Big Ten football power rankings 2026: Where Indiana, Ohio State, Oregon stand as transfer cycle concludes

Now that the one-time transfer portal window has closed, college football rosters are finally taking shape a couple of months before spring practice is set to start around the nation. The transfer portal didn't rock the Big Ten landscape, but it did give us a better idea of how each team stacks up heading into the 2026 season. 

It should come as no surprise that Indiana lands at No. 1 in this post-transfer portal Big Ten power ranking. The Hoosiers are less than a month removed from winning their first national title in program history and there's no reason to expect that they will fall off of the championship path anytime soon. 

There's a bit of a logjam behind them, though. Between the likes of Ohio State, Oregon, Michigan and USC, there's a huge influx of talent headed to the Big Ten. It's easy to see the five aforementioned schools competing for a title in 2026. 

Not to mention potential outside candidates like Washington and a new-look Penn State squad. The Big Ten should be very competitive in 2026. 

So, here's how things stack up with over half a year to go until the 2026 season actually starts. 

College football teams with most QB depth in 2026: Oregon, LSU among programs with strong starter-backup duos

Cody Nagel

1. Indiana 

Curt Cignetti's Hoosiers don't rebuild; they reload. Indiana completed college football's greatest Cinderella story in 2025 by capping a perfect 16-0 season with a win against Miami in the College Football Playoff National Championship. There's no doubt they'll be a national title contender again next season, even with some significant losses on both sides of the ball. New transfer quarterback Josh Hoover has big shoes to fill in replacing Heisman Trophy winner and likely No. 1 overall NFL Draft pick Fernando Mendoza, but Hoover brings the same level of versatility and plenty of experience from his time at TCU. Retaining defensive stars like linebacker Rolijah Hardy and defensive lineman Tyrique Tucker, as well as defensive coordinator Bryant Haines, will ensure that Indiana's defense remains dominant. 

2. Ohio State 

Ohio State isn't far behind, obviously. The Buckeyes have, on paper, the most talented roster in college football. That's nothing new. Breakout star quarterback Julian Sayin is back to lead the offense. He'll have a third-year monster in Jeremiah Smith to throw the ball to, though there are questions outside of Smith. New offensive coordinator Arthur Smith -- another former NFL head coach that decided to join the Buckeyes -- has some puzzles to solve at wide receiver and along the offensive line. The pieces are there, but putting them together is crucial. The Buckeyes restocked their defense with one of the nation's best transfer hauls. Edge rusher Qua Russaw (Alabama), defensive lineman James Smith (Alabama), linebacker Christian Alliegro (Wisconsin), defensive back Earl Little Jr. (Florida State) and safety Terry Moore (Duke) should all start immediately. 

3. Oregon 

The headline for Oregon entering the 2026 season is its deep quarterback room. The Ducks convinced potential first-round pick Dante Moore to return as a starter and they also added former Nebraska starter and top prospect Dylan Raiola as high-quality insurance. The rest of the roster is in great shape, thanks to coach Dan Lanning's elite recruiting efforts through the high school and transfer portal ranks. The Ducks are replacing a pair of star coordinators in Will Stein and Tosh Lupoi after they left for head coaching opportunities elsewhere. Lanning promoted Chris Hampton and Drew Mehringer to fill the defensive and offensive coordinator spots, respectively, so there should be some consistency. 

4. Michigan 

Michigan might be the Big Ten's biggest question mark. There's no doubt that the Wolverines upgraded in terms of coaching. They were put in a tough spot when former coach Sherrone Moore was fired and arrested in December and they hit a grand slam by identifying former Utah boss Kyle Whittingham as his replacement. Whittingham's Utes won 10 games three times from 2022-25. They also had two conference titles in that span. He brought offensive coordinator Jason Beck with him. Beck could be key in unlocking young Michigan quarterback Bryce Underwood, who has all the tools but is coming off an up-and-down true freshman season.

5. USC 

USC returns one of the Big Ten's top quarterbacks in Jayden Maiava. He'll be a Heisman Trophy contender after throwing for 3,711 yards and 24 touchdowns last season. Almost all of his favorite targets are gone, though. Makai Lemon and Ja'Kobi Lane will hear their names called early in the NFL Draft and tight end Lake McRee was a steady option that ran out of eligibility. NC State transfer Terrell Anderson brings some much-needed experience, while Tanook Hines has plenty of breakout potential. USC's defense, which was steady if unspectacular last season, will also look different after it lost coordinator D'Anton Lynn to Penn State. 

6. Washington 

Whether he likes it or not, quarterback Demond Williams Jr. is back in Seattle after a wild transfer saga that almost ended in litigation between Washington and Williams' representation. He's got Heisman potential if the Huskies can get him to buy in again. Top returning rusher Adam Mohammed entered the transfer portal and did not return, so the Huskies will have to identify a new go-to guy at running back. The story at wide receiver is the same, as Washington loses standout Denzel Boston. The offensive line is in good shape, at least, with the potential to be the Big Ten's best as four starters return to protect Williams. 

7. Penn State 

Penn State fired James Franklin midseason, embarked on an apparently bumbling coaching search and still landed on one of the best options possible by poaching Iowa State's Matt Campbell. He's bringing a majority of his Cyclones with him. Twenty-three former Iowa State players followed Campbell to Happy Valley. Quarterback Rocco Becht gives the Nittany Lions a solid replacement in the wake of Drew Allar's departure. Other Cyclones transplants like tight end Benjamin Brahmer, defensive back Marcus Neal Jr., running back Carson Hansen and linebacker Caleb Bacon will have a major impact off the bat. 

8. Iowa 

Iowa is a model of consistency. The Hawkeyes will almost always win eight games, at the minimum, and they'll flirt with even more. They were one of just a few teams to put up a respectable showing against Indiana last season, after all. Their offense took a nice step forward with quarterback Mark Gronowski leading the way, but now he's gone. Iowa didn't add a transfer via the portal, so it will likely turn to either Jeremy Hecklinski or Hank Brown to take over the starting spot. They've attempted a combined 75 career passes. 

9. Minnesota 

Minnesota flew under the radar in 2025 while winning eight games for a second consecutive season under coach P.J. Fleck and they're flying under the radar again entering 2026. The Golden Gophers are worth keeping an eye on, though. They return a wealth of starting experience on offense, including top running back Darius Taylor and starting quarterback Drake Lindsey, and the defense is anchored by stars like defensive end Anthony Smith. 

10. Nebraska 

Nebraska finally looked like it was turning a corner under Matt Rhule amid a 5-1 start to the 2025 season, but the Huskers went 2-5 down the stretch and closed the year on a three-game losing streak. Then Raiola, who never quite reached his full potential in Lincoln and missed time due to injury, hit the transfer portal, leaving a huge vacancy for Nebraska to fill. Anthony Colandrea brings almost three years of starting experience from Virginia and UNLV. He elevates Nebraska's play-making ceiling, but he's also prone to some head-scratching mistakes. Overall, Nebraska didn't improve enough to expect a significant leap, especially since running back Emmett Johnson -- the heartbeat of the offense -- is gone as well. 

11. Illinois 

Illinois is in an interesting spot entering 2026. Last season's squad garnered significant hype as an offseason dark horse, but the Fighting Illini went 1-2 against ranked opponents and also suffered a really bad late-season loss to Wisconsin. Now they have to navigate life without star quarterback Luke Altmyer on offense and stalwarts like Miles Scott and Gabe Jacas on defense. Bret Bielema's proven his worth at Illinois, but he's got some work to do to sustain the program's recent success next season. Illinois also has to contend with the late loss of defensive coordinator Aaron Henry, who recently left to become the co-defensive coordinator and defensive backs coach at Notre Dame. 

12. UCLA 

UCLA is hoping that Bob Chesney can follow in the footsteps of Cignetti, a fellow former James Madison coach. Chesney certainly doesn't lack in Cignetti's conference. He also seems to be operating from a similar blueprint. UCLA took 41 transfers in January, which is just short of two entirely new starting lineups. There's certainly some notable talent in that immense haul, including former James Madison studs like wide receiver Landon Ellis and running back Wayne Knight. Maybe new offensive coordinator Dean Kennedy, given his background as a college quarterback and quarterbacks coach, can fully unlock quarterback Nico Iamaleava, who still struggled with inconsistency in his first season with the Bruins. 

13. Northwestern 

David Braun doesn't get enough credit for what he's done at Northwestern. He took over after former coach Pat Fitzgerald was fired due to reported hazing incidents inside Northwestern's program. The Wildcats also had losing seasons in three out of Fitzgerald's last four years. They've made it to two bowl games since and capped the 2025 season with a win against Central Michigan in the GameAbove Sports Bowl. Northwestern won't compete for the Big Ten or anything, but it is a consistent bowl contender that can hover around the middle of the pack. 

14. Rutgers 

Rutgers boasts two of the Big Ten's best offensive skill players in wide receiver KJ Duff and running back Antwan Raymond. Each has all-conference upside. The primary concern with Rutgers is the fact that it loses quarterback Athan Kaliakmanis. Boston College transfer Dylan Lonergan, his expected replacement, was benched for three games in 2025. He did have solid performances against the likes of Michigan State, Stanford and Georgia Tech (in a late-season return to the starting lineup), but it feels reasonable to expect that he won't meet the standard set by Kaliakmanis. 

15. Wisconsin 

Wisconsin is rallying around Luke Fickell, who has regressed in each of his three years with the Badgers. They did beat two ranked opponents in the last month of the regular season, but they still finished 4-8 -- their worst record in a full 12-game season -- and there isn't a ton of evidence to suggest that they will improve drastically in 2026. Maybe the 33-player transfer haul can flip the roster enough to preserve Fickell for another year. 

16. Michigan State 

Fitzgerald makes his return to the Big Ten at Michigan State. There are reasons to feel good about the hire, but there are also some major causes for concern. His Northwestern tenure ended in significant controversy, though the two sides settled their legal dispute in Aug. 2025. Beyond that, Northwestern finished no better than 3-9 in three of his last four years. Maybe he'll have better resources at Michigan State, but he also has to resuscitate a program that hasn't finished above .500 since 2021. 

17. Maryland 

Maryland earned a significant offseason win when it retained quarterback Malik Washington. The Terrapins also made a splash by signing five-star edge rusher Zion Elee. Maryland is significantly lacking in starpower beyond those two. Mike Locksley is on very thin ice entering the 2026 campaign. 

18. Purdue 

It's hard to put Purdue anywhere else. The Boilermakers have won a total of seven games since the start of the 2023 season. They haven't beat a Big Ten team since Sept. 30, 2023. Coach Barry Odom has a lot of work to do if he wants to if he wants to rise above last place in the conference, let alone even think about a bowl game.