Post 2026 transfer portal Big Ten power rankings
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It’s almost February. The 2025 season has long been in the rearview mirror for a majority of the teams in the Big Ten, minus the national title-winning Indiana Hoosiers and the Oregon Ducks, who fell flat on their face against said Hoosiers in the CFP Semifinal.
The transfer portal window has come and gone. Rosters are, for the most part, set for spring practices, fall camp, and, eventually, the 2026 season. Optimism is high.
That’s certainly the feeling for the Ducks, who brought in a quality transfer portal class to compliment the loads of returning contributors. The 2025 recruiting class, which saw a bunch of guys on the field in keys moments last season, will have another nine months to get even better. And to top it all off, the quarterback is back.
Dante Moore‘s return to Oregon, spurning the NFL for one more season in the process, shifted the landscape of the conference — and college football as a whole. Suddenly, the Ducks are Big Ten title contenders and national title contenders once again.
But do they claim the No. 1 spot in our latest Big Ten power rankings? Let’s check it out, complete with full analysis on every team in the conference and where they stand after the January transfer portal window.
18) Purdue Boilermakers
2025 Record: 2-10, 0-9 Big Ten
Analysis: Having gone winless in conference play in each of the last two seasons, the Boilermakers have to be in last place regardless of any offseason moves they made. Redshirt sophomore quarterback Ryan Browne had some promising moments last season, but subpar play at nearly every other position doomed Purdue from the start. Heading into 2026, they don’t project to be much better, if at all.
17) Michigan State Spartans
2025 Record: 4-8, 1-8 Big Ten
Jonathan Smith out, Pat Fitzgerald in for Michigan State at head coach. The former long-time Northwestern head man routinely fielded competitive teams during his 17-year tenure, but was fired after allegations of hazing. Smith couldn’t galvanize a roster that lacked talent last season and lost a lot of it via the transfer portal. It remains to be seen if Fitzgerald can turn it around, but it’s likely to be a multi-year process.
16) Maryland Terrapins
2025 Record: 4-8, 1-8 Big Ten
The most impactful move this offseason for the Terrapins was making sure true freshman quarterback Malik Washington didn’t enter the transfer portal. Luckily for them, he didn’t — but that doesn’t mean that the roster is close to being good enough to compete in the Big Ten next season. Washington was extremely underrated in 2025, throwing for nearly 3,000 yards and scoring 21 touchdowns versus nine interceptions. But even with improvement, he’s unlikely to be able to shoulder the load of an inept supporting cast around him.
15) Wisconsin Badgers
2025 Record: 4-8, 2-7 Big Ten
Head coach Luke Fickell kept his job despite two straight years of missing a bowl game and proving to be uncompetitive in Big Ten play. After a year of subpar quarterback play in which four passers combined to throw nine touchdowns and 13 interceptions, Old Dominion transfer Colton Joseph is expected to take the reins. He was dynamic for the Monarchs in two seasons as the starter, throwing for 4,251 yards and 32 touchdowns while rushing for 1,654 yards and 24 scores. How he fits into the pro-style attack that Fickell is trying to implement will be interesting to watch, but Joseph certainly brings some intrigue to a rather uninspiring Wisconsin program.
14) Rutgers Scarlet Knights
2025 Record: 5-7, 2-7 Big Ten
The Scarlet Knights are set to lose quarterback Athan Kaliakmanis and wide receiver KJ Duff, but they will return explosive running back Antwan Raymond and wide receiver KJ Duff. But the issue for Rutgers is on the defensive side of the ball, where they were a turnstile for the Big Ten’s best offenses. It was fitting that they finished the season with allowing 42 and 40 points to Ohio State and Penn State, respectively. They added a number of transfers on that side of the ball, and they’ll need to get acclimated and contribute right away next fall.
13) Nebraska Cornhuskers
2025 Record: 7-6, 4-5 Big Ten
Losing quarterback Dylan Raiola was tough to swallow for the Cornhuskers — especially when he decided to transfer within the conference and essentially sit out a year at Oregon behind Dante Moore. But perhaps the biggest loss was of running back Emmett Johnson, who had 1,451 yards and 12 touchdowns and decided to forego his final season of eligibility and enter the NFL draft. UNLV transfer Anthony Colandrea will fill the quarterback spot, but the running back spot remains a major question mark. Unless there’s a seismic change, it’s setting up for another 7-to-8-win season for head coach Matt Rhule.
12) Northwestern Wildcats
2025 Record: 7-6, 4-5 Big Ten
The Wildcats clawed their way to a winning record last season thanks to a stout defense and an offense that was painful to watch but somehow got it done behind quarterback Preston Stone. But with Stone gone, enter Michigan State transfer quarterback Aidan Chiles and former Oregon head coach and Ohio State offensive coordinator Chip Kelly, who will fill the same role that he did for the Buckeyes. The defense is expected to be tough once again, but improving on seven wins will likely come down to Kelly’s ability to jumpstart the offense.
11) Minnesota Golden Gophers
2025 Record: 8-5, 5-4 Big Ten
The Golden Gophers didn’t add any highly-rated players through the portal, instead opting for players to provide depth behind rising upperclassmen. Head coach PJ Fleck is counting on a second-year leap from quarterback Drake Lindsey, who was solid but unspectacular during his redshirt freshman campaign in 2025. Minnesota also has to be ecstatic that star running back Darius Taylor decided to return for his senior season. If Lindsey takes a significant step forward and Taylor stays healthy, Minnesota could be a surprise riser next season.
10) UCLA Bruins
2025 Record: 3-9, 3-6 Big Ten
2025 was a disaster for the Bruins. But 2026 is a new age of UCLA football, as head coach Bob Chesney comes in after leading James Madison to the College Football Playoff. Fortifying the defense has to be the first order of business, as that unit allowed 33.4 points per game — good for 127th out of 136 teams in the country. After that, it’s getting quarterback Nico Iamaleava playing at the level that he did two seasons ago at Tennessee. The talent is there, and if Chesney and his staff can coax it out of him, the Bruins are another squad that could surprise and push for double digit wins.
9) Illinois Fighting Illini
2025 Record: 9-4, 5-4 Big Ten
Head coach Bret Bielema churns out nine-win seasons. And while there isn’t a huge reason not to believe he’ll do it again next season, I have a hard time putting them any higher than ninth. They never seem to beat teams they aren’t supposed to beat, therefore placing them right in the upper middle of the Big Ten. Losing quarterback Luke Altmeyer, who was ever-steady in his three seasons as the starter, will hurt and may cause them to win one or two less games next season.
8) Penn State Nittany Lions
2025 Record: 7-6, 3-6 Big Ten
It must’ve been a helpless feeling watching seemingly every head coach in this years coaching cycle get hired by another program while James Franklin took almost every single one of the Nittany Lions‘ recruits with him to Virginia Tech. But in came Matt Campbell, Iowa State‘s longtime head coach and a proven winner and developer of talent. It was a best case scenario for Penn State, as was Cyclones quarterback Rocco Becht, one of the top passers in the Big 12 a season ago, following his coach to the Nittany Lions’ program. With so much talent out the door, it’s hard to imagine them competing with the best of the best, but I wouldn’t doubt Campbell.
7) Washington Huskies
2025 Record: 9-4, 5-4 Big Ten
Demond Williams Jr. is back. That’s all that matters. Well, not really, as there’s surely a lot of feelings to be mended with Washington’s star passers’ signed contract and subsequent entry into the portal before re-committing to the Huskies. But with Williams, who is a dark-horse candidate to win the Heisman Trophy, back in the fold, the Huskies have a chance to be a real threat against anyone in the conference. He’s that good. But it wouldn’t be a surprise to see them end up with eight or nine wins again considering what it takes to crack into the top tier of the Big Ten.
6) Iowa Hawkeyes
2025 Record: 9-4, 6-3 Big Ten
Despite a lacking quarterback room in which a passer who’s made just two collegiate throws in Jeremy Hecklinksi is the expected starter, the Hawkeyes under head coach Kirk Ferentz seem to get it done each and every year. There’s no reason to believe the defense, which ranked 8th in scoring defense in 2025, will drop off. And the transfer addition of South Dakota running back LJ Phillips Jr. (1,920 yards, 19 touchdowns) is a big one considering how much Iowa relies on its backs. Expect the Hawkeyes to once again push for ten wins.
5) Michigan Wolverines
2025 Record: 9-4, 7-2 Big Ten
Considering the Sherrone Moore drama at the end of last season, hiring Utah’s longtime head coach Kyle Whittingham was a slam dunk for Michigan. He’s a strong leader in a time of crisis for the program and will have much more experience as the head man than Moore ever had. Quarterback Bryce Underwood is back and should be better in 2026, plus a talented group around him. The defense, especially considering Whittingham’s presence, will be among the best in the conference once again. But I’m skeptical if Michigan can broach the top three — or even jump USC — in the conference.
4) USC Trojans
2025 Record: 9-4, 7-2 Big Ten
One of the main reasons that the Trojans are above the Wolverines is because of quarterback Jayden Maiava. He was one of the top passers in the conference last season and returns for his senior year, where he’s among the favorites to claim the Heisman. The defense and running game were much improved in 2025 as opposed to seasons prior under Lincoln Riley, and if that continues, the USC could push to compete with the best in the conference. But until they can prove it, I just can’t put them ahead of the established top three.
3) Ohio State Buckeyes
2025 Record: 12-2, 9-0 Big Ten
Even though the QB-WR duo of Julian Sayin and Jeremiah Smith will be back, a front that got dominated by Miami in the CFP quarterfinals is largely gone and set to be replaced by less experienced players. Running back Bo Jackson is expected to be among the nation’s best running backs and the Buckeyes will be — and should be — considered title contenders, but it’s tough to put them ahead of Oregon or Indiana considering how their season ended and with so many players departing.
2) Oregon Ducks
2025 Record: 13-2, 8-1 Big Ten
Dante Moore coming back is far and away the biggest component to the Ducks’ title hopes in 2026. But aside from that, the entire defensive line and none of the core contributors that didn’t graduate all returning, Oregon should be even better than they were last season. They’re losing three starters along the offensive line, but they should be fine with the replacements. Moore will be better next season. The running back duo of Jordon Davison and Dierre Hill Jr. will be better. The defense, which was already stout, could be better after returning a bunch of young players and adding Minnesota star saftey Koi Perich. It’s truly title or bust for the Ducks in 2026 — which is exactly what alluded them in 2025 and why they just miss out on the No. 1 spot in the Big Ten.
1) Indiana Hoosiers
2025 Record: 16-0, 9-0 Big Ten
Before even winning the national championship, the Hoosiers replenished nicely in securing the commitments of TCU quarterback Josh Hoover, Michigan State wide receiver Nick Marsh and a number of talented defenders. Curt Cignetti always gets the best out of his players and 2026 should be no different, as he’s likely to boost the draft stock of both Hoover and Marsh. The talent level may not be the same as last years team — but at the end of the day, Curt Cignetti simply wins football games.
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This article originally appeared on Ducks Wire: Big Ten power rankings heading into the 2026 offseason
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