The Big Ten was loaded with talent in 2022.
Lots of players are heading to the NFL but an elite crop of players is heading back to the Big Ten conference for the 2023 season.
Who are the best players returning at each position in the Big Ten?
QB Tanner Mordecai, Wisconsin
Tanner Mordecai has transferred to Wisconsin from SMU, so this will be his first season in conference.
Last season he threw for 3,524 yards 33 touchdowns and 10 interceptions while completing over 66% of his passes.
He will lead the air raid offense under new OC Phil Longo.
RB Blake Corum, Michigan
Blake Corum was unanimous All-American in 2022.
An injury cut his season and likely Heisman campaign short.
He finished with 1,461 yards and 18 touchdowns. Corum's biggest competition for best RB returning may be his teammate, Donovan Edwards.
WR Marvin Harrison Jr, Ohio State
If sophomores could declare for the NFL Draft, Marvin Harrison may have been the first WR selected in the 2023 draft.
Instead he returns to Ohio State to follow up his 2022 campaign. Harrison had 77 catches for 1,263 yards and 14 touchdowns.
TE Brevyn Spann-Ford, Minnesota
A lot of the best tight ends in the Big Ten are heading to the NFL.
Brevyn Spann-Ford had the highest offense grade of any TE in the Big Ten in 2022.
He caught 42 passes for 497 yards and 2 touchdowns. He had an impressive 70% catch rate.
Spann-Ford is a breakout weapon to watch catching the ball. In 2022 he took 41.6% of his snaps in the slot or outside.
OL Zak Zinter, Michigan
Zak Zinter turned the potential of being a day 2 NFL Draft pick to return to the Wolverines.
Zinter was All-B1G first team in 2022, an instrumental piece of Michigan's Joe Moore Award winning offensive line.
Zinter is arguably the best run blocking lineman in the Big Ten and allowed only 2 sacks and 6 pressures on 410 pass protection snaps.
DE/EDGE Chop Robinson, Penn State
Another position with lots of attrition to the NFL.
Chop Robinson stands out amongst returning defensive ends poised to have a big season. Robinson had10 tackles for loss, 5.5 sacks, two pass breakups, a fumble recovery and a forced fumble.
Most impressive he was second in the Big Ten with 48 total pressures and a 22.5% win rate. If he can home to the quarterback more in 2023, his numbers could skyrocket.
DL Kris Jenkins, Michigan
Another Michigan player who turned down the NFL to return to the Wolverines.
Jenkins was a quiet star last season overshadowed by Mazi Smith and the breakout season of Mason Graham.
No defensive tackle had more tackles than Jenkins with 54 tackles. He added 3.5 tackles for loss and 2 sacks. He had 1 missed tackle all season, no penalties, and Big Ten leading. 13.7% stop rate.
CB Kalen King, Penn State
Joey Porter was not targeted often in the Penn State secondary, so Kalen King was challenged, but still finished an elite defender.
King had the 2nd highest coverage grade in the conference behind future top 10 pick Devon Witherspoon. His 16 forced incompletions, 9 pass breakups, and 3 interceptions were all second in conference.
S Rod Moore, Michigan
There may be better safeties in coverage, but there is no more complete safety in the Big Ten returning than Rod Moore.
Moore had the highest graded run defense score among safeties according to PFF and is one of cleanest tacklers in college football. He led the conference with 38 passing play tackles, keeping the top on the Michigan defense.
In coverage he was third in conference with 4 interceptions and 3 pass breakups.
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