Most decisions have been made for the top players in college football if they will be returning to their schools, transferring, or heading to the NFL Draft. Today, we evaluate each Big Ten team’s most important returning player for the 2025 season:
Deadlines for the winter transfer portal and NFL Draft declarations are behind us, so all 18 college football programs have a good idea of what their rosters will look like heading into 2025. There were a couple of surprises for returning players for a few teams in the Big Ten, who many expected to potentially enter the NFL Draft.
Here is each Big Ten team’s most important returning player for the 2025 season in no particular order.
Penn State Nittany Lions: QB Drew Allar
Say what you will about Allar’s postseason performances, but he got his team within a field goal of the National Championship. Not only is Allar back, but so are running backs Nick Singleton and Kaytron Allen. Those three will provide the Nittany Lions an excellent chance to be back in the championship conversation.
Indiana Hoosiers: WR Elijah Sarratt
Sarratt is an alpha wideout, which is somewhat shocking to say after he followed Curt Cignetti from James Madison to Indiana. Sarratt’s 957 yards and eight touchdowns each ranked in the top-10 in the conference. With former Cal quarterback Fernando Mendoza transferring in, he’ll have a good shot to continue his success.
Ohio State Buckeyes: WR Jeremiah Smith
If we were ranking the top returners in the conference, Smith would be the easy choice for No. 1 overall. He broke just about every freshman record in Ohio State history and was an absolute menace to handle. Scouts and coaches rave about this kid’s potential and ability, and he still has two more seasons to go. There’s a strong chance he’s in the Heisman conversation next year.
Oregon Ducks: Edge Matayo Uiagaleilei
Oregon lost star edge rusher Jordan Burch to an injury midseason in 2024, and many were concerned about how the pass rush would perform without him. Uiagaleilei stepped up in a massive way, finishing the season with 10.5 sacks, the third-most in the conference. Several changes are coming on the offensive side for the Ducks, so they’ll need Uiagaleilei and the defense to hold strong for a shot at another Big Ten title.
Illinois Fighting Illini: QB Luke Altmyer
Much of Illinois’ 2024 success has to be credited to Altmyer. The redshirt junior had his best season, tallying more than 3,000 total yards and 25 touchdowns to only six interceptions. If he can be more accurate with the football, the Illini will have a chance to play spoiler and perhaps even compete in the Big Ten in 2025.
Minnesota Golden Gophers: RB Darius Taylor
P.J. Fleck’s offense lives through the running back position, and Taylor is one of the best in the conference. He had an astounding 259 touches, making him one of the most utilized backs in the nation in 2024. As long as he can stay healthy, Taylor will likely have a similar load in 2025.
Wisconsin Badgers: DB Ricardo Hallman
In order for the Badgers to perform to lofty expectations in 2025, they need Hallman to get back to his 2023 production where he had seven interceptions and five passes defended. Hallman made it clear he would be returning for a fifth season after a 2024 season where he was playing through injuries and underperformed in comparison.
Washington Huskies: RB Jonah Coleman
Coleman was one of the most under-appreciated running backs in college football in 2024. He rushed for more than 1,000 yards, averaging 5.5 per carry, and scored 10 touchdowns. Jedd Fisch very well could rely heavily on Coleman once again this fall.
Nebraska Cornhuskers: QB Dylan Raiola
Patrick Mahomes’ look-alike failed to live up to his No. 1 quarterback ranking in the 2024 class. Raiola clearly has the tools to be an elite talent, but he must progress in several areas in his first full offseason. Nebraska fans are hopeful Raiola can be the savior of a program that has had only two winning seasons in the last decade.
Michigan Wolverines: Edge Derrick Moore
It feels like Michigan is primed for a few more breakouts on their defensive line, but Moore is at the top of the list. Starting opposite Josaiah Stewart last season, Moore had four sacks, coming off a five-sack season in 2023. Now the leader in the edge room, Moore will be a huge part of a defense with high expectations.
USC Trojans: WR Ja’Kobi Lane
Lane was spectacular this past season for USC, specifically in the red zone. The 6-foot-4 wide receiver caught 12 touchdowns on only 43 receptions, and ended the season with a monster seven-catch, 127-yard, three-touchdown performance against Texas A&M. He will need to step up once again in 2025 with Zachariah Branch transferring out of the program.
Iowa Hawkeyes: DL Max Llewellyn
The Hawkeyes are set to look much different in 2025 after losing several key starters on both sides of the ball. Kirk Ferentz’s bread and butter is winning in the trenches, and Llewellyn will be one of the most experienced players on the roster. They’ll need him to be sharp and improve upon his 5.5 sacks.
Rutgers Scarlet Knights: QB Athan Kaliakmanis
From Minnesota to Rutgers, Kaliakmanis saw improvement last season in his first year under Greg Schiano. The Scarlet Knights aired things out a little more, and Kaliakmanis was slightly better at taking care of the football. He finished the year with a higher QBR than half the starters in the conference, including Will Rogers, Luke Altmyer and Dylan Raiola. More improvement is necessary for Rutgers to compete in the Big Ten, but he is primed to be one of the most experienced quarterbacks the conference.
UCLA Bruins: WR Kwazi Gilmer
There has been an exodus of talent from UCLA over the last two seasons after Chip Kelly left, but Gilmer is one of the few who have stayed. He led the receivers with 31 catches for 345 yards in 2024. App State transfer quarterback Joey Aguilar is anticipated to be the starter, and he’ll need a big season from Gilmer for the Bruins to be competitive.
Michigan State Spartans: QB Aidan Chiles
There is a reason Chiles was the No. 1 quarterback in the transfer portal rankings in 2024, but that wasn’t apparent in his first year in East Lansing. He completed less than 60 percent of his passes and had 13 touchdowns to 11 interceptions in 2024. Still, Chiles is meant to be the player that takes the program to heights it hasn’t been to in a decade, and 2025 will be a big year in determining if that can happen.
Northwestern Wildcats: LB Mac Uihlein
Uihlein — the leading tackler in 2024 — is back with the Wildcats. He filled in nicely after All-Big Ten honoree Xander Mueller went down with an injury. Uihlein will be a part of a defense going through several changes on the defensive side, so the team will need him to man the middle well to compete in 2025.
Purdue Boilermakers: RB Devin Mockobee
Mockobee showed flashes of being a lead back for the Boilermakers in his freshman season back in 2022. But each year since then, he has seen fewer touches despite having about five yards per carry throughout his career. He became the 14th running back in Purdue history to surpass 2,000 yards in 2024, but he saw only 138 carries. Call it coaching malpractice or negative game script, but I’m positive Boilermaker fans would like to see more of Mockobee in 2025.
Maryland Terrapins: RT Alan Herron
The Terps had a disappointing 4-8 season in 2024 and then proceeded to lose 23 players to the transfer portal. One of the few players that stand out in the pool of returners is Herron, who started every game at right tackle for Maryland last year. He will be tasked with protecting a new quarterback this fall.