The Big Ten will be without college football this fall after conference presidents and chancellors voted Tuesday to postpone all fall sports seasons, including football, amid the coronavirus pandemic with the hopes of playing in the spring.
With the college football season now in doubt and in the NFL Draft in the spring, here are 11 Big Ten standouts the should Eagles target:
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1. Rondale Moore, WR, Purdue
A 5-foot-9 dynamo, Moore committed to Purdue during the U.S. Army All-American Bowl after changing his mind about Texas.
Moore recorded 1,164 receiving yards and 203 rushing yards to go along with thirteen combined touchdowns. Moore’s 2,048 all-purpose yards were the most since Dorien Bryant recorded 2,121 in 2007, and the second-most in Purdue history.
Moore only played in four games last season but is still projected to be a first-round pick.
2. Rashod Bateman, WR, Minnesota
A stud in 2019, Bateman had had 60 receptions for 1,219 yards and 11 touchdowns as a sophomore, averaging 20.3 yards per catch.
In a 31-26 Minnesota win over Penn State, Bateman went for 203 yards. A physical specimen in the mold of Alshon Jeffery, Bateman has very good hands and the ability to pick up yardage after the catch.
3. Nico Collins, Wide Receiver, Michigan
Extremely explosive, with great quickness coming off the ball, Collins was set to be next in a great lineage of Wolverines wide receivers and even switched to the coveted No. 1 jersey for the upcoming season.
Standing 6-foot-4 and weighing more than 220 pounds, Collins would be the perfect replacement for Alshon Jeffery after He led the Wolverines in receiving touchdowns and was second in the Big Ten in yards per reception, averaging 19.7.
4. Kwity Paye, Edge Rusher, Michigan
A freak athlete, Paye is only scratching the surface of what he could become and after earning a 77.8 pass-rushing grade in 2019, he could replace Brandon Graham on the edge, continuing the Michigan tradition.
5. Chris Olave, Ohio State, Wide Receiver
Next in the line of great Ohio State wide receivers, Olave went from 3-star receiver to stud Big-10 star. After putting up big numbers alongside K.J. Hill in 2019, the spotlight will shine on Olave in 2020.
Last season Olave finished the year with 48 catches for 849 yards and 12 touchdowns and his Ohio State pedigree makes him a must scout for teams looking for sure-fire talent on the outside.
6. Wyatt Davis, Ohio State, Guard
The Buckeyes had the best guard tandem in the nation last season, as Davis and Jonah Jackson didn’t allow a single sack or hit all season. Davis has all the physical tools as well.
7. SHAUN WADE, CB, OHIO STATE
A slot cornerback at Ohio State who projects to move outside in the NFL, Wade was one of the top cornerbacks in college football last season while playing next to Jeff Okudah.
A likely first-round pick in 2019 had he declared, Wade is versatile, athletic, and a reliable tackler.
8. TYLER LINDERBAUM, Center, IOWA
An athletic marvel along the offensive line, Linderbaum earned an 81.7 overall grade for the Hawkeyes last season after transitioning from the defensive line previously. With Jason Kelce on a year-to-year basis, he could be a solid mid-round pick.
9. JAYSON OWEH, DE, PENN STATE
Another athletic edge defender who could shoot up draft boards, Oweh runs the 40-yard dash in the 4.3s at 257 pounds, he earned an 81.8 pass-rushing grade on just 207 pass-rushing snaps in a reserve role.
10. Aidan Hutchinson, Michigan, Edge Rusher
Hutchinson gave Buccaneers first-round pick Tristan Wirfs fits last season when he totaled seven pressures against Iowa. A tough and versatile athlete, Hutchinson can kick inside and still produce.
11. Josh Myers | OL | Ohio State
Myers was a unanimous 4-star offensive lineman and committed to Ohio State as a sophomore in High School after initially receiving a scholarship offer from Ohio State in the 9th grade. Myers was a captain and a member of college football’s top offensive line.
