The 3 most intriguing people appearing at Big Ten Media Days

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Media days have served as an appetizer for college football fans who have waited all spring and summer for something to sink their teeth into. Certain players and coaches have shared interesting tidbits, while others have leaned on player and coach speak to move things along.

The Big Ten takes center stage this week, and three people stand out as the most compelling on the dais.

WR Jeremiah Smith, Ohio State

Of course, fans are at the mercy of the nature of questions asked to players and coaches at media days, but there's a lot to think about when it comes to Smith and his upcoming campaign. He's led the Big Ten in receiving yards in each of the last two seasons, and it's fun to think about what he thinks he can do with an encore.

With Carnell Tate now in the NFL, is it possible that Smith could completely break any sensible projection this season if Julian Sayin feeds him even more passes?

Additionally, there's a real chance that Smith could be selected in the top three of next year's NFL draft. Will he change his style of play to avoid contact this year in hopes of remaining healthy for the draft? Is there anything he feels like he can improve on despite an exceptional start to his college football career?

QB Nico Iamaleava, UCLA

UCLA may be flying under the radar a little bit in the Big Ten, but it'll be interesting to hear from Iamaleava in his second season with the Bruins.

College football fans remember the highly publicized NIL dispute the quarterback had with Tennessee, which opened the door for his transfer to UCLA. Despite what fans or Iamaleava himself thinks he's worth, expectations that he can take UCLA another step forward are very real.

This is his second season with the Bruins, which should allow him to be more comfortable, but he's playing under new head coach Bob Chesney. Given all of this, it would be interesting to hear Iamaleava talk about his thought process and comfort level at UCLA ahead of the 2026 campaign.

Head Coach Curt Cignetti, Indiana

Finally, fans can look forward to the remarks of Cignetti, who will kick off the proceedings on Thursday. The Hoosiers are the defending champions and will have to defend their crown without the likes of Fernando Mendoza, who is now a Las Vegas Raider.

Cignetti has not been shy about answering questions honestly and colorfully this offseason, which gives fans real hope that he might say something amusing this week. Additionally, it will be worth hearing Cignetti talk about the challenge of being the hunted rather than the hunter, and whether his game plan will change due to the change in personnel.

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