The calendar has turned to May, which means the conclusion of spring practice sessions and transfer movement, and the start of the summer recruiting cycle.
Several top programs have already cemented the core of their 2026 classes by this early date. That includes USC with 24 commitments, Clemson, Kansas and Syracuse with 14, and Penn State, Illinois, Iowa State, North Carolina, Louisville and Arkansas all with 13. Others, meanwhile, are far from that stage. Just in the Big Ten, Northwestern and Nebraska have only three players committed, while Michigan State, UCLA and Maryland have four.
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Time remains for every listed program to build their respective classes and rise up the conference and national rankings, or to do further work to maintain their current position. The May-June official visit season always proves to be the most critical when deciding the final order of finish.
With May having arrived and the class of 2026 recruiting cycle set to lead the college football headlines, here is where every Big Ten team stands in 247Sports’ composite team rankings.
Big Ten football class of 2026 team recruiting rankings entering May
Apr 26, 2025; Iowa City, IA, USA; A detail view of a logo for the Big Ten Conference is seen during a spring NCAA football open practice at Kinnick Stadium. Mandatory Credit: Joseph Cress/For the Register
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USC Trojans (23 commits, 13 blue-chip (one five-star), No. 1 national ranking)
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Illinois Fighting Illini (13 commits, one blue-chip, No. 9 national ranking)
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Oregon Ducks (Seven commits, five blue-chip (one five-star), No. 18 national ranking)
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Iowa Hawkeyes (Nine commits, four blue-chip, No. 20 national ranking)
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Washington Huskies (Nine commits, three blue-chip (one five-star), No. 22 national ranking)
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Minnesota Golden Gophers (Nine commits, two blue-chip, No. 26 national ranking)
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Rutgers Scarlet Knights (Eight commits, three blue-chip, No. 35 national ranking)
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Indiana Hoosiers (Six commits, one blue-chip, No. 38 national ranking)
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Wisconsin Badgers (Six commits, zero blue-chip, No. 39 national ranking)
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Purdue Boilermakers (Six commits, zero blue-chip, No. 42 national ranking)
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Maryland Terrapins (Four commits, one blue-chip (one five-star), No. 48 national ranking)
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UCLA Bruins (Four commits, two blue-chip, No. 51 national ranking)
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Northwestern Wildcats (Three commits, zero blue-chip, No. 76 national ranking)
There are several things to take away from this May 1 snapshot. First, it’s still early in the cycle for teams ranked 10-18. Michigan, for example, has only five commitments and sits at No. 40 nationally. However, its 60% blue-chip ratio points to a rapid rise once the commitments begin to pour in. Wisconsin should also fit that criteria after consecutive top-25 finishes in 2024 and 2025. However, the Badgers’ performance is worth watching this cycle after general manager Max Stienecker left for USC in February. USC’s current place atop the national rankings is a variable to add to the equation, although a significant part of that work was done before the fast-rising assistant arrived.
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Other notes:
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Illinois continues to hold a strong position after a program-best season. Bret Bielema is doing well to capitalize on the program’s momentum.
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Michigan State is off to a slow start after finishing the 2025 cycle ranked No. 41 nationally. Michigan State fans are still waiting for the Spartans to build momentum under second-year coach Jonathan Smith.
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Iowa is quietly off to a great start in the class, already with four blue-chip players committed.
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Washington, despite a 6-7 first season under Jedd Fisch, is recruiting like one of the conference’s top-tier programs. None should be surprised if it enters the mix in 2025.
Again, it is extremely early in the cycle for programs yet to eclipse five commitments. These rankings will be revisited weekly as each conference member builds its class.
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This article originally appeared on Badgers Wire: Big Ten football class of 2026 team recruiting rankings update
