The Big Ten released the names of the 42 players who will be attending the conference’s annual media days on July 24th and 25 and -- surprise! -- many of the league’s biggest names will be staying home for the event.
That includes three trendy Heisman Trophy favorites in Penn State running back Saquon Barkley and quarterback Trace McSorley, as well as star Ohio State signal-caller J.T. Barrett. The Nittany Lions tailback was the Big Ten’s offensive player of the year in 2016 while Barrett narrowly beat out McSorley to earn his second conference QB of the year award last season. Michigan quarterback Wilton Speight and Iowa’s Akrum Wadley are also some notable no-shows on the list.
Coaches and administrators all have different strategies when it comes to picking players to represent their school at media day but it certainly is disappointing to not see some of the conference’s bigger names after what was a banner year for the Big Ten last season. That’s not to say there won’t be a ton of good players at the event in Chicago though, as the full list below will show.
INDIANA: CB Rashard Fant, QB Richard Lagow, LB Tegray Scales
MARYLAND: LB Jermaine Carter, RB Ty Johnson, WR D.J. Moore
MICHIGAN: OL Mason Cole, DT Maurice Hurst, LB Mike McCray
MICHIGAN STATE: OL Brian Allen, LB Chris Frey, RB Gerald Holmes
OHIO STATE: DE Tyquan Lewis, OC Billy Price, LB Chris Worley
PENN STATE: S Marcus Allen, LB Jason Cabinda, TE Mike Gesicki
RUTGERS: CB Blessuan Austin, DL Sebastian Joseph, OL Dorian Miller
ILLINOIS: OL Christian DiLauro, DB Jaylen Dunlap, WR Malik Turner
IOWA: LB Josey Jewell, WR Matt VandeBerg, OL Sean Welsh
MINNESOTA: LB Jonathan Celestin, DT Steven Richardson, RB Rodney Smith
NEBRASKA: CB Chris Jones, QB Tanner Lee, LB Chris Weber
NORTHWESTERN: S Godwin Igwebuike, RB Justin Jackson, QB Clayton Thorson
PURDUE: LB Ja’Whaun Bentley, QB David Blough, LB Danny Ezechukwu
WISCONSIN: LB Jack Cichy, LB T.J. Edwards, TE Troy Fumagalli