We are less than two weeks away from National Signing Day on Feb. 1, and while teams across the country are still putting the finishing touches on their respective recruiting classes, we have a very good idea as to what the final products will look like. So, here is how the 2017 Big Ten recruiting classes stack up against each other and where they rank nationally (according to 247sports' rankings):
14) Purdue Boilermakers - No. 64 nationally
Top commits: CB T.J. Jallow, OT Ethan Smart
Purdue's 18-recruit class consists of 16 three-star prospects, a two-star and one unranked prospect. Jallow and Smart are the only recruits that rank in the top 670 nationally, and both are JUCO transfers. In fact, only seven members of the class rank in the top 1,000.
13) Indiana Hoosiers - No. 56 nationally
Top commits: ATH Juwan Burgess, DT Derrius Mullins
Like Purdue, Indiana's class is heavy on three-star prospects (17) and lack a four- or five-star guy. They also only have seven guys ranked in the top 1,000, but rank ahead of the Boilermakers because they have three more recruits committed.
12) Iowa Hawkeyes - No. 50 nationally
Top commits: DE A.J. Epenesa, OT Tristan Wirfs
Iowa isn't traditionally a recruiting power, and while this class doesn't have the quantity of some others (15 current commits), this class certainly brings the quality. Epenesa is a five-star defensive end ranked in the top 30 nationally, and Wirfs is a four-star guy who should also be an instant starter along the offensive line. They are joined by 11 three-star prospects, a two-star prospect and one unrated.
11) Minnesota Golden Gophers - No. 49 nationally
Top commits: OT Blaise Andries, RB Mohamed Ibrahim
The Gophers underwent a late coaching change when they fired Tracy Claeys and brought in P.J. Fleck, but the recruiting class is still in good shape. All 24 commits are three-star prospects, giving them a lot of immediate depth across the board.
10) Illinois Fighting Illini - No. 45 nationally
Top commits: WR Ricky Smalling, LB Delshawn Phillips
Lovie Smith's squad is doing well on the recruiting trail, already picking up 18 commits - 17 of whom are 3-star guys. However, they could land a big fish on Signing Day in four-star WR Jeff Thomas. They're competing with Miami for him, but landing a playmaker like that would vastly improve this class.
9) Wisconsin Badgers - No. 41 nationally
Top commits: OG Kayden Lyles, TE Jake Ferguson
Like Iowa, Wisconsin is another school that traditionally wins without having top recruiting classes, showing how well they develop players. Their 16-person class is highlighted by Lyles, a four-star tackle who should see immediate playing time.
8) Northwestern Wildcats - No. 40 nationally
Top commits: DE Earnest Brown, DT Sam Miller
Defensive line was certainly a high priority for the Wildcats this cycle, and landed a four-star prospect in Brown and three-star Miller, both of whom are top 400 prospects nationally. Miller is one of 17 three-star prospects in this class, 11 of whom made the top 1000 in 247sports' rankings.
7) Rutgers Scarlet Knights - No. 39 nationally
Top commits: OT Micah Clark, WR Bo Melton, LB Tyshon Fogg
Surprised? Head coach Chris Ash has really ramped up his recruiting efforts over the past year, landing a trio of four-star guys in Clark, Melton and Fogg, all of whom should start immediately and be impact players. The rest of this class is filled with three-star recruits, only five of whom are in the top 1000.
6) Michigan State Spartans - No. 31 nationally
Top commits: OG Kevin Jarvis, TE Matt Dotson
Despite Michigan State's struggles on the field this past season, they've done well on the recruiting trail. Jarvis and Dotson are top 300 recruits, with wide receiver Hunter Rison and linebacker Antjuan Simmons joining them as the four-star prospects in this 18-person class.
5) Nebraska Cornhuskers - No. 24 nationally
Top commits: WR Tyjon Lindsey, LB Avery Roberts, QB Tristan Gebbia
Mike Riley has done a tremendous job expanding Nebraska's recruiting footprint, and their efforts have payed off with his class. Gebbia figures to be the quarterback of the future in Lincoln, while both Lindsey and Roberts should start right away. Lindsey is the real jewel of the class as the No. 50 overall recruit in the country, and fellow wideout Jaevon McQuitty joins the trio as four-star prospects. Nebraska's class could still improve drastically with a few big Signing Day decisions looming.
4) Maryland Terrapins - No. 18 nationally
Top commits: CB Deon Jones, ATH Markquese Bell, QB Kasim Hill
Another surprise, D.J. Durkin has demonstrated his recruiting mastery in his first year on the job. He is in the process of retooling the entire roster, shown by Maryland's 28 commits, and the talent is there with seven four-star prospects. Most impressively, he is landing most of the area's top recruits - something the Terrapins usually struggle with.
3) Penn State Nittany Lions - No. 11 nationally
Top commits: CB Lamont Wade, OG CJ Thorpe
James Franklin used this season's surprising success and has parlayed it into another successful recruiting class. Known as a salesman, Franklin has landed 10 four-star prospects in this 19-person class, headlined by Wade and Thorpe, both of whom are top 100 guys.
2) Michigan Wolverines - No. 4 nationally
Top commits: WR Donovan Peoples-Jones, C Cesar Ruiz, CB Ambry Thomas
As good as the rest of the conference is recruiting, Jim Harbaugh has Michigan among the elite recruiting powers in the entire country. Peoples-Jones (the top wide receiver in the country) is the only five-star in the class, but 18 four-star recruits and six total top 100 guys show the depth this group has.
1) Ohio State Buckeyes - No. 2 nationally
Top commits: CB Jeffrey Okudah, DE Chase Young, LB Baron Browning, CB Shaun Wade, OG Wyatt Davis
Ohio State is really challenging Alabama for the best class in the country, and by the end of Signing Day, they might get there. The five players listed above are all five-star guys, giving the Buckeyes more five-star commits than anyone else in the country. That doesn't even include quarterback Tate Martell, who was named USA Today's Offensive Player of the Year (coincidentally, Wade was named Defensive Player of the Year).
In total, only three commits of OSU's 19 rank outside the top 200 nationally (one of those is Blake Haubeil, the top kicker in the country), and 12 rank in the top 100. The Buckeyes could also strengthen their dominant class with a few Signing Day announcements.
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