ESPN College Football

Penn State has announced the signings of 20 players who make up the Big Ten's top recruiting class for 2010. Although Penn State's class fell one spot to No. 8 in ESPN's rankings today, the Nittany Lions had one of the nation's most complete classes, particularly on the defensive side. Players like Dakota Royer, Khairi Fortt, Evan Hailes and several others should help Penn State very early in their careers. Quarterback Robert Bolden should compete for the starting job right away as the Nittany Lions try to replace Daryll Clark.

Iowa head coach Kirk Ferentz finalized a 21-man recruiting class that features several of the Midwest's top players. The Hawkeyes landed one ESPNU 150 prospect in tight end C.J. Fiedorowicz, and players like offensive lineman Andrew Donnal, running back Marcus Coker, and athlete A.J. Derby all should be key contributors. Iowa's class really bolsters the defensive front with five linemen and three linebackers.

Michigan State hasn't sent out an official release just yet, but the Spartans' 21-man class is signed and sealed. Defensive-minded coach Mark Dantonio bolstered the defense with players like ESPNU 150 prospect William Gholston, linebacker Max Bullough and defensive backs Mylan Hicks. The Spartans also added depth at quarterback with Joe Boisture. This class might not have made quite as big a splash as last year's haul, but Michigan State once again did very well within the state and the Big Ten region.

National signing day was largely forgettable for the Big Ten, and things ended on a down note as coveted offensive tackle Seantrel Henderson picked USC over Ohio State, Minnesota and several others.

Henderson and linebacker Jordan Hicks were considered the top two players from the Big Ten region this year, and neither of them will be suiting up for a Big Ten team in 2010. Ohio State went 0-for-2 on coveted offensive line prospects on Wednesday, as Matt James picked Notre Dame over the Buckeyes.

Henderson said Ohio State finished second to USC for his services. Minnesota also was in the mix near the end, as head coach Tim Brewster tried to keep the St. Paul product at home.

The Big Ten certainly needs to protect its home turf, especially when most of the nation's elite players are located elsewhere. Ohio State should still be fine on the offensive line if certain players develop, though today has been a disappointment for the Scarlet and Gray.

Michigan might not be an elite program right now, but the Wolverines continue to generate the most headlines in the Big Ten.

Things got pretty testy at head coach Rich Rodriguez's signing day news conference earlier, as the coach fielded several questions about top recruit Demar Dorsey, who has a checkered legal past. Rodriguez said Michigan researches every prospect it recruits and urged reporters not to pass judgment until they know the full story.

"Don't judge on something until you get all the facts," he said. "Any time there's a situation, we look at it as well and we find out the whole story. A lot of times, there's more to a story than people understand. ... There's nobody on this football team that we would sign that has a felony conviction. There's nobody on this football team we would sign that has a misdemeanor conviction."

After another question about Dorsey's past, Rodriguez fumed, "Everyone wants to be negative. We have such a great place here. We've got wonderful people, we've got a great university, we've got players working their tails off. And everybody wants to be negative. Can't we be positive?"

Other items of note:

• Rodriguez said defensive coordinator Greg Robinson will coach the Wolverines' linebackers this year. Michigan still has a vacancy after Jay Hopson's departure to Memphis, and the new coach will work primarily with the safeties, a critical position group this fall.
• Rodriguez said one Big Ten school was "negative recruiting quite a bit," though the school wasn't Ohio State.
• Michigan has no plans to move Denard Robinson from the quarterback spot. Starting quarterback Tate Forcier has been dealing with a "slight tear" in his shoulder.
• Also, the Detroit Free Press reported that Michigan's board of regents held a special session Wednesday morning to get an update on the NCAA's investigation into potential violations by the football team.

Illinois signed a 20-man recruiting class today headlined by quarterback Chandler Whitmer and featuring several other promising skill players.

The team's official release lists non-quarterbacks as either "line" or "back," rather than identifying specific positions. Illinois could audition several recruits at multiple spots before determining their ultimate destinations. The class features players from 10 different states as well as Washington D.C.

Ron Zook's latest recruiting haul won't earn high marks like his 2008 class, but it could provide depth along the offensive line and in the secondary. Whitmer will compete for the starting quarterback job this spring as Illinois gears up for a pivotal 2010 season.

Ohio State has announced the signings of 18 recruits, including four ESPNU 150 prospects.

The team's news release doesn't include offensive lineman Seantrel Henderson, who will announce his college choice shortly. Most reports have named USC as the leader for Henderson, so Ohio State might go 0-for-2 on heralded offensive line prospects (Notre Dame-bound Matt James being the other). The Buckeyes class includes nine in-state prospects, two from both Pennsylvania and Florida, and one from Georgia, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan and North Carolina.

Ohio State addressed a need at wide receiver with four players, including James Louis, who stuck with the Buckeyes over North Carolina. Christian Bryant and Bradley Roby should provide help in the secondary.

I realize this class won't get Ohio State fans too fired up, but things will improve, especially in 2011. Another run to a BCS bowl game, possibly the national championship, would help as well.

The Big Ten's two members in the state of Indiana have completed their recruiting classes for 2010.

Purdue signed 20 players on Wednesday to go along with four mid-year enrollees, bringing the total to 24 players. Once again, head coach Danny Hope did well in his home state of Florida, signing eight players from the Sunshine State. The Boilermakers went very heavy on the defensive side, signing five defensive backs, five defensive linemen and three linebackers. The class also includes three tight ends, two of whom (De'Ron Flood and Gabe Holmes) are already enrolled.

Indiana finalized a 25-man class, most of whom committed very early in the recruiting process. The Hoosiers wisely addressed their defense with 15 players, including junior college arrivals Andre Kates, Jeff Thomas and Lenyatta Kiles. The class features six linebackers and six defensive backs, two areas where IU must recharge in 2010. One of the more intriguing prospects is quarterback/athlete Kofi Hughes, who should provide a spark on offense.

Not surprisingly, it didn't take long for Michigan to announce its full recruiting class after heralded safety Demar Dorsey officially signed about an hour ago.

The Wolverines bring in 27 new players, at least 12 of whom will try to help a beleaguered defense that really needs a jolt in 2010. Michigan started very quickly in recruiting, and while UM might not have a ton of elite prospects, the class is very solid across the board. Obviously, Dorsey gives Michigan a big name at a very big position.

A few notes on Michigan's class:

• The class consists of players from nine different states, including 11 from Ohio, four from Michigan and three players from both Florida and Pennsylvania.
• Seven of the signees have already enrolled for the winter 2010 semester: quarterback Devin Gardner, running back Stephen Hopkins, wide receiver Jeremy Jackson, wide receiver Ricardo Miller, offensive lineman Christian Pace, wide receiver Jerald Robinson and running back Austin White.
• UM signed a pair of brothers, cornerback Terrence Talbott and defensive tackle Terry Talbott, from Wayne High School in Huber Heights, Ohio. In addition to the Talbott brothers, the Wolverines had Warren G. Harding teammates Davion Rogers and D.J. Williamson join the fold.
• The Wolverines signed two players on the ESPNU 150: Dorsey (12) and Gardner (128).

Finally, National Signing Day produced a big win for the Big Ten. And a huge win for Michigan.

Safety Demar Dorsey's decision to sign with Michigan ahead of Florida State and USC is critical for a Wolverines secondary that needs to get a lot better in 2010. Ranked as the nation's No. 2 safety by ESPN's Scouts Inc., Dorsey is the type of player who can come in and contribute right away for the Wolverines. And he'll need to make an impact this season, as Michigan's struggling secondary loses top cornerback Donovan Warren to the NFL.

Michigan entered the day hoping to land two safeties, Sean Parker and Dorsey. Parker, who many believed to be the better bet for the Wolverines, picked Washington ahead of Michigan, but Wolverines fans aren't complaining now. Dorsey, who is cousins with Michigan quarterback Denard Robinson, is the nation's No. 12 player according to ESPN's Scouts Inc.

Unless offensive lineman Seantrel Henderson picks Ohio State, Dorsey will be the highest-rated recruit in the conference.

Again, a big, big score for Rich Rodriguez.

Northwestern has signed a 17-man recruiting class that is almost evenly split between offense (9) and defense (8). Pat Fitzgerald and his staff went heavy on wide receivers with four, and also picked up three defensive linemen and three defensive backs. The Wildcats also signed two quarterbacks, which is important after missing out on Andrew Luck last year.

A few facts about NU's class from the school's release.

• The breakdown on NU's signees, by position: wide receivers (4), defensive line (3), defensive backs (3), linebackers (2), offensive line (2), quarterback (2) and running back (1).
• The combined record of this year's class (from their senior season) is 131-62 (68 percent).
• A pair of players from the same team, Trevor Siemian and Rashad Lawrence, both committed to Northwestern following a successful prep career at Olympia High School in Orlando.
• Facebook played a role in the recruitment of 16 of the 17 signees.

Wisconsin is the first Big Ten team to officially announce its 2010 recruiting class, which includes 24 scholarship players and seven preferred walk-ons.

The Badgers capitalized on an unusually strong year for in-state recruits, landing seven players from Wisconsin, including defensive back Michael Trotter and defensive tackle Bryce Gilbert. Head coach Bret Bielema and his staff addressed all three areas of the defense, particularly the secondary, and beefed up at both offensive line and tight end. Wisconsin has had a lot of production from its last two recruiting classes, and will look for more from this latest crop.

Though there are no major surprises among the scholarship players, preferred walk-on Riki Kodanko will attract some attention. At 6-foot-9, the offensive tackle from Green Bay is the tallest player in team history, an inch taller than Joe Thomas and several others.

Junior college cornerback Andre Kates was the first player to commit to Indiana for the 2010 class back in May. He was the last to sign with the Hoosiers.

After reportedly wavering on his decision, Kates told Scout.com that he will play for the Hoosiers this fall. He'll provide a big boost for an Indiana secondary that loses three starters, including top cover man Ray Fisher.

Indiana had a ton of early commitments this year, and while the Hoosiers have lost a few key commits, including defensive end Jibreel Black, their overall class is decent.

The ESPN recruiting class rankings have been updated one more time, and both Penn State and Ohio State moved up a spot.

Penn State, which will sign the Big Ten's top class today, moves from No. 7 to No. 6. It marks Penn State's highest final ranking since ESPN's Scouts Inc. started rating the classes in 2006. Credit goes to D-line coach Larry Johnson, defensive coordinator Tom Bradley, wide receivers coach/recruiting coordinator Mike McQueary and others for bringing in a ton of excellent prospects, especially on the defensive side. Despite head coach Joe Paterno's uncertain future, Penn State continues to make strides in recruiting.

Ohio State also moves up a spot from No. 14 to No. 13. Scouts Inc.'s Tom Luginbill praised the depth and balance in the Buckeyes' class, which won't go down as one of the team's best but addresses needs at wide receiver and defensive line.

Michigan held at No. 20 in the recruiting rankings. While the Wolverines have only one ESPNU 150 prospect (QB Devin Gardner), the class is large and includes several solid defensive prospects.

The Big Ten is off to a rough start on national signing day.

When it comes to the top uncommitted prospects, the Big Ten is still waiting for a key fax to come through. I'm not saying there aren't some excellent players and classes inked throughout the league, but it'd be nice to see someone win a key recruiting battle.

Safety Sean Parker is the latest player to go elsewhere, as he chose Washington ahead of both Michigan and USC in an announcement on ESPNU. Michigan clearly could have used Parker for its struggling secondary, which loses top corner Donovan Warren to the NFL draft. If there's one position where the Wolverines need immediate contributors, it's defensive back.

Michigan entered the day with a decent shot at Parker, but he'll be heading to play for Steve Sarkisian in Seattle.

Ohio State entered national signing day hoping to land two coveted offensive linemen, Seantrel Henderson and Matt James.

It appeared likely the Buckeyes would land at least one, if not both of the highly rated prep prospects.

But now it's fair to ask the question: Could Ohio State end up going 0-for-2?

According to the Cincinnati Enquirer's Mike Dyer, James has committed to Notre Dame instead of Ohio State and will make it official at a noon ET announcement. Ohio State had been the leader for James' services, but the Cincinnati native recently visited Notre Dame.

"It was a really tough decision," James told the Enquirer. "I like the situation of being in the first class with coach [Brian] Kelly there.

Offensive tackle Seantrel Henderson, the nation's top uncommitted prospect, will announce his college choice later today. But the (St. Paul) Pioneer Press' Charley Walters reports that USC is the front-runner for Henderson's services, and Minnesota has leapfrogged Ohio State for No. 2 on his list. Ohio State had been considered by many to be the leader for Henderson.

The news cycle starts very early on national signing day, and there are already a few notable Big Ten tidbits.

• Safety Corey Cooper, who originally committed to Illinois but reopened his recruitment, will play his college ball for Bo Pelini at Nebraska, SI.com reports. Cooper would have been one of the top players in Illinois' class, which won't earn high marks this year. Cooper, who will make his official announcement at 11 a.m. ET, told SI.com that "nowhere else could beat Nebraska." Illinois recently added several defensive backs to its class, but always wants to keep top in-state players like Cooper (Maywood, Ill.) at home.
• Ohio State received 10 national letters of intent this morning, perhaps none more important than the one from wide receiver James Louis. Louis had verbally committed to the Buckeyes but was being pursued by other schools. He had also indicated on his Facebook page that he wanted to join high school teammate Donnell Kirkwood at Minnesota. Running back Carlos Hyde, a 2009 prospect who spent some time at Fork Union Military Academy to improve his grades, enrolled at Ohio State this spring, also will be part of this class.
• Michigan ended up signing defensive lineman Terry Talbott after all. Talbott verbally committed to the Wolverines last summer but strongly considered North Carolina leading up to signing day.