College football recruiting: Top 2027 commits in the Big Ten
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The Big Ten will begin its hunt for a fourth national championship in a row this fall. The conference also continues to recruit at an impressive level.
Seven Big Ten teams currently hold a top-25 class in the 2027 cycle, according to the Rivals Industry Team Recruiting Rankings. That includes Oregon, Ohio State and Michigan, all three of which are featured in the top 10.
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Of the 30 committed five-star recruits in the class — per the Rivals Industry Ranking — six have chosen a Big Ten school. An additional eight commits are inside the top 50 of the rankings, as of July 7.
Rivals breaks down the top commits in the Big Ten as football season nears:
Five-Star Plus+ EDGE David Jacobs — Ohio State
Rivals Industry Ranking: No. 4 NATL. (No. 1 EDGE)
School: Blessed Trinity Catholic (Ga.)
Committed Since: Dec. 29, 2025
In what remains likely the biggest surprise of the 2027 cycle, Jacobs made a last-second switch from Miami to Ohio State on the night of Dec. 29. The Hurricanes were trending heavily, but the Buckeyes hadn’t gone away, either. Most were caught off guard when he made the call for Ryan Day and Co.
But even after he pledged, he told Rivals’ Chad Simmons that his first pledge didn’t signal the end of his recruitment:
“Recruiting is never over, so we’ll see who really wants me and who will fight for me. Ohio State is a top program. Miami is a great school and I feel very valued by them. You have Georgia and A&M too.”
Jacobs is a Georgia legacy recruit. Miami has pulled off some stunning flips already this cycle. It won’t be over until pen hits paper and Ohio State knows that. That being said, however, Jacobs has not been centered around the primary flip buzz this summer.
5-star ATH Honor Fa’alave-Johnson — USC
Rivals Industry Ranking: No. 13 NATL. (No. 1 ATH)
School: Cathedral Catholic (Calif.)
Committed Since: March 14
Lincoln Riley and the Trojans are not taking a large class this cycle, but the top-ranked commits in the mix are massive. Headlining the class is Fa’alave-Johnson, a do-it-all two-way playmaker who’s also the No. 2 recruit in California.
He could line up at running back, wide receiver or defensive back at the next level. USC has a dynamic athlete on its hands and he’s had his sights set on staying in SoCal for some time.
“It’s something that I was born with – staying loyal to where I’m from,” Fa’alave-Johnson told Rivals’ Adam Gorney. “There’s no reason to change anything. All the stuff is still coming my way so why change? I could go to LA and put on from where I’m from and put on for the city.”
5-star WR Jamier Brown — Ohio State
Rivals Industry Ranking: No. 15 NATL. (No. 3 WR)
School: Big Walnut (Ohio)
Committed Since: Nov. 23, 2024
Ohio State has been the program most synonymous with landing big commitments early on in a cycle and Brown is a prime example. He made his pledge to Day, then-position coach Brian Hartline and the Buckeyes during his sophomore season.
Hartline has since departed for USF, but Brown remains solid with the in-state powerhouse. His recruitment has been shut down for some time and he also remains the No. 1 recruit in the state of Ohio.
Rivals’ Scouting and Rankings Team says Brown reminds them of Parris Campbell.
“Identified as a top wide receiver prospect early in the cycle. Brown shows flashes of that speed on Friday nights. Has the ability to take the top off of defenses with a top gear that can separate against cornerbacks on vertical routes,” Charles Power wrote. “Does a nice job working back to the quarterback on broken plays. Dangerous with the ball in his hands and a threat to score every time he touches the ball. Combination of speed and filled out frame makes him tough for defenders to bring down.”
5-star EDGE Mekai Brown — USC
Rivals Industry Ranking: No. 22 NATL. (No. 4 EDGE)
School: Greenwich Country Day (Conn.)
Committed Since: April 17
USC has re-honed in on keeping top local talent home, but it has also continued to go after the best of the best from all over the country. Brown is one of the best set to come out of the Northeast and he had no shortage of suitors.
The 6-foot-6, 235-pounder took a heap of visits throughout the fall, spring and summer. Ohio State, Texas A&M and Notre Dame were among the other contenders, but Brown got that feeling after a visit to USC in March. The Trojans swiped the momentum from there and didn’t look back.
“Development, where the program is going and the leadership all stood out,” Brown told Rivals’ Chad Simmons about his decision. “When I talked with the staff, they made it clear USC is about more than just football.”
Rivals first tabbed Brown as a five-star back in the spring. He’s now the No. 17 player in the Rivals300 and headlines a top-10 class for USC alongside Fa’alave-Johnson.
5-star EDGE Rashad Streets — Oregon
Rivals Industry Ranking: No. 28 NATL. (No. 7 EDGE)
School: Millbrook (N.C.)
Committed Since: April 3
It’s as tough as ever to use the location of Eugene, Oregon against Dan Lanning and the Ducks on the trail. As they continue their push for a national title, the program continues to land elite prospects from all over the country.
Streets chose Oregon over Ohio State a few months ago. He had made the cross-country trip to the Pacific Northwest multiple times before coming to his decision and he’s enamored with his future under the Ducks staff.
“I think what really excites me is the energy around the program from the coaches, players, and even fan base,” Streets previously told Rivals. “You can just feel it.”
Streets was a top-100 prospect upon making his pledge. He’s since vaulted up the rankings and recently obtained five-star status.
5-star WR Xavier Sabb — Oregon
Rivals Industry Ranking: No. 32 NATL. (No. 5 WR)
School: Glassboro (N.J.)
Committed Since: July 3
Like Streets, being more than 2,400 miles away from home didn’t stop Sabb from choosing Oregon. The No. 2 player in New Jersey had been trending toward the Ducks for a while and he finally joined the class last week.
LSU, Georgia, Tennessee and more were fighting for the elite pass-catcher, too, but Oregon has been after Sabb for a long time. Early conversations eventually paid off for Lanning.
“Mainly what drove my decision is the relationship I’ve developed with Coach Lanning,” Sabb told Rivals’ Steve Wiltfong. “He’s been recruiting me since I was in the eighth grade. He has always been welcoming to me and my family.”
Sabb and Streets now sit atop a class that checks in at No. 3 in the Rivals Industry Team Recruiting Rankings.
4-star CB Juju Johnson — UCLA
Rivals Industry Ranking: No. 33 NATL. (No. 5 CB)
School: Long Beach Poly (Calif.)
Committed Since: May 2
Bob Chesney is making a splash on the recruiting trail before coaching his first game in Westwood. UCLA currently has the No. 17 class in the nation and Johnson is the headliner.
The 5-foot-11 playmaker has seen his stock soar ahead of his senior season and is now on the cusp of five-star status. He was a one-time Oklahoma lean, but the Bruins picked up steam with the in-state standout and eventually landed his commitment in May.
“I’m very excited to be a Bruin,” Johnson told Rivals’ Greg Biggins. “They have a good thing going right now, there’s a new energy and they’re building something special and I want to be a part of that.”
Johnson missed his junior season due to injury but is primed for a massive fall. He plays both sides of the ball and could even be a receiver at the next level.
4-star DL Marcus Fakatou — Ohio State
Rivals Industry Ranking: No. 34 NATL. (No. 2 DL)
School: Sierra Canyon (Calif.)
Committed Since: June 29
One of the more hotly-contested recruitments of the cycle, Fakatou was not shy about naming multiple leaders and top contenders throughout his process. He gushed about visits and developed great relationships with staffs across the country.
Ultimately, it came down to Ohio State, Texas and Georgia. The relationships and development history in Columbus won out in the end.
“There were a lot of reasons why I liked Ohio State,” Fakatou told Rivals’ Greg Biggins. “I’ve said from day one that development was going to be the biggest factor for me and there’s not a better DL coach in the country than Larry Johnson.”
4-star QB Trae Taylor — Nebraska
Rivals Industry Ranking: No. 38 NATL. (No. 2 QB)
School: Millard South (Neb.)
Committed Since: May 1, 2025
Taylor was identified early as Nebraska’s top quarterback target and he felt the love from the get-go. That led him to an early commitment. Since then, the blue-chipper has been the most vocal player recruiter in the nation.
“The biggest statement that people always say, but isn’t put out there enough: I want to bring Nebraska back again,” Taylor told Rivals’ Josh Newberg this spring. “Everybody says that but they always have their different reasons. It’s not because of the winning — obviously, in order to bring Nebraska back you have to win. I think the biggest thing…the culture, it’s a blue-chip school. Everybody knows about it from the 90s, let’s make it relevant in the (2020s).”
Taylor earned Rivals’ Elite 11 Finals MVP honors this summer. He’s moving from Illinois to Nebraska for his senior season this fall. He’s closing in on five-star status and has been a catalyst for the Huskers and head coach Matt Rhule.
Rivals Director of Scouting and Rankings Charles Power remains high on Taylor: “He looks like one of the top quarterbacks in the cycle entering his senior season with the upside to develop into an early round draft pick.”
4-star WR Dakota Guerrant — Oregon
Rivals Industry Ranking: No. 42 NATL. (No. 7 WR)
School: Harper Woods (Mich.)
Committed Since: June 16
Oregon receivers coach Ross Douglas is one of the best recruiters at the position and he’s got quite the duo locked in with the Ducks this cycle. Sabb’s commitment came a few weeks after Guerrant, the No. 1 recruit in Michigan, locked in.
The usual Midwest suspects were heavily in the mix for Guerrant, but Oregon was trending for some time this spring and summer. As dominoes continued to drop, he opted to make the call and is also hoping to make an immediate splash in 2027.
“Dakota is one of the more polished, skilled receivers to come out of the Midwest in recent cycles,” Rivals’ Allen Trieu wrote. “He has elite ball skills, body control and a competitiveness that is always there but shows up in clutch moments. He profiles as a recruit who can step in and make an immediate impact because of those qualities.”
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