College Football: Top newcomers in the Big Ten Conference

By Sean Merriman
FOX Sports Senior Editor

Will anyone in the Big Ten Conference be able to stop Ohio State this season?

That is the magic question heading into the 2021 Big Ten football campaign. The Buckeyes have won both the Big Ten East and the Big Ten Championship Game in each of the past four seasons. In fact, the last time the Buckeyes didn’t play in the conference title game, back in 2016, they still finished the year 11-2 and earned a spot in the College Football Playoff.

This season could bring some new challenges to the Buckeyes, who are one of several teams in the Big Ten tasked with replacing an abundance of talent on both sides of the ball. Gone are the likes of Justin Fields (Ohio State), Shaka Toney (Penn State), Kwity Paye (Michigan) and Paddy Fisher (Northwestern). A total of 44 Big Ten players were selected in the 2021 NFL Draft, which means fans will see plenty of new faces in Big Ten uniforms this season.

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Here is a look at the top newcomers in the Big Ten Conference.

Arnold Ebiketie, DE, Penn State

The Nittany Lions lost both Jason Oewh and Shaka Toney to the NFL, so who’s going to step up at defensive end? Enter Arnold Ebiketie, who transferred from Temple and should fill a void on Penn State’s defensive line. The former Owl proved he can get after the quarterback last season, totaling 8.5 tackles for loss, recording four sacks and forcing three fumbles en route to being named a second-team All-AAC member. The Nittany Lions have had a defensive end selected in the past three NFL Drafts. Ebiketie could be the next Penn State standout to join that list.

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J.T. Tuimoloau, DE, Ohio State

J.T. Tuimoloau was a late commitment to the Buckeyes’ 2021 class, but the five-star defensive end is set to join fellow five-star Jack Sawyer in Columbus, giving OSU an impressive duo of young pass rushers. Standing at 6-foot-5 and 277 pounds, Tuimoloau is a physical force and should make an instant impact on the Buckeyes’ defense. With Tuimoloau and Sawyer set to join Zach Harrison and Tyreke Smith on the Buckeyes’ defensive line, this should be the most dominant group of pass-rushers in the nation in 2021.

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TreVeyon Henderson, RB, Ohio State

While Master Teague will likely be the starting running back when the Buckeyes take the field in Week 1 against Minnesota, look for incoming freshman TreVeyon Henderson to have the biggest impact among the Buckeyes' running backs this season. Henderson was the top-ranked running back prospect in the 2021 class, per 247Sports.com. He is an elite-level athlete with exceptional vision, speed and burst. The Buckeyes have had a running back top the 1,000-yard mark in seven of the past eight seasons. Look for Henderson to join that list.

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Demeioun Robinson, LB, Maryland

Maryland’s fan base is waiting for this program to finally put all the pieces together and have a breakout season. If that is going to happen in 2021, incoming freshman Demeioun Robinson will likely be a big reason. Ranked as the No. 2 edge-rusher in the nation, per 247Sports.com, Robinson should be in line to play right away for the Terrapins. He is listed as a linebacker, but his biggest impact will come as a pass-rushing threat.

Quavaris Crouch, LB, Michigan State

Over the past decade, Michigan State has built its reputation on playing great defense. That was far from the case last season, though, as the Spartans ranked 54th in total defense among FBS teams in 2020. Coach Mel Tucker made it a point to be aggressive in the transfer portal, bringing in a number of new faces who should start on the Spartans’ defense this season. The biggest score of Tucker's portal haul was former Tennessee linebacker Quavaris Crouch. A former four-star recruit and high school All-American, Crouch is expected to start at linebacker for the Spartans this season.

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