2025 Massive Ten Media Days: Bryce Underwood, Nico Iamaleava Amongst Day 3 Storylines

With the defending national champions out of the way on Day 1 (Ohio State) and the trendy picks to win this year’s conference title taking center stage on Day 2 (Oregon and Penn State), the third and final session of this year’s Big Ten Media Days event will be headlined by Michigan and the league’s Los Angeles contingent. 

As always, there is plenty of intrigue surrounding the Wolverines given the potential debut of five-star quarterback Bryce Underwood, the self-imposed suspension for head coach Sherrone Moore and the program’s best recruiting class since 2017, long before former coach Jim Harbaugh toppled Ohio State for the first time. Underwood, a true freshman, won’t be in attendance next week, but his growing status as a potential figurehead for the program is among the chief storylines in college football this fall. 

And would it really be Hollywood if USC and UCLA didn’t make the short trip to Las Vegas dripping with plotlines? From the explosive recruiting that is keeping the Trojans afloat to the Bruins’ splash addition of former Tennessee quarterback Nico Iamaleava, who will be representing UCLA at the league’s event, there is always something to discuss when it comes to football in Southern California.  

Those are certain to be among the topics of conversation when the Big Ten absorbs the national spotlight next week during its three-day media spectacle in Las Vegas, a locale that reflects the conference’s coast-to-coast membership. For the second consecutive year, each day of the event will feature the head coach and key players from six programs: 

Day 1: Illinois, Indiana, Maryland, Nebraska, Ohio State, Rutgers

Day 2: Minnesota, Northwestern, Oregon, Penn State, Washington, Wisconsin 

Day 3: Iowa, Michigan, Michigan State, Purdue, UCLA, USC

To preview the event, FOX Sports analyzed every team ahead of the 2025 campaign. Here’s what to expect from Day 3 at Big Ten Media Days: 

[Day 1: Big Ten Media Days Preview] [Day 2: Big Ten Media Days Preview]

Iowa

Final 12 months: 8-5 general, 6-3 Massive Ten

Postseason: 27-24 loss to Missouri within the Music Metropolis Bowl

Head coach: Kirk Ferentz, twenty seventh season, 204-124 at Iowa

Coordinators: Tim Lester (offense); Phil Parker (protection)

Recruiting: No. 39 nationally, No. 11 within the Massive Ten 

Switch portal: No. 60 nationally, No. 17 within the Massive Ten 

Key storyline: 5 turnover-filled years have handed for the reason that final time Iowa loved above-average play on the quarterback place, the place a revolving door of Spencer Petras, Alex Padilla, Cade McNamara, Deacon Hill and Brendan Sullivan left loads to be desired from 2020-24, intensifying the strain on defensive coordinator Phil Parker’s unit to compensate for wince-inducing offense. 

The final time a Hawkeyes quarterback threw a minimum of twice as many touchdowns as interceptions in a single season — a modest ratio by trendy requirements — got here within the 2019 season when Nate Stanley tossed 16 scores and 7 INTs, main Iowa to a formidable 10-3 document. However the addition of former South Dakota State quarterback Mark Gronowski by way of the switch portal has triggered some renewed optimism over what the Hawkeyes can fairly count on from their offense. 

Gronowski’s award-winning profession with the Jackrabbits included two nationwide titles, the Walter Payton Award, given to essentially the most excellent offensive participant on the FCS stage, 49 profession victories to tie the FCS document for wins by a quarterback and greater than 12,000 yards of complete offense. Such a formidable physique of labor was sufficient for Gronowski to be ranked the No. 10 quarterback on this 12 months’s switch portal cycle and considered one of solely two FCS signal-callers within the high 50 at that place. If he transitions effectively to the Massive Ten, then Iowa might be within the combine for a berth within the Faculty Soccer Playoff. 

Michigan

Final 12 months: 8-5 general, 5-4 Massive Ten

Postseason: 19-13 win over Alabama within the ReliaQuest Bowl

Head coach: Sherrone Moore, second season, 9-5 at Michigan

Coordinators: Chip Lindsey (offense); Wink Martindale (protection)

Recruiting: No. 6 nationally, No. 3 within the Massive Ten 

Switch portal: No. 35 nationally, No. 11 within the Massive Ten 

Key storyline: In traditional Michigan vogue, the three gamers representing the Wolverines at Massive Ten Media Days can be linebacker Ernest Hausmann, edge rusher Derrick Moore and tight finish/full again Max Bredeson, who’s making his second consecutive look. And whereas all of these people can be starters and key contributors for Michigan this season, the checklist shouldn’t be precisely a who’s-who of this system’s most recognizable gamers. 

In actual fact, that honor would seemingly go to somebody who has but to log his first collegiate snap: five-star freshman quarterback Bryce Underwood, the No. 1 general recruit within the nation. Underwood’s resolution to flip his dedication from LSU to Michigan final November catalyzed an entire revitalization of the Wolverines’ recruiting efforts underneath first-year head coach Sherrone Moore, the handpicked successor to Jim Harbaugh, with scores of elite gamers keen to hitch him in Ann Arbor. That Michigan wound up No. 6 within the nationwide recruiting rankings for the 2025 cycle — its highest end in eight years — and is at the moment on tempo for an additional top-10 class in 2026 speaks to Underwood’s gravitational pull. 

With an undisclosed harm to Fresno State switch Mikey Keene sidelining him for a lot of the spring, coupled with the torn ACL suffered by Davis Warren throughout final 12 months’s bowl sport, the deck has all however cleared for Underwood to win the beginning job in fall camp. He’s sure to be a main subject of debate in Las Vegas with out being anyplace close to the desert.

Michigan State

Final 12 months: 5-7 general, 3-6 Massive Ten

Postseason: None

Head coach: Jonathan Smith, second season, 5-7 at Michigan State

Coordinators: Brian Lindgren (offense); Joe Rossi (protection)

Recruiting: No. 57 nationally, No. 16 within the Massive Ten 

Switch portal: No. 28 nationally, No. 8 within the Massive Ten 

Key storyline: Although there are many roster-specific questions surrounding Michigan State coming into the 2025 marketing campaign — from the potential development of cell quarterback Aidan Chiles to the rising expertise of broad receiver Nick Marsh (41 catches, 649 yards, 3 TDs); from the hunt to enhance an anemic move rush that completed tied for 108th in sacks to an offensive line that’s virtually completely rebuilt — it’s troublesome to disregard what really feel like bigger philosophical questions coming into Yr 2 underneath head coach Jonathan Smith, previously of Oregon State. 

In terms of roster-building efforts, the Spartans have but to obtain the new-regime bump that always follows teaching modifications. Smith’s first highschool recruiting class ranked forty second nationally and thirteenth within the Massive Ten; his second dropped to 57th nationally and sixteenth within the Massive Ten. His first switch portal class peaked at No. 12 nationally thanks largely to Chiles and star proper finish Jack Velling, each of whom adopted Smith from Oregon State, however his most up-to-date switch haul ranked twenty eighth nationally and eighth within the Massive Ten. 

On the sphere, the place Michigan State by no means gained back-to-back video games after September, the Spartans struggled on each side of the ball throughout Smith’s debut marketing campaign: the offense ranked a hundred and tenth in yards per sport (333.4); the protection completed tied for 77th in scoring (26.1 factors per sport). Smith’s forte has at all times been participant retention and growth, evidenced by the wonderful work he did in guiding the Beavers to 3 consecutive profitable seasons from 2021-23, however the progress at Michigan State stays onerous to search out.  

Purdue

Final 12 months: 1-11 general, 0-9 Massive Ten

Postseason: None

Head coach: Barry Odom, first season, 0-0 at Purdue

Coordinators: Josh Henson (offense); Mike Scherer (protection)

Recruiting: No. 91 nationally, No. 18 within the Massive Ten 

Switch portal: No. 47 nationally, No. 14 within the Massive Ten 

Key storyline: There are pure parallels to be drawn between the rebuilding approaches employed by first-year Indiana head coach Curt Cignetti forward of the 2024 marketing campaign — a technique that ended with the Hoosiers reaching the Faculty Soccer Playoff — and what Barry Odom is trying with Purdue after becoming a member of the Boilermakers from UNLV, the place he guided the Rebels to 19 wins during the last two seasons. 

Cignetti upended Indiana’s roster with alacrity by bringing in dozens of recent gamers by way of the switch portal and restocking the Hoosiers’ cupboard with a few of his finest and most trusted troops from James Madison alongside the way in which. 

Odom attacked the rebuild at Purdue, which reached the Massive Ten Championship sport as lately as 2022, in practically an identical vogue. He added upwards of fifty transfers throughout the winter and spring home windows mixed, together with eight who performed for him at UNLV and will help set up the right tradition. Much more transfers headed within the different path by leaving Purdue as Odom and his newly shaped workers washed away remnants of the Ryan Walters period, a disastrous two-year run through which the Boilermakers solely gained 5 video games and endured a winless convention slate in 2024. 

However not like Cignetti, who benefited from a velvet-soft schedule final fall, Odom is diving right into a briar patch that features video games towards USC, Notre Dame, Illinois, Michigan, Ohio State and Indiana. Something greater than two or three victories could be a formidable debut.  

UCLA

Final 12 months: 5-7 general, 3-6 Massive Ten

Postseason: None

Head coach: DeShaun Foster, second season, 5-7 at UCLA

Coordinators: Tino Sunseri (offense); Ikaika Malloe (protection)

Recruiting: No. 42 nationally, No. 12 within the Massive Ten 

Switch portal: No. 20 nationally, No. 5 within the Massive Ten 

Key storyline: If second-year head coach DeShaun Foster was looking for a strategy to generate buzz about UCLA, an oft-sleepy program ceaselessly within the shadow of USC, its extremely profitable crosstown rival, then diving headfirst into the Nico Iamaleava saga definitely completed that objective. Having guided Tennessee to the Faculty Soccer Playoff throughout his first season because the Volunteers’ beginning quarterback in 2024, Iamaleava made nationwide headlines in April when his resolution to skip one of many group’s spring practices — reportedly due to a dispute concerning his NIL compensation — prompted head coach Josh Heupel to take this system in one other path. 

The transfer despatched Iamaleava, who threw for two,616 yards with 19 touchdowns and 5 interceptions final fall, into the switch portal at a time when most main packages had already settled their quarterback rooms forward of the upcoming marketing campaign. For Iamaleava, a former five-star prospect and the No. 3 general recruit within the 2023 cycle, it shortly turned clear {that a} return to his residence state of California is likely to be the most suitable choice, regardless that the Bruins had already landed a switch quarterback in former Appalachian State standout Joey Aguilar. 

However Foster acknowledged {that a} homegrown child of Iamaleava’s expertise might be a recruiting boon for this system, so he determined to take the danger. Information of Iamaleava’s impending arrival despatched Aguilar again into the portal, the place Heupel and the Volunteers had been already looking for a substitute. It was the trendy school soccer equal of a commerce through which each packages are hoping they obtained the higher finish of the deal. And it signifies that UCLA and Tennessee, Iamaleava and Aguilar, are sure to be in contrast on a weekly foundation this season. 

USC

Final 12 months: 7-6 general, 4-5 Massive Ten

Postseason: 35-31 win over Texas A&M within the Las Vegas Bowl

Head coach: Lincoln Riley, fourth season, 26-14 at USC

Coordinators: Luke Huard (offense); D’Anton Lynn (protection)

Recruiting: No. 13 nationally, No. 4 within the Massive Ten 

Switch portal: No. 18 nationally, No. 4 within the Massive Ten 

Key storyline: The fascinating irony surrounding USC for this upcoming season, the fourth underneath head coach Lincoln Riley, is that an important developments is likely to be happening off the sphere relatively than on it. Few folks count on the Trojans to maintain tempo with packages like Penn State, Oregon and Ohio State on the high of the Massive Ten in 2025. There are too many questions alongside the offensive line, an excessive amount of inexperience within the secondary and never sufficient distinction markers on the ability positions for USC to contend simply but. 

However away from the sphere, the place Riley overhauled his personnel division and considerably altered his recruiting philosophy, the Trojans are completely buzzing within the 2026 recruiting cycle, scoring high-level gamers at a price unseen since former coach Pete Carroll was profitable nationwide championships 20 years in the past. With 31 commitments by mid-July, together with one five-star prospect and 20 four-star prospects, USC sits atop the 247Sports Composite rankings forward of Georgia, Texas A&M, Notre Dame and Alabama. The Trojans have already earned verbal pledges from 17 in-state recruits, which is greater than Riley’s earlier two recruiting courses mixed, together with seven of California’s high 23 gamers. 

Total, USC’s class contains a staggering 10 prospects rated among the many high 100 gamers nationally and 16 among the many high 200 nationally. It’s an inflow of expertise that would drastically reshape this system’s trajectory if Riley and his workers can maintain the group collectively till the early signing interval in December. And which means the Trojans have to win sufficient video games between at times to stay the most well liked college on the path. 

Michael Cohen covers school soccer and school basketball for FOX Sports activities. Comply with him at @Michael_Cohen13.

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