Spring practice is underway for the Big Ten, but that's not the only thing that has the attention of the conference's coaching staffs. Recruiting is a year-round affair, and coaches are constantly trying to get themselves in position for a great class. With that in mind, here are the latest news, rumors and commitments in the Big Ten recruiting world.
2017 QB Wants To Visit Indiana
Class of 2017 QB Kyle Vantrease wants to visit the Indiana Hoosiers, he told 247Sports. While Vantrease is not ranked on the 247Sports site, he already holds offers from schools like Miami (OH), Cincinnati and Toledo. He's starting to generate some interest from bigger schools, and also wants to visit Michigan State, Boston College and Duke.
Illinois Offers Three-Star Athlete, Wants Him To Play QB
The Fighting Illini have extended an offer to three-star athlete Koilan Jackson. The three-star recruit recently picked up an offer from Arkansas. The Razorbacks want him at WR. 247Sports grades him as the No. 2 player from Arkansas. One of his older brothers played at Arkansas and the other at Illinois.
Iowa Will Likely Get Visit From TE Allen
The Hawkeyes will be getting a visit from unranked TE Austin Allen.
"Iowa just offered me the other night," Allen said, per the Lincoln Journal Star. "I will probably be visiting there. I am still planning on visiting UCLA. It's a long ways away and I need to plan that trip. The [Central Florida] coaching staff has been contacting me and he was telling me how nice the weather has been there recently."
Allen was going to visit Nebraska (the current front-runners for his services) for the spring game, but that falls on his prom night.
Maryland Hosts Top Recruits
The Terrapins hosted several IMG Academy prospects over the weekend, and they include some of the best players in the Class of 2017. Among the players visiting were five-star DE Joshua Kaindoh and four-star center Cesar Ruiz. Both are the top players at their positions. Also visiting were four-star DT Spence, three-star CB Elvis Hines and RB/OLB Jordan Anthony.
Texas Commit To Visit For Michigan Spring Game
The Wolverines will be getting a visit from a Texas Longhorns commit during Michigan's spring game. Three-star TE Major Tennison will visit Michigan, reports 247Sports. Tennison committed back in October of 2015, but his recruiting has increased recently. He's picked up offers from Alabama, Arkansas and Georgia in the past few weeks.
Four-Star 2016 Commit Signs With Michigan State
The Spartans now have the letter-of-intent from four-star DE Auston Robertson. He committed last summer, but the nation's No. 101 player wasn't able to sign on National Signing Day because of battery charges. Robertson is one of MSU's highest rated recruits in the class of 2016.
Three-Star TE Likes Minnesota
Aaron Hackett, a three-star Florida TE, told 247Sports that he wants to visit Minnesota in the near future future. He already holds an offer from the Golden Gophers. Hackett said he wants to play for a Power 5 conference, and Minnesota is one of the few Power 5 schools to offer him so far.
Nebraska Hosted Four-Star QB
The Cornhuskers had a visit from four-star QB Tristan Gebbia, who told Scout.com that he wants to check out the non-football side of Nebraska. The Huskers already have a pair of commitments from Gebbia's high school teammates, including four-star WR Keyshawn Johnson Jr.
Three-Star Safety Commits To Northwestern
The Wildcats have a landed a commitment from three-star safety Austin Hiller. The Texas product announced his decision late last week. Hiller is the No. 85 safety in the class of 2017.
2018 Five-Star Visits Ohio State
The Buckeyes had a visit from five-star DE Xavier Thomas this weekend, and he appeared to enjoy his visit to Columbus. Thomas tweeted out a pair of positive comments, even calling Ohio State "paradise." Thomas is one of the best players in the class of 2018, and the Buckeyes will have plenty of competition for the South Carolina product.
Four-Star Athlete Gets Penn State Offer
C.J. Holmes, a four-star athlete, picked up an offer from Penn State Friday. He told Scout.com that he was happy to get the scholarship.
"The Penn State offer means a lot to me," Holmes said. "This is a very successful Big Ten 10 program with great tradition and history in the sport. The education is phenomenal as well, so I'm very excited about it."
He already has offers from schools like Tennessee, Mississippi State and Rutgers.
Purdue Offers Three-Star WR
The Boilermakers have extended an offer to three-star WR Bronson Boyd. The Texas native is the No. 136 player in the state and No. 146 WR. One of his eight offers is from Wisconsin.
Rutgers Lands Two-Star Athlete
The Scarlet Knights have landed a commitment from two-star athlete Bryce Watts, reports the Asbury Park Press. Watts is only a two-star player, but both his parents went to Rutgers. He's the No. 35 player from the state of New Jersey.
Wisconsin Hosting Kicker
The Badgers are hosting one of the nation's top kickers in Adam Stack. While kickers don't get much love, the Hawaii recruit already has an offer from the Miami Hurricanes.