana

Indiana lost its top four running backs from last season, making Shivers a crucial pickup. His role on Auburn decreased in 2021, but he rushed for 1,020 yards over four seasons as a Tiger.

7. WR Taj Harris

Old school: Syracuse  | New School: Rutgers

Rutgers finished 11th in the Big Ten in passing yards last season. The addition of Harris, who is fifth in Syracuse history with 151 catches and eighth with 1,857 yards, should help the Scarlet Knights' passing game. 

8. CB Tommi Hill

Old school: Arizona State  | New School: Nebraska

Hill recorded just nine total tackles in his freshman season, but also provided some value as a kick returner. He was a four-star recruit and the No. 12 cornerback prospect in the class of 2021 out of Orlando, Fla. 

9. WR Jacob Copeland

Old school: Florida  | New School: Maryland

Maryland quarterback Taulia Tagovailoa led the third best passing offense in the Big Ten in 2021. He'll have a new target for next season in Copeland, who started 22 games for Florida over the last two seasons.

10. QB Connor Bazelak

Old school: Missouri  | New School: Indiana

With Michael Penix Jr. transferring to Washington, Bazelak joins a quarterback competition with Jack Tuttle, Donaven McCulley, Dexter Williams and Grant Gremel. Bazelak was the SEC Co-Freshman of the Year in 2020, and he passed for 2,548 yards, 16 touchdowns, 11 interceptions and a 65.3 completion percentage in 2021. 

11. OT J.D. DiRenzo

Old school: Sacred Heart  | New School: Rutgers

DiRenzo helped Sacred Heart lead the Northeast Conference in rushing yards last season. He earned first-team NEC honors during he 2020 and 2021 seasons. 

12. TE Daniel Barker

Old school: Illinois  | New School: Michigan State

Barker is the career record holder for touchdown receptions by a tight end with 11. He was the No. 15 tight end NFL draft prospect, but decided to transfer to Michigan State for his fifth collegiate season. 

13. EDGE Khris Bogle

Old school: Florida  | New School: Michigan State

Michigan State led the Big Ten in sacks last season. The Spartans add Bogle to the front seven, who played in 35 games and totaled eight sacks in three seasons at Florida.

14. RB Jarek Broussard

Old school: Colorado  | New School: Michigan State

With the loss of 2021 Doak Walker Award winner Kenneth Walker, Michigan State brought in Broussard, who rushed for 1,474 yards in two seasons at Colorado. Broussard had a 301-yard game against Arizona in 2020.

15. RB Jalen Berger

Old school: Wisconsin  | New School: Michigan State

Berger joins Broussard in the backfield as the Spartans attempt to replace the nation's top running back from 2021. Berger was dismissed from the Wisconsin program after carrying the ball 84 times for 389 yards and three touchdowns across two seasons.

16. LB Jacoby Windmon

Old school: UNLV  | New School: Michigan State

Windmon led UNLV with five sacks in 2020, resulting in an All-Mountain West honorable mention. He totaled 6.5 sacks in 2021 to go along with 118 total tackles. 

17. WR Mitchell Tinsley 

Old school: Western Kentucky  | New School: Penn State

Tinsley will look to help replace the production of Jahan Dotson, who was the No. 16 pick in the 2022 NFL Draft by the Washington Commanders. Tinsley led Western Kentucky receivers with 43 receptions for 377 yards and four touchdowns in his first Division I season after two seasons at Hutchinson Community College. 

18. S Kaine Williams

Old school: Alabama  | New School: Nebraska

Williams appeared in one game on special teams for Alabama in his first collegiate season. He was a four-star recruit and the No. 176 player in the class of 2021 out of Marrero, La. 

19. LB Aaron Brule

Old school: Mississippi State  | New School: Michigan State

Brule made 141 total tackles across four seasons at Mississippi State. He finished his Bulldog career with 7.5 sacks.

20. CB Omar Brown

Old school: Northern Iowa  | New School: Nebraska

Brown was named to the AP All-American third team and was the FCS Defensive Freshman of the Year in 2019. He totaled 33 tackles before a season-ending injury in 2021.

21. OL Brian Greene

Old school: Washington State  | New School: Michigan State

Greene was named to Rimington Trophy Watch List as a redshirt senior in 2021. He didn't make his first career start until 2020 against Oregon State, but he was named an All-Pac-12 honorable mention that year. 

22. OL Hunter Nourzad

Old school: Cornell  | New School: Penn State

Penn State allowed the most sacks in the Big Ten last season, but the Nittany Lions bring in some offensive line help with Nourzad, who was the Ivy League Offensive Lineman of the Year as a senior at Cornell. 

23. QB Casey Thompson

Old school: Texas  | New School: Nebraska

Thompson started 10 games for Texas as a junior in 2021. He posted a 63.2 completion percentage, leading to 2,113 yards, 24 touchdowns and nine interceptions. Thompson also rushed for 157 yards and four touchdowns.

24. WR Trey Palmer

Old school: LSU  | New School: Nebraska

Palmer started five games for the Tigers last season, hauling in 30 catches for 344 yards and three touchdowns. He also posted 394 kick return yards across three seasons. 

25. OL Chuck Filiaga

Old school: Michigan  | New School: Minnesota

Filiaga made eight starts at left guard and three starts at right guard as a three-year letterman at Michigan. He was part of the position group that won the Joe Moore Award, given to the top offensive line in the nation.

Stories related to Indiana football:

• SIX HOOSIERS ON ALL-BIG TEN TEAM: Athlon Sports released its preseason All-Big Ten football teams, which featured six players from Indiana. Michigan led the conference with 17 selections, while Indiana, Rutgers and Northwestern tied for last with six. CLICK HERE
• INDIANA LANDS 2023 THREE-STAR QB BROC LOWRY:Broc Lowry, the top-ranked quarterback from the state of Ohio, committed to Indiana on Thursday. Lowry is a three-star recruit out of Canfield High School, and he's the No. 53 quarterback in the class of 2023. CLICK HERE
• TOM ALLEN 1-ON-1: Indiana football coach Tom Allen sat down with HoosiersNow.com for an extensive 30-minute interview. In the first part of our series from Allen's interview, we discuss the role to be played by the Class of 2022, the highest-rated recruiting class in Indiana football history. CLICK HERE
• TOM ALLEN 1-ON-1: Indiana football coach Tom Allen hopes to supplement his roster with talent through the transfer portal while maintaining the strong recruiting culture his program is built upon. With a new era of college athletics in full force, Allen is ready to adapt to the transfer portal. CLICK HERE