The New Standard Setters

USC, Oregon, and Ohio State finished 1–3–4 nationally, giving the Big Ten a recruiting triumvirate that rivals anything the SEC has assembled. Alabama at number two was what prevented The Big Ten from claiming the top three spots in recruiting rankings by 247sports.com.

• USC claimed the nation’s No. 1 class with elite skill talent and unmatched volume.
• Oregon posted the highest average player rating in the conference.
• Ohio State delivered another balanced, star‑heavy haul built for playoff contention.

Michigan and Washington Hold Strong

Both programs secured top fifteen national finishes, reinforcing the Big Ten’s growing concentration of power. Michigan leaned on quality over quantity, while Washington’s class signaled it’s ready to compete immediately in its new league.

A Deeper Middle Tier

Illinois, Iowa, Minnesota, Indiana, and Rutgers all landed classes that would have been top‑25 nationally a decade ago. The conference’s middle is no longer a soft spot—it’s a strength.

Small Classes, Big Upside

Nebraska and Maryland signed fewer players but posted strong average ratings, suggesting high‑end talent even without volume. Michigan State and UCLA sit in the developmental tier but added foundational pieces.

What It Means

The Big Ten’s 2026 haul reflects a conference transformed. The addition of West Coast powers didn’t just expand geography—it elevated the league’s recruiting ceiling. With five top‑five classes and competitive depth across nearly every program, the Big Ten enters the next era not as a challenger, but as a co‑architect of the national landscape.

The post Big Ten Recruiting Snapshot: Final 2026 Rankings appeared first on Saturday Glory.

While recording an episode of Around The Big Ten with @MarcGivler, something dawned on me, and I can only hope that people at NBC have come to the conclusion ~

Make the USC/Notre Dame game the first game of the season. At night. Every year.

Think about it. NBC has the contractual rights to all Notre Dame home games, and will hold these rights through the 2029 season. NBC also is a media partner of The Big Ten, and traditionally has televised Big Ten games for night games since the 2023 season, and will until the 2029-2030 academic year.

The USC/Notre Dame series usually is set up for USC to host Notre Dame at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum at the end of November, and Notre Dame will host USC usually in the middle of October. Here is where USC’s concerns may lie – no matter at the end of November, or the middle of October, USC’s focus is on how this game could physically impact them while in the midst of a Big Ten conference schedule. I want to emphasize the word “may“.

Here is how this could work – NBC could make this game, no matter in Los Angeles or South Bend, the focal point of the first (or second) week of the college football season by having it on at night. It is a win-win for NBC, because they know that college football fans will be excited to see either/both of these teams. And for USC, a non-conference loss in the first or second week of the season will not have any impact upon them within The Big Ten conference race, unlike how the series is presently constructed.

C’mon NBC. Pull up a chair to the negotiating parties for USC and Notre Dame, and offer this as a solution to keep this intersectional rivalry going, like everyone wants.

The post Could NBC Hold The Key To The USC/Notre Dame Series? appeared first on Saturday Glory.

Carl Williams argued that it would “almost be better” for his son to not be drafted rather than be drafted first overall. Garrett took issue with the thought proccess.

The post Despite What His Dad Says, Caleb Williams Won’t Be at USC in 2024 appeared first on Saturday Glory.

The Trojans beat out a pair of Big Ten schools in both Penn State and Michigan. Palepale will have a chance to go against both of those teams later in his career as USC is set to join the Big Ten with the start of the 2024 season, his freshman year.

USC’s defense is still considered a bit of a weakness of the team, something that likely kept USC out of the College Football Playoff last season in a pair of losses to Utah along the way.

The 6-foot-3, 300-pounder held close to two-dozen offers from across the nation before really narrowing it down to USC. Many experts felt that the draw to stay close to home would be too strong and have him land at Penn State but apparently distance was not a factor as he is crossing the country to attend USC.

Southern Cal’s class now hits the mark of 19 players for the class of 2024 and Palepale joins Kameryn Fountain as the only two members of the defensive line to this point, but that number should go up before the first National Signing Day arrives in December.

The post USC heads East to land talented DT appeared first on Saturday Glory.