College football recruiting rankings: USC, Oregon lead Big Ten in early signing period
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The Big Ten Conference has caught up with the SEC in college football.
The 18-team league has won back-to-back national titles while adding the runner-up Washington in 2024 and annual College Football Playoff contender Oregon to the mix. Now the Big Ten has caught up to the supposed powerhouse conference of the sport in recruiting.
Through the first day of the early signing period ― which opened on Wednesday, Dec. 3 ― Southern California and Oregon are the top two teams in the 2026 recruiting team rankings, per 247Sports. The Trojans have the No. 1 class for the first time since 2006.
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 rankings
As of 5:30 p.m. ET on Wednesday, Dec. 4, Big Ten programs accounted for a remarkable five of the top 13 recruiting classes in the FBS, including 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. Newer Big Ten powers USC and Oregon notched the top two positions in the rankings, while Ohio State has had another stealth performance with a top-ten ranking.
Meanwhile, following the firing of head coach James Franklin two months ago, Penn State has not hired a football coach and is struggling with two signees through the first day of the early signing period.
Here’s a look at how Big Ten programs measure up in their 2025 recruiting class, in the order of their national recruiting ranking, heading into the early signing period:
- 1. USC
- 2. Oregon
- 7. Ohio State
- 11. Michigan
- 13. Washington
- 21. Illinois
- 25. Iowa
- 26. Minnesota
- 31. Indiana
- 41. Michigan State
- 42. Maryland
- 44. Rutgers
- 53. Purdue
- 55. Northwestern
- 67. Wisconsin
- 83. UCLA
- 112. Nebraska
- 150. Penn State
Big Ten football best recruits
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
When is the early signing period for college football?
The early signing period for the 2026 recruiting class begins on Wednesday, Dec. 3 and runs through Friday, Dec. 5.
Last season, it ran from Dec. 4 through Dec. 6, and from Dec. 20 through Dec. 22 in 2024. The early signing period was moved up in March to avoid overlapping with the opening of the transfer portal window.
This article originally appeared on Detroit Free Press: College football recruiting rankings: USC, Oregon lead Big Ten
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