College Football: 2023 Big Ten Spring Preview
Things may be starting to open up around the Big Ten right now as Ohio State no longer comes into the season as the consensus favorite to run away with the conference, not after the emergence of Michigan as a national power again.
Two straight years the Wolverines have taken down the Buckeyes on the same field and gone on to win the Big Ten championship.
And for the first time, two Big Ten teams qualified for the College Football Playoff, as Ohio State and Michigan both made the national semifinal.
Coming into the 2023 season, Penn State looks like an up-and-coming contender in the conference and we'll see three new head coaches come to the helm at Wisconsin, Nebraska, and Purdue.
Here's what you should be watching as the Big Ten kicks off spring football.
College Football 2023: Big Ten Spring Preview
Indiana: The Hoosiers watched as over a dozen players left the program via the transfer portal, including key contributors like defender Dasan McCullough and quarterback Connor Bazelak. Tom Allen has a lot of work to do re-building the roster this spring, but also scored some key additions in the portal to help out: including former Tennessee quarterback Tayven Jackson. The four-star recruit is short on experience but brings a big arm and some mobility to spice up an offense that hasn't been great the last couple of seasons.
Illinois: Two key pieces are out the door and Bret Bielema has to find replacements for defensive back Devin Witherspoon, a likely first-round pick, and running back Chase Brown, who ran for 1,643 yards and 10 touchdowns last season. Reggie Love and Josh McCray are two options to take the reins behind center; the two combined for under 400 yards but must carry the load for an Illini attack that averaged 166 rushing yards per game a year ago.
Iowa: The Hawkeyes' offense, or lack thereof, remains one of college football's running gags. Brian Ferentz is still at the helm of this unit, so don't expect any structural changes, but the addition of Cade McNamara may provide a boost. The Michigan transfer quarterback threw for 2,576 yards and 15 touchdowns a year ago, and he has transfer tight end Erick All to resurrect the nation's 130th ranked offense, good for all of 4.24 yards per play last season.
Minnesota: This is a crucial moment for the Gophers' offense as it loses coordinator Kirk Ciarroca (again) in addition to quarterback Tanner Morgan and running back Mohamed Ibrahim. And then backup RB Trey Potts and receiver Mike Brown-Stephens entered the portal. There's a lot of work to do there for new play-caller Matt Simon, including getting more from quarterback hopeful Athan Kaliakmanis. In the meantime, Minnesota wants to build on its talented defensive line group.
Michigan State: Look anywhere on this roster and you see trouble. Payton Thorne struggled at quarterback without a strong run game to balance things out, the rushing attack was 12th in the Big Ten, and the defense failed to notably improve from the year before. Thorne's job is anything but safe: watch if 4-star youngsters like Katin Houser and Sam Leavitt can make a run at unseating him.
Purdue: A lot of change for the Boilermakers, including at head coach, offensive coordinator, and quarterback, among other positions. Ryan Walters steps in to lead the program with a strong defensive pedigree, but brought in Graham Harrell to lead the attack, an Air Raid style likely featuring Texas transfer Hudson Cart at quarterback.
Northwestern: Not much went right for the Wildcats, who lost 10 straight games and didn't score 14 points in the last month of last season, placing 117th in passing scores. And they didn't get much help from outside via the transfer portal to correct it. Northwestern has a habit of coming out of nowhere and winning 10 games, but Pat Fitzgerald has his work cut out.
Nebraska: Matt Rhule is in position to make a nice first impression after his landmark hiring after the end of the Scott Frost experience. A proven recruiter and program-builder, Rhule worked the transfer portal and scored top-flight pieces like quarterback Jeff Sims and tight end Arik Gilbert, a former 5-star. Rhule has overhauled the Cornhuskers' training and conditioning regimen and is focusing on speed.
Rutgers: Lack of offensive production has kept the Scarlet Knights back the last few seasons, in 2022 placing last in college football in scoring offense against winning teams, averaging just 7.8 points. Gavin Wimsatt brings athleticism to the QB position, but there isn't a ton of experience around him. New coordinator Kirk Ciarroca steps in to give this attack a new identity.
Wisconsin: Perhaps no Big Ten team underwent such a profound and positive change as the Badgers: Luke Fickell steps in at head coach and added Phil Longo to revolutionize this offense. Tanner Mordecai is a major transfer pickup at quarterback and he'll spread things out to fellow transfers like C.J. Williams and Bryson Green at wide receiver. Mordecai is a 7,152 yard career passer with 72 total touchdowns and should balance things out very well with star running back Braelon Allen returning.
Maryland: The return of Taulia Tagovailoa at quarterback is a major plus as the Terps look to improve on their 8-5 outing from last season, but Mike Locksley and his staff has some real work to do replacing receiver talent like Jacob Copeland and Rakim Jarrett and patching up an offensive line that lost four of its five starters from last year's rotation. Kevin Sumlin and Josh Gattis will help craft this offense, two important pickups.
Penn State: Who is Drew Allar? We'll find out in part this spring as the Nittany Lions look to install the former five-star quarterback recruit. He's surrounded by a skilled protection unit that includes Olu Fashanu and one of college football's premier running back rotations. Penn State lost twice last season, to Ohio State and Michigan, and can move into College Football Playoff contention by winning one of those games this year. Allar's development is key to making that move.
Ohio State: C.J. Stroud was a godsend for the Buckeyes after Justin Fields left the program and now Ryan Day needs to find a replacement for Stroud. He'll take his time making that decision between Kyle McCord, a two-year backup who had 300-plus yards against Akron, and Devin Brown, a more dual-threat piece with limited experience. The good news: whoever takes the job will have arguably the best WR/RB help in college football.
Michigan: The cornerback position opposite Will Johnson should be a primary focus for the Wolverines this spring. Johnson has one corner locked down, but the departure of Gemon Green and DJ Turner opens the other to competition and with little experience coming in to plug that hole. Eight starters return on defense overall in addition to Michigan's elite offensive pieces, but this open corner is an important development to watch.
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