College football recruiting: Top early commits in the Big Ten for the 2027 class

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After winning a third national championship in a row, the Big Ten is on top of the college football world. The conference has long been recruiting at an elite level and that isn’t changing in the 2027 cycle.

Of the top 100 prospects in the Rivals Industry Ranking — a weighted average that utilizes all major recruiting media companies — nine are committed to Big Ten schools. That includes a trio of five-stars. Ohio State currently leads the way with a pair of five-star pledges and a class that ranks No. 2 nationally early on.

Commitments will begin to flow as spring visit season rolls on. Rivals is breaking down the top early commitments in the Big Ten.

EDGE David Jacobs — Ohio State

Rivals Industry Ranking: No. 3
Rivals300 Ranking: No. 12
247Sports: No. 1
ESPN: No. 4
School: Blessed Trinity Catholic (Roswell, Ga.)
Scouting Summary: “Athletically gifted EDGE defender who thrives as an edge setter in the run game and is a multi-faceted pass rusher. Verified 6-foot-5, 235-pound defender with excellent bend and hand usage. In the run game, he is violent with his hands when shocking blockers at the point of attack. As a rusher, he wins with a great burst off the line of scrimmage that lets him get vertical in a hurry to blow by tackles with speed. But he can also convert that speed to power and bull pass protectors into the quarterback. He will need to continue harnessing his ability to gain leverage due to his below-average length, but Jacobs has the physical tools and tenacity to be an immediate impact player the moment he steps on campus. Possesses the play strength and athleticism to develop into a dominant three-down defender at the next level that can stand up or play with his hand in the dirt along the defensive front.”

WR Jamier Brown — Ohio State

Rivals Industry Ranking: No. 17
Rivals300 Ranking: No. 48
247Sports: No. 20
ESPN: No. 9
School: Big Walnut (Sunbury, Ohio)
The Skinny: The five-star pass-catcher has already been committed to Ohio State for over a year. He made his pledge on Nov. 23, 2024 and has shown no signs of backing off since, even with the departure of Brian Hartline. The Buckeyes inked five-star WR Chris Henry Jr. after a long-standing commitment and they’ll now hope to do the same with Brown. He’s the top-ranked prospect in Ohio.

ATH Honor Fa’alave-Johnson — USC

Rivals Industry Ranking: No. 18
Rivals300 Ranking: No. 36
247Sports: No. 22
ESPN: No. 19
School: Cathedral Catholic (San Diego, Calif.)
Scouting Summary: “Fa’alave-Johnson is one of the more unique athletes to come out of the West in some time and could legitimately play four positions at the college level. He was recruited primarily as a running back and safety but we’ve seen him play receiver and corner and he’s very capable at those two positions as well. He’s a true home run threat at running back with explosive speed and 22.76 MPH on the GPS as a junior. He has some power to him as well, excellent contact balance and can run through would be tacklers. At safety, he’s smart, rangy, has excellent ball skills and plays with a mean streak. He has an edge in his game and is one of those players you love on your team but hate to play against. He brings special teams value as a return man as well and has all the talent to compete for playing time immediately at the college level.”

S Tory Pittman — Nebraska

Rivals Industry Ranking: No. 55
Rivals300 Ranking: No. 43
247Sports: No. 102
ESPN: No. 29
School: Millard North (Omaha, Neb.)
The Skinny: The consensus top recruit in Nebraska, Pittman headlines what is currently a top-10 class for Matt Rhule and the Huskers. He gave his pledge back in August 2025 to NU over Miami, Notre Dame, and a host of other programs. And now they’ll have to hold onto the Omaha Central standout, who finished his junior campaign with 68 tackles and three interceptions. On the offensive side, he hauled in 16 passes for 277 yards and a whopping seven touchdowns.

WR Quentin Hale — USC

Rivals Industry Ranking: No. 57
Rivals300 Ranking: No. 98
247Sports: No. 50
ESPN: No. 58
School: Centennial (Corona, Calif.)
Hale on his commitment: “As a kid, I grew up watching SC,” Hale told Rivals. “It was my favorite college. It was my favorite college for a long time. It’s home … “They just kept the relationship going for a long time, it was consistent. (Dennis) Simmons came, watched me practice one-on-one, just run routes. He did a lot that other receiver coaches didn’t do.”

QB Trae Taylor — Nebraska

Rivals Industry Ranking: No. 59
Rivals300 Ranking: No. 71
247Sports: No. 37
ESPN: No. 101
School: Millard South (Omaha, Neb.)
The Skinny: Another standout originally from the Prairie State, Taylor is one who has been on the national scene going back a few years. Securing his commitment back in May 2025 was a huge boon for the Huskers, who have used that momentum to build one of the country’s top 10 recruiting classes early this cycle. In January, Taylor announced he would be moving from Illinois to Omaha to play at state powerhouse Millard South and be closer to Lincoln as he begins preparation for his college career.

IOL Kellen Wymer — Ohio State

Rivals Industry Ranking: No. 60
Rivals300 Ranking: No. 31
247Sports: No. 44
ESPN: No. 253
School: Liberty Center (Liberty Center, Ohio)
Scouting Summary: “Wymer is an elite athlete on the offensive line. I think there’s a case to be made that he might be the most natural mover and explosive mover of all the offensive linemen nationally. He can really, really scoot at the second level. This is a guy who is at his best when he’s pulling and getting on linebackers and he runs like a tight end. There’s a ton to like there, and we feel like as he continues to get bigger and stronger, there’s just so much upside just with his natural athleticism and movement skills.”

CB Aaryn Washington — USC

Rivals Industry Ranking: No. 87
Rivals300 Ranking: No. 224
247Sports: No. 67
ESPN: No. 100
School: IMG Academy (Bradenton, Fla.)
Washington on his commitment: “There were a lot of reasons why I chose USC,” Washington told Rivals. “It’s the local school for me and I have a great relationship with the entire coaching staff … “I’ve been to USC a number of times and it always feels like home. We have a nice little run on Mater Dei (Washington was previously at Mater Dei before transferring) players going to USC right now. We’re trying to build this pipeline and I’m very excited to be a part of that and a part of making USC special.”

DL Zane Rowe — Oregon

Rivals Industry Ranking: No. 100
Rivals300 Ranking: No. 193
247Sports: No. 93
ESPN: No. 117
School: Guyer (Denton, Texas)
Rowe on his commitment: “Coach Lanning’s whole backstory, how he got into coaching and then earned the head coaching job — that speaks volumes. That’s a lot of great resilience on his part; he knows what it feels like to be at the bottom and work your way up,” Rowe told Rivals. “Their scheme and they’re playing with big ends, and I really enjoy that, and also their scheme versatility. Along with the academics and outside part, my mom and dad feel really comfortable with me going to Oregon.”

EDGE Recarder Kitchen — Michigan

Rivals Industry Ranking: No. 119
Rivals300 Ranking: No. 154
247Sports: No. 137
ESPN: No. 145
School: Muskegon (Muskegon, Mich.)
Kitchen on Michigan: “The relationship, the tradition and the bond,” Kitchen told Rivals. “They’re the ones doing the main thing I’m looking for in a college which is relationships. It’s more than football. I want to know who’s going to build me as a man. They’re always talking to me and checking up on stuff outside of football.”

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