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The Biggest News From Each Big Ten Program This Week

It’s been a very hectic week of Fall Camp to say the least.

Jonathan Fernandez

The Biggest News From Each Big Ten Program This Week
The Biggest News From Each Big Ten Program This Week /

With fall training camp and position battles now in full swing, it can be tough to stay up to date on all the news around the Big Ten, but we’ve got you covered! Keep reading below to stay in the loop on the biggest news from each Big Ten program this week.

Northwestern: Pat Fitzgerald announces opening night starting quarterback

Fitzgerald announced this past Tuesday that fifth-year transfer Hunter Johnson will be the starting quarterback on opening night against Michigan State. He later explained the timing of his decision, as well as the thought process behind going with Johnson, saying, “I think it's been different with each quarterback battle that we've had ... Jake [offensive coordinator Mike Bajakian] and I have been talking about our play. We kind of looked at a two-weeks-into-camp decision ... I think he's (Johnson) been through a lot, and I think he's grown, and I think he's learned a ton. When he's confident and he lets his talent go out there, it's as good as we've had.”

Nebraska: Scott Frost, Nebraska Football under NCAA investigation 

On Wednesday, Aug. 18 Nebraska announced that the NCAA is launching an investigation into their football program. According to The Action Network, The NCAA investigation is probing Nebraska's use of analysts and unapproved organized workouts during the pandemic that were overseen by Frost and others within the program. 

Minnesota: Top wide receiver Chris Autman-Bell may be unavailable for opening night matchup against Ohio State

Minnesota may be without one of their top guns in their toughest matchup of the season. Returning wideout Chris Autman-Bell sustained an apparent leg injury during a one-on-one drill on Aug. 12 and had to be helped off the field. Bell is currently being listed as week-to-week with his injury, but it would be a major blow if he were to miss any significant time.

Purdue - Zander Horvath and Chris Jefferson named to 2022 Reese's Senior Bowl Watch List

Both Zander Horvath (fifth year RB) and Chris Jefferson (senior transfer WR) were named to the 2022 Reese’s Senior Bowl watch list, an annual college all-star game, earlier this week.

The game serves as one of the early steps of the NFL Draft Process. In last year’s NFL Draft, 106 of the players selected participated in the senior bowl. 

Wisconsin: Unforeseen competition for first-team center snaps

According to 247 sports, a real competition has emerged for the starting center position between senior Kayden Lyles and sophomore Joe Tippmann. Tippmann has taken the majority of the snaps with the first team in the last few practices for Wisconsin and reportedly the battle is heating up. Tippmann appeared in just one game in 2020 after having surgery to repair a torn labrum.

Illinois: New coaching staff represents a fresh start for the program

All of the quotes and stories coming out of Illinois's training camp are of hope and ambition. With new head coach Bret Bielema at the helm, the Illini are hoping to reset the program culture and maybe have their first winning season since 2011 when they finished the year with a 7-6 record.

Iowa: 3-star recruit commits to the Hawks

On August 17, Florida product Jaziun Patterson, a 4-star 2022 running back recruit, committed to Iowa Football. Patterson is 5’10” 190 pounds and has shown exceptional footwork and patience in his running game.

As a sophomore at Deerfield Beach, Patterson finished his season with 393 rushing yards and 8 touchdowns as a backup for Miami running back commit Jaylan Knighton.

Ohio State: Presumed starting quarterback held out of practice

On Wednesday, Ohio State’s expected starting quarterback C.J. Stroud was held out of practice. Ohio State’s Head Coach Ryan Day later told the media the lack of action for Stroud was nothing more than a rest day. “Something typically we do in camp is just shut them down at times with their arms,” Day said. “So that’s that’s all that was.”

Michigan: Jim Harbaugh names Cade McNamara as starting QB for season opener

In a recent interview, Harbaugh told the Big Ten Network that McNamara will be the Wolverines’s starter. The QB competition had primarily been between McNamara and five-star true freshman J.J. McCarthy. McNamara played in four of Michigan's six games last season as a redshirt freshman, and completed 60.6% of his passes with five touchdowns and no interceptions.

Michigan State: QB battle still an “open competition”

While the QB battles in Northwestern and Michigan have seemingly been settled, Michigan State’s is still wide open, and it’s unclear when a starter will be named. “I’m not sure when it’s gonna happen right now,” MSU Head Coach Mel Tucker said. “But we will have a starter out there.” The competition is between Payton Thorne, a redshirt sophomore who played in four games for MSU last year, and Anthony Russo, a sixth year player who could’ve been drafted in the later rounds of last year’s NFL Draft.

Indiana: For the first time since 1969, the Hoosiers cracked the top 25 in AP Preseason Poll 

For the first time in 52 years, the Indiana Hoosiers were ranked in the top 25 of the AP Preseason Poll. The program has been improving year after year during Tom Allen’s tenure as head coach, including going 5-1 during last year’s COVID-shortened season and 8-4 the season prior. Indiana’s first game of the season will be against Iowa State on Saturday, Sep. 4. 

Penn State: New Offensive Coordinator Mike Yurcich has QB Sean Clifford feeling like a new player following difficult 2020 season

Penn State's fifth-year quarterback is slated to be the team’s starter this season, even after his subpar play last year. Penn state is coming off of a losing season, but despite that Clifford has had a different energy in camp so far. 

"I definitely feel like I’m playing at a pretty high level, and [Yurcich] has brought a lot of good out of me, things that I never thought I could do," Clifford said. "... This is just the beginning. I'm trying to break my ceiling and go even higher each and every day."

Maryland: PFF ranks two Testudo standouts as potential “breakout” players

According to Pro Football Focus, Maryland has a couple key players on their roster who could be in line for major improvements this season. The first, former Alabama transfer and presumed quarterback starter Taulia Tagovailoa was listed by PFF as one of 10 breakout QB candidates. Tagovailoa only played in four games but gave Maryland fans more than enough to be excited about. He showed he could throw the ball with accuracy and that he has the ability to create plays with his legs. 

The second key player on Maryland in line for a breakout season is wide receiver Rakim Jarret who caught 17 passes for 252 yards and two touchdowns in only four games last season. Jarret has already shown in a short amount of time that he has the potential to be one of the more explosive receivers in the country.

Rutgers: The Scarlet Knights add another OL to their impressive 2022 recruiting class

On Aug. 15 2022 offensive lineman recruit Emir Stinette announced his commitment to Rutgers University. The Pennsylvania native is a 6’5” 330-pound 3-star recruit that will add physicality and power to Rutgers O-line for years to come. 

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Jonathan Fernandez
JONATHAN FERNANDEZ

Jonathan Fernandez is a reporter and writer for Wildcats Daily Sports Illustrated's FanNation Network. Fernandez is also pursuing his master's degree in sports media at Northwestern Medill.

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