The Big Ten East is a very top-heavy division in terms of recruiting with powers like Michigan, Ohio State, and Penn State commanding the top incoming talent. Schools like Michigan State and Maryland have a middle tier to themselves while Indiana and Rutgers bring up the rear in terms of incoming talent. (All rankings provided in this article are via 247Sports composite rankings)
Quarterbacks:
(Name, School, Ht., Wt., 247 Comp. Rating)
Cade McNamara, Michigan, 6’1”, 206, 0.9052
The Wolverines welcomed McNamara to school this winter as an early enrollee. The one-time Notre Dame commit set the Nevada state record for career passing yards and touchdowns. McNamara also became the first-ever Nevada player to win the Gatorade Player of the Year award in back-to-back seasons. He enters a loaded Michigan quarterback room with the likes of Shea Patterson, Dylan McCaffrey, and Joe Milton. Playing time in his first couple of years will most likely be sparse. He displays good arm strength and touch on balls down the field. McNamara plays with great toughness and willingness to stick in the pocket and take a big hit to make his throw. He shows good mobility in the pocket and can evade pass rushers, doesn’t tuck the ball and run often.
Ta’Quan Roberson, Penn State, 6’0”, 185, 0.9045
Roberson is one of two 4-star quarterbacks to sign with the Nittany Lions in the 2019 recruiting class. The New Jersey native is a dual-threat that should be an easy fit in the Penn State offense. Roberson is an above-average runner. While he isn’t a burner, he has plenty of ability to be a force running the ball in college. He shows good accuracy, but a lot of his completions are to wide-open pass catchers. Roberson will face a transition at the next level with tighter throwing windows. With above-average arm strength, he can improve with some time in the weight room. Roberson has the potential to be a starter down the road. However, he will probably have more value as a college fantasy football producer than in Devy leagues due to his running ability.
Lance LeGendre, Maryland, 6’2”, 205, 0.9036
In a bit of a signing day surprise, LeGendre spurned Florida State and picked Maryland. Mike Locksley went all the way down to New Orleans to bring in Josh Jackson’s successor as the head signal-caller. Ranked as the 9th best dual-threat quarterback, LeGendre brings more to the table than the previous two quarterbacks. He shows more top-end speed than Roberson to go along with his running ability. Displaying good arm strength and accuracy, he is a much more advanced passer than Roberson. LeGendre has the potential to be a really good college fantasy producer with his dual-threat ability. Josh Jackson has two more seasons of eligibility before he will get his chance to start. After getting to learn for two seasons, LeGendre has the potential to be one of the better Big Ten quarterbacks when he’s able to become the starter for Maryland.
Running Backs:
Zach Charbonnet, Michigan, 6’2”, 215, 0.9760
Charbonnet enters Michigan as the 4th ranked running back according to 247Sports, as well as the 2nd highest-rated player to sign in the entire Big 10 East division. He ended his high school career with 4,741 yards and 62 total touchdowns. After enrolling early, he was forced to miss spring ball after undergoing a minor knee procedure. After the departure of Karon Higdon and Chris Evans, Charbonnet will have the chance to see a lot of early playing time this fall. He will have the opportunity in the fall to snag the starting role. He’s one of the most college-ready backs to sign in 2019. A physically imposing and powerful runner teamed with good speed. One Michigan source was quoted on Charbonnet as saying “He looks like a linebacker but runs like a gazelle. He’s just different.” The California native has an extremely high ceiling and has the potential to be a highly coveted Devy prospect and college fantasy football producer.
Devyn Ford, Penn State, 5’11”, 195, 0.9643
Ford joins Penn State as one of two 4-star backs to sign with the Nittany Lions in the 2019 recruiting class. While he slots in just one spot behind Charbonnet in the 247Sports rankings, there is a much bigger talent gap between the two than just one spot. Nothing against Ford, but Charbonnet is on a different level. Ford is a decisive runner who runs with good toughness. However, he lacks long speed and playmaking ability. He’s a very solid college running back. I have questions about how much pro interest he will have with his lack of big-play ability. Ford was ranked just one spot ahead of Penn State’s other 4-star running back signee, Noah Cain. Cain is the back with the bigger pro potential.
Noah Cain, Penn State, 5’10”, 208, 0.9568
Cain joins Devyn Ford as incoming freshman backs for the Nittany Lions in 2019. Cain was able to enroll early and scored two touchdowns in the spring game. After two seasons at IMG Academy and a split workload with Trey Sanders, Cain will enter with low mileage on his body. Cain is a broad-shouldered back who already has college size and build. He has the ability and build to be a workhorse back receiving 20-25 touches a game. He lacks burst and a top-end gear, but he still possesses enough speed to become a top-level running back at college. Cain has a higher ceiling than his fellow incoming back Devyn Ford for Devy and college football fantasy purposes.
Sampson James, Indiana, 6’1”, 211, 0.9255
The Indiana native comes to Bloomington as the Hoosiers’ highest-ranked recruit in this class. He was ranked as the 10th best running back according to 247Sports. He was a one-time Ohio State commit before flipping to the in-state Hoosiers. Indiana returns two highly ranked sophomores in Stevie Scott and Ronnie Walker, so playing time in the near future could be limited for James. As a runner, he shows off good north-south ability. Change of direction isn’t where he excels. He plays with above-average speed, James won’t be confused with a burner. If not for the returning backs in front of him, I could see James as an instant impact player for the Hoosiers.
Steele Chambers, Ohio State, 6’1”, 215, 0.9126
Chambers heads to Columbus as the 11th ranked athlete. He has the skills to play either running back or linebacker at Ohio State. The Buckeyes intend to start Chambers off on the offensive side of the ball, but you can’t rule out a change down the road. As a high schooler, Chambers rolled off three straight seasons with over 1,500 yards and 20 rushing touchdowns. Ohio State also added another 4-star running back in Florida native, Marcus Crowley. Crowley was able to enroll early so he’ll have a leg up on Chambers. A one-cut runner, he displays good downhill running ability. Lacks long speed and some explosion.
Wide Receivers:
Garrett Wilson, Ohio State, 5’11”, 175, 0.9903
Wilson was the second-ranked receiver in the entire country and the highest-ranked player to sign with a Big Ten East school. In his last two seasons of high school, Wilson accounted for 19 receiving TDs as a senior and he had 26 as a junior. After an impressive spring game that saw him haul in a dazzling TD grab, the buzz around Wilson exploded. Drawing some comparisons to Odell Beckham Jr., Wilson will look to carve out a role on a veteran-heavy receiver room in 2019. Wilson is a great athlete with good speed and great ability to play the ball in the air. He has really good hands and the ability to make circus catches with ease. Wilson has star potential and has future NFL first-rounder written all over him if he can develop as he’s expected too.
Jameson Williams, Ohio State, 6’1”, 169, 0.9621
The Ohio State Buckeyes were able to sign the two highest-ranked receivers among Big Ten East teams. Williams comes as the 13th ranked wideout and the top player from the state of Missouri. As a senior in St. Louis, Williams had a monstrous 68/1626/24 season. He holds the Missouri state record in the 300-meter hurdles, which was previously held by former Buckeye Ezekiel Elliott. Williams is an electric playmaker, he is a threat to score anytime he touches the ball. He possesses elite speed and burst. Once he gets on campus he will need to gain weight and strength because his current build is extremely skinny. Williams will have the opportunity to play early in his career with returning kicks.
John Dunmore, Penn State, 6’2”, 172, 0.9469
Dunmore signed with Penn State as the 20th ranked wide receiver and landed just outside of the nation’s top 100. Dunmore is a small, explosive wide receiver. He has the skills of a future slot receiver for the Nittany Lions. He needs to improve his weight and strength as he has a very fragile build. He was able to destroy high school DBs on double moves and has the potential to be a vertical threat early in his career. Since the Nittany Lions signed a highly regarded receiving corps one season ago, Dunmore might struggle to see the field in 2019.
Cornelius Johnson, Michigan, 6’2”, 195, 0.9294
The top-ranked player in the state of Connecticut finds his way to Ann Arbor, Michigan. Ranked as a top-30 wide receiver and just inside the top 200. Johnson has one of the top SPARQ scores at the WR position for his class. He had a vertical jump of 36.7″ and ran a 4.58 40-yard dash. His size and athletic ability differentiate him from most WRs in his class. This also allows him to have one of the best catch radii in his class. Michigan returns Donovan Peoples-Jones, Nico Collins, and Tarik Black in 2019, so playing time should be limited for Johnson. All three of the upperclassmen will have the option to enter the NFL Draft following 2019. Then, Johnson should face a much more friendly depth chart come 2020.
Isaiah Hazel, Maryland, 6’1”, 190, 0.9134
Hazel finds himself at the University of Maryland after being a long-time West Virginia commit. He was the first player to commit to the new coaching staff. Ranked as the 33rd best wide receiver in the country, Hazel was the highest rank offensive recruit in the 2019 Maryland class. He has a good frame to build upon, with a very solid build already. Having above-average speed and playmaking ability, Hazel is able to use his body to his advantage to defeat defenders at the catch point. Hazel will look to build a rapport with incoming QB Lance LeGendre as both look to be the future of the Maryland offense.
Tight Ends:
Erick All, Michigan, 6’4”, 225, 0.8937
All signs with the Wolverines as the 13th ranked TE in the nation. The Ohio native finished his senior season with 30/465/4. He enrolled early at Michigan and was able to participate in spring practice. As a tall, lanky pass-catching tight end with the skills to flex-out wide on a regular basis, he shows good speed and athletic ability for a TE. While All displays a willingness to block, he needs to bulk up and add strength before he’ll be an effective blocker at the Division 1 level.
Brenton Strange, Penn State, 6’5”, 210, 0.8935
Penn State signed a player with great potential with the addition of the 14th ranked TE in the nation. A one-time under the radar recruit, Brenton Strange blew up the summer prior to his senior year, once he made his way to team camps. After, he received offers from Ohio State, Notre Dame, and Penn State over a month-long stretch. Strange capped off his high school career with a big senior year that saw him haul in 65/1083/9. Strange is very lanky and needs to add a lot of weight. Penn State is known for its strength and conditioning program so that shouldn’t be a big issue. One of the more athletically gifted TEs in this class, Strange has great potential if he can put it all together. He has the chance to be a difference maker as a pass-catching TE.
Cormontae Hamilton, Ohio State, 6’1”, 246, 0.8754
The Buckeyes dipped into Memphis to pluck Hamilton away from Louisville. Ranked as the 25th best TE in the country, Hamilton brings a unique skillset to Ohio State. 6’1” is not a typo, the 3-star signee lacks ideal size and length at the TE position. However, Hamilton has a stout build with a very thick lower body. He has the skills to flex out wide and line up as an inline tight end. Hamilton displays good burst when running with the ball, but he lacks long speed. As a senior, he caught 18 balls for 248 yards. It will be interesting to see how he’s used in Ohio State’s offense once he sees the field. Playing time will be limited his first couple years on campus.
