Big Ten Spotlight: Rutgers paces league with 20 June commits

Other than the weeks leading up to National Signing Day in December, there is no busier time in the recruiting calendar now than the month of June.

The Big Ten had 160 commitments in the month. Today, we look at which programs won June and which ones didn’t with the 2025 class.

RELATED: Rutgers commit list

There is absolutely no question that the Scarlet Knights won June. They landed 20 commitments in 30 days, three of them being four-stars in OL Jaelyne Matthews, RB John Forster and LB DJ McClary (flipped from Penn State).

On top of those recruiting wins, the Scarlet Knights landed pledges from eight recruits who are just one notch away from four-star status.

Greg Schiano and his staff have to be thrilled with where their class stands.

RELATED: Minnesota commit list

Sixteen of Minnesota’s 22 commitments came in the month of June as the Golden Gophers now have a top-25 class. The June group is led by high three-star DT Jayquan Stubbs but there were no four-star pledges during June.

Still, Minnesota did an excellent job loading up across the board but especially along the offensive line.

RELATED: Maryland commit list

The Terrapins had only four commitments heading into June but after adding a baker’s dozen during the month, Maryland now is inching closer to closing out its high school class. Of that entire haul, only Severn (Md.) Archbishop Spalding QB Malik Washington was a four-star but there could be sleepers along the way, too, with two Florida three-stars OL Lamar Williams and DL Donta Simpson leading the charge.

RELATED: Washington commit list

It was an incredible June haul for the Huskies, who added a baker’s dozen prospects in the month after a slow start to coach Jedd Fisch’s first recruiting class. Four-star OL Champ Taulealea and four-star LB Jonathan Epperson are big wins but the biggest could end up being four-star tight end Vander Ploog from Fullerton (Calif.) Troy. Ploog is a multi-sport star who could flex out at tight end or stay in and block.

Things got even better Monday when four-star LB Zaydrius Rainey-Sale recommitted to the Huskies and more could be coming.

RELATED: Indiana commit list

In the month of June, first-year coach Curt Cignetti ended up bringing in five-star prospects QB Julian Lewis and WR Winston Watkins Jr. It would be a major surprise if even one was really serious about the Hoosiers but both are wild cards in a way.

Still, it’s a credit to Cignetti and his staff to make those in-roads and get those headlines even if Lewis or Watkins head elsewhere.

DB Jaylen Bell, RB Sean Cuono and DE Triston Abram are high three-stars who could be immediate contributors in Bloomington.

RELATED: Michigan State commit list

Michigan State entered the month of June with only five commitments but the Spartans had an impressive haul in June to pump that number up to 14 in total. There were no four-star pledges among that group but the highest three-star was in-state DT Derrick Simmons, who committed on June 27. Three-star Detroit tight end Jayden Savoury could be a sleeper.

RELATED: Michigan commit list

Michigan used June to load up on its recruiting class as the Wolverines entered the month with only five pledges and now has a baker’s dozen. Two four-star running backs in Donovan Johnson and Jasper Parker plus two four-star defensive ends in Jaylen Williams and Julius Holly lead the way.

This will be interesting to watch as well as six of the eight commits came from Florida, Georgia or Louisiana.

RELATED: Oregon commit list

The Ducks had quality over quantity in June and it should pay off in the coming years as it was a phenomenal month for coach Dan Lanning and his staff. Five-star running back Jordon Davison had some last-minute changes in his recruitment and Oregon ended up winning out. Four-star cornerback Dorian Brew, as quiet as anybody in the class, chose the Ducks over Texas and others.

Those aren’t the only big ones, though, as four-star TE DaSaahn Brame, four-star DL Josiah Sharma and others made a big recruiting impact in June. Four-star OL Ziyare Addison is one of the most versatile OL in the country and he showed off at the Rivals Five-Star.

RELATED: UCLA commit list

Twelve of UCLA’s 14 total commitments have come since April 10 as the new UCLA coaching staff is breathing life into recruiting and it’s already paying off well. Former coach Chip Kelly had little-to-no interest in going after top targets until the end (when it was too late) but this staff is doing a great job.

The only four-star in June was safety Jadyn Hudson from Pittsburg, Calif., but OL Garrison Blank could be a star and three-star DE Epi Sitanlei has all the potential in the world.

RELATED: Iowa commit list

Iowa coach Kirk Ferentz has been in charge since 1999 and he’s had only four losing seasons (including the first two as he was changing around the Hawkeyes) and none since 2012. So Ferentz is going to do things on the field and in recruiting his way.

As for June recruiting, the Hawkeyes added five prospects to a total class of 12 right now and while there were no four-stars, defensive tackles Lucal Allgeyer (who will play offensive tackle for the Hawkeyes) and Brad Fitzgibbon could be the future of the Iowa defensive front.

RELATED: Purdue commit list

Even after a busy June, the Boilermakers had only four commitments in the month and they find themselves with just nine total commitments. That puts Purdue at No. 73 nationally in the team rankings as it’s the only program in the Big Ten without double-digit commitments.

Flipping high three-star WR Lebron Hill from Louisville was definitely a major win and could be big down the road.