Signing Day Surplus: Big Ten Stockpiles New Talent

The Signing Day circus has come on gone and we are left to analyze, discuss and debate the impact that these young men will have on the college football & Big Ten football landscapes in the years to come. We have an idea of who the winners were on Signing Day, but some lingering questions still remain; namely with the ongoing Terrelle Pryor saga that promises to make front page headlines once he finally signs his letter of intent.

The Big Ten conference made a splash on Signing Day with perennial powers, Ohio State and Michigan faring extremely well with both schools hauling in Top 10 classes. Ron Zook maintained his reputation as one of the best recruiters in the nation with another solid class but the biggest surprise of the day was the recruiting class that Tim Brewster and his staff at Minnesota managed to reel in.

The rich seem to get richer as Ohio State’s class was rated in the Top 10 by all of the recruiting experts. Rivals.com placed the Buckeye’s class as the ninth-rated in the nation as Jim Tressel added some more strength and muscle to his team which is expected to challenge for the BCS National Championship again next year. Five star recruits Mike Adams and Michael Brewster will ensure that there will be open running lanes for the next four years. Tressel will be waiting intently beside the fax machine for Terrelle Pryor’s letter of intent that will boost this class into the top five.

Rich Rodriguez and the Maize & Blue pulled in a fine class headlined by wide receiver Daryl Stonum who enrolled in classes early as well as Florida-bound OL Ricky Barnum who changed his mind at the last minute and chose Ann Arbor to ply his trade. Sam McGuffie almost jumped ship and went to Cal but in the end followed through on his commitment to attend Michigan. There is still one piece of the puzzle missing for Coach Rodriguez as he waits nervously for Terrelle Pryor’s signature.

Minnesota is coming off one of the most disastrous seasons in their vaunted history highlighted by a humiliating loss to Division 1-AA (FCS) North Dakota State in the friendly confines of the Metrodome. Their 1-11 season did not seem to scare away potential recruits as Tim Brewster hauled in an impressive class that will soon have the Golden Gophers competing in the upper echelons of the Big Ten. Quarterback MarQueis Gray and four star wide receivers, Brandon Green and Vincent Hill will ensure that Brewster will have an explosive offense to work with in the coming years. Rivals.com ranked Brewster’s recruiting class as the 17th best in the country and will give the Golden Gopher fans who are getting hammered by the cold Minnesota winter some hope this coming fall.

Roon Zook lead the Illini to the Rose Bowl last season and will look to ascend to greater heights in the future by adding a class that was ranked 23rd by Rivals.com. Zook tapped into his pipeline leading into the nation's capital by securing the signature of four players including four star recruit Reggie Ellis who has the potential to terrorize opposing quarterbacks in the years to come.

None of the remaining seven teams in the Big Ten hauled in a Top 25 class according to the pundits, but that doesn’t mean that the future is bleak. Heralded and hyped recruits can take a program to the next level, however it is impossible to predict future greatness with 100% accuracy. For every Willie Williams there is an Arrelious Benn and for every Drew Henson there is a Mike Hart.

Signing Day is indeed over but the conference will be waiting intently for Terrelle Pryor’s decision as he has the potential to tip the balance of power in the Big Ten and it’s that type of potential that has made Signing Day one of the most important day’s on the college football calendar.

by Max DeLuca
BigTen-fans.com Staff Writer

More Big Ten sports articles from DeLuca:

• Big Ten Prospects Ready to Make Splash In NFL Draft
• The Cream of the 2008 Big Ten Basketball Crop
• The Amazing Race: Pryor's committment to come