Dr. Commish's Early Preseason All-Big 10 Team

by Josh Hunter

Offense

QB - Kyle McCord, Ohio State

As of right now, the conference's quarterback situation as a whole is incredibly uncertain, with only a handful of players returning to their starting jobs at the position. Of those, Michigan's J.J. McCarthy stands out as the only realistic first-team All-Big Ten player, but his former teammate (Iowa's Cade McNamara) has a stronger resume, and may even be a better quarterback. I couldn't put either of the two ahead of the other in good conscience, so I decided to go with more of a projection based on supporting cast and program history. Ohio State's Kyle McCord may not become a top-2 NFL draft pick like his predecessor C.J. Stroud, but the talent surrounding him on offense is unmatched (more on that later). No other player in college football is entering a more opportune situation than McCord is, and I expect him to take advantage of the opportunity and compete for the Heisman trophy as a first-year starter. Penn State's Drew Allar and Maryland's Taulia Tagovailoa were also considered.

HB - Blake Corum, Michigan

This position is much more straightforward: There's Blake Corum, and then there's everyone else. Corum put up monster numbers last season (1,463 yards, 18 TDs rushing) before being injured late in the regular season, and will look to build on that success in 2023 after deciding to return to school for another year.

HB - Braelon Allen, Wisconsin

A handful of names were considered here, but none are quite as fearsome as Braelon Allen from Wisconsin. At 6'2" and 240 lbs., Allen is an absolute nightmare for opposing defenders to try and bring down. I expect him to solidify himself as one of the best running backs in the conference, as well as in all of college football, this season. Ohio State's TreVeyon Henderson, Michigan's Donovan Edwards, Penn State's Nick Singleton and Iowa's Kaleb Johnson are a few other names to watch out for.

WR - Marvin Harrison Jr., Ohio State

Like with halfback, the top spot at wide receiver in the Big 10 is undisputed. Ohio State's Marvin Harrison Jr. was debatably the best player in all of college football last season regardless of position, and could prove to be the best receiver prospect the NFL Draft has seen in a long time.

WR - Emeka Egbuka, Ohio State

This was also a relatively simple choice. Last season, despite playing opposite the aforementioned Marvin Harrison Jr., Ohio State's Emeka Egbuka posted WR1 numbers (74 catches for 1,151 yards and 10 TDs). Unbelievable. Kyle McCord has ELITE weapons.

WR - Tyrese Chambers, Maryland

After the top two Ohio State receivers, there's usually a slight dip in talent at the position in the conference, and this season the dip seems to be much more than a slight one. Maryland's Tyrese Chambers tops the list of the remaining Big 10 wideouts after transferring in from FIU, and will look to make a name for himself against Power 5 competition. Minnesota's Chris Autman-Bell and Michigan's Cornelius Johnson were two other top names considered. (Check out this link for a position ranking from College Football Network: https://collegefootballnetwork.com/big-ten-wr-rankings-2023/)

TE - Brevyn Spann-Ford, Minnesota

In his five years at Minnesota, Brevyn Spann-Ford has yet to reach 500 receiving yards or catch more than 2 touchdowns in a season. So, why is he the choice here? Well, he's big. There aren't many people in the world who are 6'7" and 270 lbs, and there are even fewer who are proven receiving threats that can also be a force in the run-blocking game.

LT - Olumuyiwa Fashanu, Penn State

Penn State's Olu Fashanu could've chosen to declare for the 2023 NFL Draft and likely would've been taken early in the first round (potentially as early as #3 overall). He's a beast, and will likely be one of the best offensive tackles in the nation again this season.

LG - Donovan Jackson, Ohio State

On an offensive line with three 2023 NFL draft picks (including #6 overall Paris Johnson Jr.), Ohio State's Donovan Jackson was arguably the best of the bunch last year. His return to a mostly inexperienced O-line should help the Buckeyes' transition at quarterback be a lot smoother.

C - Anyone not named Logan Jones

Honestly, the Big 10 lost all of its proven talent at center over the past two drafts, so I can see pretty much anyone other than Iowa's Logan Jones taking this spot.

RG - Connor Colby, Iowa

Iowa makes good offensive linemen. It's what they do. Despite their recent struggles up front as a unit, Connor Colby has emerged as a fine player who could very quickly enter conversation for the Outland trophy, the award for the nation's top interior lineman, this season.

RT - Jack Nelson, Wisconsin

Wisconsin's Jack Nelson is a really solid football player. If Olu Fashanu had gone to the NFL, Nelson would've likely been my pick on the left side, as that's his position at Wisconsin. The two aren't on the same level, but I would still confidently say Nelson is the best of the rest.

Defense

DE - J.T. Tuimoloau, Ohio State

Ohio State's J.T. Tuimoloau has the size (6'4", 270 lbs.) and to play both inside or out on the edge, and can even drop back into coverage and hold his own if needed. He should be the biggest problem up front facing most Big 10 offensive coordinators next season.

NT - Keith Randolph Jr., Illinois

The biggest boy on Illinois's defensive line, Keith Randolph Jr. has recorded 8.5 sacks, 2 pass deflections and 2 interceptions over the past two seasons.

DT - Jer'Zhan Newton, Illinois

Illinois's Jer'Zhan Newton was the cornerstone of one of the conference's top defenses last season, and has legit top-10 draft pick potential next spring if he continues to dominate. Ohio State's Michael Hall Jr., Michigan's Kris Jenkins and Iowa's Logan Lee were also in the mix.

LE - Deontae Craig, Iowa

An unspoken talent up front for arguably the best defense in the conference last season, Iowa's Deontae Craig earned the nod here at left end after taking down opposing quarterbacks 7.5 times in 2022 (2nd-most in the Big 10 behind 4th-round Pittsburgh Steeler draft pick Nick Herbig of Wisconsin). Teammate Joe Evans, as well as Penn State's Chop Robinson and Ohio State's Jack Sawyer, were also considered.

MLB - Tommy Eichenberg, Ohio State

Ohio State's Tommy Eichenberg may not sound like an elite football player, and I wouldn't say he is. But he was a tackling machine last season (2nd in the conference with 120 total tackles), and is set to be the top off-ball linebacker in the Big 10 in 2023.

LOLB - Nick Jackson, Iowa

Iowa's next top linebacker, Nick Jackson, transferred in from Virginia following 3 back-to-back 100+ tackle seasons. He's got some big shoes to fill replacing top-20 NFL draft pick Jack Campbell, but he's a high-level player who can really shine in the middle of Phil Parker's defense.

ROLB - Junior Colson, Michigan

Michigan's Junior Colson was really solid as a sophomore last season, racking up 101 tackles and 2 sacks. If he takes another step up, I could see him becoming the best linebacker in the conference this year.

CB - Will Johnson, Michigan

Michigan's Will Johnson is a dang good football player. He's only been in college for one season, and didn't really break out statistically until toward the end of that season, but his size (6'3" and 190 lbs.) and clear skill already have him in the conversation as the best cornerback in the country. We'll get a more complete picture of what he can do next year as he enters a full-time starting job, but I expect him to capitalize in a big way on the few targets he gets per week this year.

CB - Kalen King, Penn State

Another elite Big 10 East cover corner, Penn State's Kalen King took advantage of the opportunities he was given opposite 2022 2nd-round draft pick Joey Porter Jr. to the tune of 3 interceptions and a jaw-dropping 15 passes defended last year. With Porter Jr. now taking up residence in the Pittsburgh Steelers' secondary, King will likely not receive the same kind of attention he did last year from opposing quarterbacks, but expect him to still produce at a high level this season. I didn't really consider anyone else for either of these spots, but watch out for Iowa's Jermari Harris and Ohio State's Denzel Burke.

DB - Cooper DeJean, Iowa

One of the top defenders in all of college football, Iowa's Cooper DeJean can line up anywhere in the defensive secondary and perform as well as anyone in the country at that position. His talent and versatility show up both on tape and on the stat sheet, as DeJean finished last season 3rd on his team in tackles (75) and 1st in passes defended (8), and tied for 2nd in the conference in interceptions with 5.

FS - Rod Moore, Michigan

I wasn't really sold on anyone at safety other than Michigan's Rod Moore. Moore had a really solid season in 2023 with 71 total tackles and 4 interceptions. He's my top returning Big 10 safety, and has All-American upside.

SS - Xavier Nwankpa, Iowa

This one's more of a projection than most other picks on this list, but after watching Iowa's Xavier Nwankpa against Kentucky in the Music City Bowl, he could absolutely become the star of the Hawkeyes' defense (including DeJean) as soon as week 3 of this season. Another few guys I looked at on the back end of the defense are Iowa teammate Sebastian Castro, Ohio State's Lathan Ransom, and Minnesota's Tyler Nubin.