In this edition of Three-Point Stance national recruiting analyst Clint Cosgrove addresses his prediction for three Big Ten players who will blow up this season, some of the impressive graphics that colleges used to reach out to prospective recruits at midnight on Aug. 1 and three Big Ten win total picks he likes.
MORE THREE-POINT STANCE: FSU recruiting, Miami, four-star to Harvard?
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1. Three Big Ten players who will blow up this season
WR Kaleb Brown, Iowa: The former four-star recruit and Ohio State Buckeye decided it was time to move on and an Iowa team sorely in need of a big-play receiver became the beneficiary of Brown’s decision. Brown was a special talent coming out of high school, and he likely would have made some sort of impact for the Buckeyes during his career, but nothing compared to what he will be capable of doing at Iowa where he can walk in the door and be the No. 1 option right out of the gate. Add in a new quarterback in Michigan transfer Cade McNamara – who is more than capable of getting Brown and the other Hawkeye receivers the ball – and you have an instant recipe for success.
LB Ernest Hausman, Michigan: The former three-star proved to be underrated coming out of high school as he made an immediate impact for the Huskers and was arguably one of the team’s best players by year’s end. Hausman decided to take his talents to Ann Arbor, where he will look to build on his freshman success and make another immediate impact, only this time for the Wolverines. Hausman has shown he is capable of being a dominant linebacker in the Big Ten, and being surrounded by the level of talent Michigan has on its defensive unit should only increase his opportunities to make plays. Look for the transfer to have the type of season that is potentially worthy of being in the Butkus Award conversation.
WR Carnell Tate, Ohio State: The freshman receiver made waves via his performance during spring practices, which Tate capped off with a big touchdown during the Buckeyes’ spring game. While there is an incredible amount of talent in position coach Brian Hartline‘s receiver room, Tate has the mindset and ability to crack the rotation right away. Not only do I expect him to earn early snaps, I expect him to put up some respectable receiving numbers early and often. Opposing defensive coordinators will be tasked with creating a game plan to stop what many consider the top two receivers in college football, Marvin Harrison Jr. and Emeka Egbuka, which could leave Tate with a number of favorable coverage matchups.
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2. Recruitment graphics are getting more and more creative.
Aug. 1 became the new date for college coaches to reach out to prospective recruits, and with each new recruiting cycle we see new innovation from college programs. What started out with simple graphics has now turned into intricate displays and GIFs celebrating the college that sends them. Featured here are some of my favorites that recruits received starting at midnight on Aug. 1.
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3. Big Ten win total picks to consider.
ILLINOIS: Over 6.5 wins
The Illini lose a lot of production on both sides of the ball and the team arguably overachieved last season. The first three games could determine a lot, but Illinois doesn’t play Ohio State or Michigan, either. I love the direction of the program under Bret Bielema and there are some potential impact players in the past two recruiting classes. I expect most games to be close, but I also see Illinois winning at least seven games.
IOWA: Over 7.5
Road games at Iowa State, Penn State, Wisconsin and Nebraska could give the Hawkeyes some trouble, but good defense travels well and Iowa is almost guaranteed to have a solid defense. Throw in a new quarterback in Cade McNamara who is an instant upgrade, a strong run game and a schedule without Michigan or Ohio State on it and I see the path to eight wins as more than achievable.
NORTHWESTERN: Under 3.5
The defense returns most of its production and there is no Michigan or Ohio State on the schedule. That is about it as far as positives fo for this season’s Wildcat team. You hate to see what has gone on thus far, and although the team could rally around the adversity this will likely be a tough year in Evanston.
