Other than Will Johnson, who should quarterbacks be paying attention to at the corner position in the Big Ten?
Most of the time when you think of the Big Ten, you think of tough defenses. War in the trenches between offensive and defensive linemen is where my head usually goes, but over the years, the conference has also sent a ton of cornerbacks to the NFL.
Today, we will evaluate, in my opinion, the five best cornerbacks in the conference heading into the 2024 season. And it wouldn’t shock me if all five of these guys are playing in the NFL together after this season.
5) Jabbar Muhammad – Oregon
Michigan fans got an up close look at Muhammad in the National Championship (two tackles) when he played at Washington, and they will also get another glimpse at him when the Oregon Ducks travel to Ann Arbor in early November.
Muhammad was an AP all-Pac 12 first-team contributor in 2023 with 46 total tackles, five tackles for loss, three interceptions, two sacks and a whopping 14 pass breakups. While he’s just 5-foot-10, Muhammad can play the boundary and the slot, making him a versatile weapon in the secondary for Dan Lanning.
4) Denzel Burke – Ohio State
Even though he didn’t live up to his pledge that Ohio State would beat Michigan last fall, he still should be among the best cornerbacks in the conference this fall. He may have only picked off one pass last year, but he also allowed a catch on 19.1 percent of passes thrown his way while in single coverage, a mark good for the eighth-best among FBS cornerbacks, per Pro Football Focus. Burke will surely be a big part of OSU’s secondary in 2024.
3) Ricardo Hallman – Wisconsin
The Badgers had an up-and-down first season under Luke Fickell, but heading into Year 2, Wisconsin fans should have some hope that 2024 will be different. Part of that is due to a strong returning defense , and Hallman is a major player in the Badgers’ secondary.
Last year, Hallman topped the FBS with seven interceptions (one of those was returned for a score) while also tacking on five pass breakups and 34 total tackles. It will be challenging to live up to those stats two seasons in a row, but he is more than capable of being a top defender in Madison once again.
2) Sebastian Castro – Iowa
With Mike Sainristil off to the NFL, Castro may be the best slot cornerback in all of college football. Castro was dominant as a senior last year for the Hawkeyes, racking up 67 tackles, three interceptions — one returned for a touchdown — eight pass breakups, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery. He had a big nine-tackle game against Michigan in the Big Ten Championship as well.
Pro Football Focus had Castro as the highest-graded and most valuable cornerback in the country last year, according to their wins above average metric. Iowa always has a tough defense, and Castro will be a huge reason why that likely continues in 2024.
1) Will Johnson – Michigan
No surprises here — Johnson is the best cornerback in the conference. He was elite last season as a true sophomore, compiling four interceptions — one returned for a touchdown — and four pass breakups along with 27 tackles. Pro Football Focus also ranked Johnson as the No. 1 player at his position heading into the 2024 season. Should all go well, he will be the first cornerback off the board in next spring’s NFL Draft and could be a franchise player for years to come.
What do you think of my list? Anyone I am missing, or do you agree with these five? Let me know down in the comments!