The Full Field: The Top Playmakers Entering Conference Play

Big Ten play is here — the conference schedule kicked off on Saturday with No. 12 USC defeating Rutgers and UCLA beating Purdue. In Week 4, 14 more teams get their Big Ten campaigns started.  

After a few weeks of college football, stars have emerged across the conference. Position-by-position, here are some of the top playmakers and performances across all 18 programs. 

QB: Jayden Maiava (USC) | Ryan Browne (Purdue) | Rocco Becht (Penn State) 

We’ve seen brilliant quarterback play from coast-to-coast, with Maiava, Browne and Becht all having great starts to the season. Starting with the USC signal-caller, Maiava leads the nation in both passing yards and TDs, propelling the Trojans to a 4-0 start. Browne sits behind him at fifth nationally in passing yards while posting an efficient 7:1 TD-to-INT ratio for Purdue. In Happy Valley, Becht has clicked seamlessly at Penn State, ranking second in the conference with a 215.3 passer rating following 9 touchdown passes and zero turnovers. 

With pressure rising — literally and metaphorically — in Big Ten play, we’ll see which of these quarterbacks stays on top and who else climbs the ranks. 

RB: Wayne Knight (UCLA) | Cam Edwards (MSU) | Jamal Rule (Nebraska) 

Three new running backs are bursting onto the Big Ten scene. UCLA’s Knight ranks top-10 nationally with 345 rushing yards and eight TDs (tied for first). Nebraska freshman Rule mirrors that pace on the ground with 329 yards, five TDs, and 8.7 yards per carry. The Spartans' Edwards has nearly 300 rushing yards, highlighted by a 152-yard Week 2 breakout that marked MSU’s first 150+ rushing yard game since Kenneth Walker III in 2021. 

WR: KJ Duff (Rutgers) | Jeremiah Smith (OSU) | Charlie Becker (Indiana) | Collin Dixon (Illinois) 

Going into the season, these four pass-catchers carried high expectations — and each has delivered. Smith set a major milestone for Ohio State, surpassing Michael Jenkins' 23-year-old school record for all-time receiving yards while averaging over 130 yards per game early this season. Duff has been a touchdown machine for Rutgers with six, finding the end zone in every game while stacking 419 yards. Both marks are top three in the nation, while Illinois’ Dixon leads the country with seven scores and is top 10 with 25 receptions (fourth) and 367 receiving yards (sixth). Meanwhile, Indiana's Becker is one of the game's premier big-play threats, turning 12 catches into 272 yards and six touchdowns—averaging 22.7 yards (and three points?!) per reception. 

DL: DD Holmes (Maryland) | Sebastian Cheeks (Wisconsin) | John Henry Daley (Michigan) 

Along the defensive front, these big men are making their presence felt in opponents’ backfields. Maryland’s Holmes set the tone early with a two-sack opener, while Wisconsin’s Cheeks anchors the front seven with six solo tackles and a pair of QB takedowns himself. For Michigan, Daley brings veteran leadership to the front line, exploding for eight total tackles, a sack, and three tackles for loss against Oklahoma.  

LB: Devon Jackson (Oregon) | Sammy Omosigho (UCLA) | Cam Buffington (Iowa) 

At the next level, these three linebackers bring elite range into conference play. UCLA’s Omosigho leads the Big Ten with three sacks while forcing four fumbles, and Oregon’s Jackson has flashed game-breaking speed, highlighted by a 96-yard pick-six against Oklahoma State. Meanwhile, Iowa’s Buffington anchors the Hawkeyes' defense with 21 tackles through three games, headlined by a massive 15-tackle performance against Iowa State. 

DB: Alex McLaughlin (Washington) | Josh Fussell (Northwestern) 

Experience reigns supreme in the secondary as returning starters step into stardom. McLaughlin ranks second in the Big Ten with 18 solo tackles, while Fussell leads the conference with five pass deflections following a nine-breakup campaign last year.  

Special Teams: Javon Tracy (Minnesota) 

Tracy made Minnesota history in the opener, becoming the first Gopher ever to return two punts for touchdowns (87 and 69 yards) in the same game. He also leads the nation with 251 punt return yards while hauling in 5+ catches every game. 

This is just a preview of the firepower set to light up Big Ten Saturdays through the rest of this fall, with plenty of pivotal showdowns still on the horizon. Check out the full schedule here to follow every twist and turn of the race to Indy .