CLASS OF 2020 RANKINGS: Rivals250 | State | Position | Team

TAKE TWO: Does LSU have a cause for concern at DT?

Rivals.com National Recruiting Director Mike Farrell’s Three-Point Stance is here with a Big Ten recruiting look, some teams expected to bounce back from losing seasons and FSU’s quarterback situation.

It’s the start of spring (sort of), so it’s time to break down the 2020 recruiting so far in each conference. We start in the Big Ten.

Biggest commitment: OL Paris Johnson Jr., Ohio State – A franchise left tackle and big-time recruit for new head coach Ryan Day, Johnson Jr. has a chance to be very special and will do wonders for in-state recruiting as well because he’s a big name.

Best Out Of State Grab: QB Jack Miller, Ohio State – Quarterbacks will go anywhere if they feel comfortable and Miller feels like he’s a great fit in the Ohio State offense. Dwayne Haskins' development certainly didn’t hurt in selling him on the Buckeyes.

In-State Keep: OL Trey Wedig, Wisconsin – Wisconsin is known for producing great offensive linemen and keeping a talent like Wedig home will only keep that tradition rolling. It’s a very good year in the Midwest for offensive linemen and this was a key keep.

Positional Fit: CB Andre Seldon, Michigan – Seldon may be small but he plays much bigger than his size and Don Brown has done an excellent job with undersized cornerbacks in his career as a defensive coordinator. This kid will be very good, just watch.

Top Class: Ohio State – Right now the Buckeyes are dominating the Big Ten and that’s not a surprise with Day, who has always been able to recruit. Until proven otherwise, when the Buckeyes have numbers they will be the top team in the Big Ten in recruiting.

Underrated Class: Iowa – All eight of Iowa’s commitments are three-stars so far, but many of them fit very well into what they like to do on offense and defense. Quarterback Deuce Hogan leads the way, but the Hawkeyes have also done well on the offensive and defensive line as well as at running back.

Southeast Pull: LB Derek Wingo, Penn State – It’s important for the Big Ten to recruit the Southeast as Urban Meyer proved when he won a national title. Penn State has landed a very talented linebacker in Wingo and hope he can bring to their defense what Devin Bush and Raekwon McMillan brought to Michigan and Ohio State respectively.

Sleeper To Watch: OL Tyler Elsbury, Iowa – I could have picked Josh Volk as well because I like the way he plays, but Elsbury has the longer frame, more room to grow and he could be one of those Iowa offensive linemen who surprises down the line.

Must Keep: OL Justin Rogers – Rogers is very talented and the Big Ten needs to keep him home. He can play offensive tackle or guard or even defensive tackle if needed and if the Big Ten lets him out of their grip, it will hurt the conference a bit.

Under Pressure: Illinois – Lovie Smith landed a couple of four-stars last year and Teriyon “Mookie” Cooper just decommitted from Texas following a visit to Illinois. The on-field results will be huge for the Illini this year and if they improve greatly, it will continue to keep them in the mix for high end talent.

Getting Into The Groove: Nebraska – The Huskers only have one commitment for 2020 but the way they closed out 2019 and Scott Frost’s eye for talent has me thinking big things in recruiting for the Huskers. They won’t ever be a top-10 program in recruiting because of their geographical disadvantage, but they can consistently finish in the 15-20 range especially if the product on the field continues to show great progress.

It’s March and a long way away from the start of the college football season, but that hasn’t stopped me thinking about random stuff. On this day, I find myself wondering which sub-.500 Power Five teams last year will rebound and head to bowl games in 2019. Here are my picks:

ACC: Florida State – Even with question marks at certain positions like quarterback, I can’t see Florida State missing a bowl game two years in a row in a weak ACC. There is too much talent on this roster and the offensive line improves to the point where running back Cam Akers can show his true skillset.

Big 12: Kansas State – Chris Klieman is a good coach and will make an instant impact. I’m not saying this will be a 9-3 team or anything like that, but a bowl game at the very least should be in the works.

Big Ten: Nebraska – Going to 7-5 from 4-8 is a big jump, but it can happen under quarterback Adrian Martinez and some impact freshmen. Frost is still a ways away from creating the roster he wants, but the way they improved last year has to have everyone excited.

Pac-12: USC – USC, like Florida State, is way too talented to finish with a losing record again. That doesn’t mean Clay Helton will save his job, but at least they will go 7-5 under quarterback JT Daniels and could win nine games.

SEC: Tennessee – The Vols came close last year to a bowl game and this year should get that push over the edge with the improved player development under Jeremy Pruitt. It won’t be easy, but a winning season should be in the works.

Florida State was in the news in February for not signing a quarterback in the 2019 class, marking the second-straight year the Seminoles hadn't inked a signal caller. The last time I can remember a big-time program going two years in a row without a quarterback was Penn State back in 2007 and 2008. It might have happened since, then but I don’t remember an occasion and the Penn State decision brings back memories.

In 2009 Penn State took four-star Kevin Newsome out of Virginia and in 2010 the program took two four-star quarterbacks in Robert Bolden and Paul Jones. Needless to say, none of them worked out too well and Penn State struggled.

The Seminoles were back in the news this week when they landed Wisconsin quarterback transfer Alex Hornibrook to push fellow transfer Jordan Travis (awaiting a waiver), walk-on Nolan McDonald and presumptive starter James Blackman. While all four bring something to the table, it’s a pretty thin group overall. so Florida State quarterback recruiting will be key moving forward for Willie Taggart.

The Seminoles already have a 2020 commitment from Jeffrey Sims from Jacksonville. He has upside and can move around, but is pretty raw when it comes to accuracy and seeing the field. You can bet the Seminoles will take another if they can get one.

Will Hornibrook help in the short term? We all know I haven’t been a big fan of his from his days at Wisconsin, but he’s a solid stop-gap guy who won’t be rattled if pushed into action. However, if he’s forced to be the starter my prediction that Florida State will be back in a bowl game next season could be iffy. If I’m a Seminoles fan, the quarterback position scares me despite the arrival of Kendall Briles as offensive coordinator. On the other hand, it has to be an attractive situation for a 2020 quarterback looking for early playing time.

Penn State appeared to have hit home runs with Newsome, Bolden and Jones, but that wasn’t the case. Maybe a guy like Sims or someone else will emerge and dominate for the Seminoles. Time will tell.