Top incoming freshman on each Big Ten East team

The 2023 college football is slowly approaching, and with that, it’s time to think about the new additions that will be joining each team. In the transfer portal area, it’s easy to forget about recruiting classes and incoming freshmen, but those new young guys are ready to make their mark on college football.

The Big Ten East has dominated the West in just about everything, and that includes recruiting. The top-four classes in the conference belong to teams in the East. Ohio State owns the top spot, followed by Penn State, Michigan, and Michigan State. Rutgers and Indiana rank 11th and 13th.

Here are the top incoming freshman on each of the seven Big Ten East teams:

Ohio State Buckeyes: Brandon Inniss

To no surprise, the best player in Ohio State’s 2023 class is a wide receiver. The Buckeyes have been an excellent option for receivers and they continuously pump out very talented players at that position that go onto the NFL.

Inniss is a five-star and the No. 35 player in the 2023 class.

Ohio State will have a very talented core of receivers this season, so who knows when Inniss will become a contributor, but it is likely that he’ll become a star.

Penn State Nittany Lions: J’ven Williams

Penn State’s most coveted recruit in the 2023 class in J’Ven Williams, an offensive lineman. Williams is a four-star and is ranked as the No. 40 player in the 2023 class.

The Nittany Lions have had some trouble protecting the quarterback in recent years, especially against the better teams in the conference, so don’t be surprised if Williams gets a good amount of snaps this year.

Michigan Wolverines: Cole Cabana

The best player coming in for Michigan is Cole Cabana. There are guys ranked ahead of him in the class, but as a four-star running back, Wolverine fans are very excited about Cabana’s arrival.

Cabana is a local kid out of Dexter, MI, and he has the potential to be the next great Michigan running back. Michigan is a run-first school, so when it’s Cabana’s time on the depth chart, he will certainly get plenty of opportunities to be great.

Michigan State Spartans: Bai Jobe

The Spartans highest rated recruit coming in is Bai Jobe, an edge rusher out of Oklahoma. Michigan State needs a good amount of help at most positions on the field, so it is likely that Jobe will be able to make an impact early in his career.

Jobe is ranked as the No. 54 player in the nation and the 9th-best edge rusher. Jobe should have a good career in the green and white.

Maryland Terrapins: Rico Walker

The Maryland Terrapins have entered the past couple of seasons with a decent amount of hype surrounding the team. Maryland has certainly improved over the past couple of years, but maybe a recruit like Rico Walker can help the Terrapins take the next step.

Walker is listed as an athlete and is ranked as No. 231 in the 2023 class. Maryland has a lot of weapons on offense coming back, and Walker is a new one that is joining the squad.

Rutgers Scarlet Knights: JaSire Peterson

Rutgers is another team that has shown some improvement but is still at the bottom of the Big Ten, the Scarlet Knights have just been more competitive in recent years than they used to be.

Head coach Greg Schiano definitely has Rutgers moving in the right direction, and his best recruit in the 2023 class is JaSire Peterson, an o-linemen. Rutgers isn’t necessarily strong at any position, so anything is up for grabs, but Peterson comes in ranked 555 in his class, so it may take him a while to get meaningful playing time.

Indiana Hoosiers: TaDerious Collins

Indiana has the worst recruiting class in the conference, and after a very surprising and great 2020 season, the Hoosiers have fallen into the Big Ten’s abyss.

The Hoosiers need a playmaker at any position, and maybe it can be edge rusher TaDerious Collins. Collins is ranked as the No. 460 overall prospect in the 2023 class.