2015 5 Best Big Ten Pro Prospects

5. QB Connor Cook, Sr. Michigan State

It took a little while to grow into the starting gig, but he showed at the end of 2012 that he was going to make the offense his. No he has an all-timer of a resume with three bowl wins, a Rose Bowl victory, a Big Ten championship, and guiding the way to big win after big win. He could’ve gone pro early and likely would’ve been the third quarterback taken off the board, and now he’s pushing to possibly be one of the top picks next year if all goes well. At 6-4 and 220 pounds he has the NFL size to go along with the right arm strength and the gunslinger ability to keep on bombing no matter what. He can move a little, too – he’s not a stick in the mud pro-style passer.

While he threw eight picks, two of them came in the loss to Oregon and two more in the bowl win over Baylor – he was stingy with the mistakes the rest of the way. He can push the ball all over the field, but he has to step up his accuracy hitting just 58% of his throws last year for 3,214 yards and 24 touchdowns. However, with 300-yard days against Oregon, Ohio State and Baylor last season, and in the 2013 Big Ten championship game and Rose Bowl win, he’s as big-time as it gets. This year, Michigan State is hoping he can making it two league titles in three years.

4. DE Shilique Calhoun, Sr. Michigan State

Everything the team has needed and more as a top pass rusher in place of William Gholston, Calhoun has turned out to be better. From the start, the 6-5, 250-pound disruptive force showed he was ready to become special with monster play after monster play right away, saving a rocky offense. An All-America factor in the backfield in his first two seasons with 16 sacks, he continued producing at a high level with 39 tackles, eight sacks and 12.5 tackles for loss despite always being keyed on. He could’ve taken off early for the NFL in either of the last two seasons with the right combination of size, quickness off the snap, and closing ability, but he’s back to be the star of another good-looking defensive front. Extremely athletic, the former superstar recruit is showing why he was worth all of the hype.

3. QB Christian Hackenberg, Jr. Penn State

One of the nation’s top recruits in 2013, he looked the part right out of the gate. Under Bill O’Brien’s tutelage, he was the NFL prospect everyone was hoping for completing 59% of his throws for 2,955 yards and 20 scores with all the pressure in the world on his shoulders right out of the gate. But last year he took a step back thanks to a porous offensive line and an okay, not great, receiving corps. Bulked up, he’s not up to 236 pounds on his 6-4 frame, looking even more like a possible No. 1 overall draft pick. Now he has to be better at actually playing football.

While he’s accurate, he has the arm, and he has the skills, interceptions have been a huge problem throwing 15 last season after giving away ten as a freshman. Needing to be more accurate, he completed 56% of his throws as he tried to press and carry the woeful offense, throwing for 2,977 yards and 12 touchdowns. While he’s not a runner, he can throw on the move and he’s not a stick in the mud – he can do more around the goal line after running for four scores as a freshman, and none last year. He’s the star. He’s the man. He’s the franchise. Now it’s up to him to make the offense stronger, no matter what.

2. QB Cardale Jones, Jr. Ohio State

One of the most interesting shooting star stories in college football history, the No. 3 quarterback on the roster might have been the No. 2 pick in the NFL draft had he chosen to leave early. He’s still a project, but he’s 6-5, 250 pounds, mobile, and has an arm as good as any pro quarterback – and he’s a national champion. Thrown into the spotlight late against Michigan, he closed out the win and then went on a tear, winning the Big Ten title and rolling through the playoff finishing the season with 860 yards completing 61% of his passes with seven touchdowns and two picks, while running for 296 yards with a score. While he’s still in the midst of a quarterback battle, he was the only healthy option this offseason and might just be too good not to push further. However, he still needs to prove he can be a game-in-and-game-out performer, and while he’s the prototype next-level prospect, he needs a ton of polish. Able to unleash the arm and throw the deep ball on a regular basis, he hasn’t needed to come up with too many second-and-third reads, even against the elite defenses he faced. The spotlight is on – if he keeps on progressing, the NFL sky is the limit.

1. DE Joey Bosa, Jr. Ohio State

The superstar recruit of 2013 was every bit as good as advertised. The 6-6, 275-pound Florida native was a fantastic get for the program, snagging him away from SEC country, and he showed why with 7.5 sacks, 13.5 tackles for loss and 44 tackles right away. That was good, but last season was better coming up with 55 stops, 13.5 sacks and 21 tackles for loss, going on a tear in Big Ten play as an unstoppable force behind the line. Very big, very quick off the ball, and with a motor that doesn’t stop, he’s a prototype NFL pass rusher who’s expected to be a top five pick if he chooses to come out early. He’ll be a marked man now – he didn’t come up with a sack in the Big Ten championship or either playoff game – but he’s good enough to produce no matter what.