Big Ten football recruiting team rankings: Who has best signing day class?

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The Big Ten has caught up with the SEC. After winning back-to-back national titles and having No. 1 and No. 2 teams in the polls, the Big Ten is flexing.

And that includes in recruiting.

Through the first day of the early signing period ― which opened on Wednesday, Dec. 3 ― USC and Oregon are the top two teams in the 2026 recruiting team rankings, per 247Sports Composite Rankings. The Trojans have the No. 1 class for the first time since 2006.

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Along with those two, Ohio State ― the defending national champions ― is in the top 10, while Michigan and Washington ― the 2024 national championship matchup ― sit just outside the top 10.

As the 2026 early signing period is underway, here’s what you need to know about the recruiting efforts of the Big Ten’s 18 programs and what top players they’re bringing aboard:

Big Ten football recruiting team rankings

As of 5:30 p.m. ET Wednesday, Dec. 3, Big Ten programs accounted for three in the top 10, according to 247Sports’ Composite Rankings. Of the 18 teams in the league, 14 teams were in the top 55 of the rankings.

Meanwhile, following the firing of coach James Franklin two months ago, Penn State has not hired a replacement and is struggling with just two signees through the first day of the early signing period.

Here’s a look at how Big Ten programs measure up in their 2026 recruiting class, in the order of their national recruiting ranking (parentheses), heading into the early signing period:

  1. USC (1st)
  2. Oregon (2nd)
  3. Ohio State (7th)
  4. Michigan (11th)
  5. Washington (13th)
  6. Illinois (21st)
  7. Iowa (25th)
  8. Minnesota (26th)
  9. Indiana (31st)
  10. Michigan State (41st)
  11. Maryland (42nd)
  12. Rutgers (44th)
  13. Purdue (53rd)
  14. Northwestern (55th)
  15. Wisconsin (67th)
  16. UCLA (83rd)
  17. Nebraska (112th)
  18. Penn State (150th)

Big Ten football top-ranked recruits 2026 class

Of the top 50 recruits nationally according to 247Sports’ Composite Rankings, 17 have given a verbal commitment or signed a letter of intent to a Big Ten program, as of Wednesday, December 4.

Here’s a look at players in the top 25 of the rankings who have committed to a Big Ten program, along with their national recruiting ranking:

  • (6). EDGE Carter Meadows, Michigan
  • (8). RB Savion Hiter, Michigan*
  • (10). WR Chris Henry Jr., Ohio State*
  • (16). IOL Immanuel Iheanacho, Oregon
  • (18). TE Keandre Harrison, Oregon*
  • (19). OT Kodi Greene, Washington
  • (22). WR Jalen Lott, Oregon*
  • (23). TE Mark Bowman, USC
  • (26). EDGE Anthony Jones, Oregon
  • (36). S Jett Washington, Oregon*
  • (39). WR Ethan Foster, USC
  • (42). DL Khary Wilder, Ohio State
  • (44) EDGE Luke Wafle, USC
  • (46). CB Elbert Hill, USC
  • (47). S Davon Benjamin, Oregon
  • (48). DL Jaimeon Winfield, USC
  • (50). LB Cincere Johnson, Ohio State

* indicates not signed letter of intent as of Wednesday, Dec. 3

This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Football signing day Big 10 recruiting class team rankings 2026

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