Ranking the Big Ten: Cornerback
As the 2022 college football season quickly approaches, it is time to look at the top players in the Big Ten Conference.
We continue our Ranking the Big Ten series by rating the top five returning cornerbacks in the conference.
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1. Riley Moss, Iowa
Projecting Iowa’s Riley Moss as the Big Ten’s best corner in 2022 isn’t a radical leap by any means.
The 6-foot-1, 194-pound native of Ankeny, Iowa had about as good of a junior season as he could have in 2021. Moss earned First-Team All-Big Ten honors and won the Tatum-Woodson Award for the Big Ten’s best cornerback. His season featured 39 total tackles, nine pass deflections and four interceptions. Two of those four interceptions Moss returned for touchdowns against Indiana in the season opener.
According to Pro Football Focus (PFF), last year Moss had the best defensive grade of any corner in the Big Ten. He beat senior teammate Matt Hankins by a tenth of a point, and played one more snap for a total of 695 snaps last season.
The highest Moss grade was coverage at 81.5 while his greatest weakness showed in tackling where Moss scored a 41.7. His missed-tackle rate of 21.2% is the highest of the players in this ranking. Moss surrendered 407 yards in coverage in 2021 and only one touchdown. The majority of that time was spent in zone coverage where Moss graded at a 84.7.
That level of success is expected to continue into this upcoming season. Lindy’s has loft expectations for Moss selecting him to its preseason Second-Team All-American, First-Team All-Big Ten and rating him as the No. 3 cornerback in the country.
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2. Joey Porter Jr., Penn State
Joey Porter Jr. is in line for a big season at Penn State.
The son of former Pittsburgh Steeler outside linebacker Joey Porter Sr. is fresh off a 2021 in which he had 51 tackles, a forced fumble, four pass breakups and an interception. Those numbers got him a spot from the Big Ten’s coaches on their Third-Team All-Big Ten and an honorable mention from the conference media.
Porter Jr. is now a redshirt junior and is ready to up his game after turning in a 67.2 PFF defensive grade a year ago. The rest of his grades are rather pedestrian apart from a stout tackling grade. Porter Jr. scored a 71.8 as a tackler and a 70.1 in coverage. He gave up 370 yards and two touchdowns primarily in zone coverage.
Many on the outside think the 6-foot-2, 196-pound Porter Jr. is ready to make the jump to national prominence. Lindy’s named him to its preseason Second-Team All-American, First-Team All-Big Ten and put him down one spot behind Riley Moss as the No. 4 corner nationwide.
In NFL Draft Bible’s sneak peak, Porter Jr. is slotted as the No. 4 cornerback in the country as well. In addition, he is a projected first rounder. If Porter Jr. can pull that off, he would be the first Nittany Lion corner drafted in the first round.
3. Denzel Burke, Ohio State
Denzel Burke is one half of a serious one-two punch in the Ohio State secondary. The second half of the dynamic duo appears later in this list.
Burke, who stands at 6-foot-1 and 192 pounds, was selected by the Big Ten’s coaches to the Third-Team All-Big Ten and received an honorable mention award from the conference media. His freshman season in 2021 saw 31 tackles, nine pass breakups and an interception. In coverage, he allowed 344 yards without a touchdown in 429 snaps.
Strong tackling and zone coverage were Burke’s calling cards last season. Burke’s highest PFF grade in 2021 is tackling where he received a 76.1. That’s the top grade among players in this ranking. His zone coverage speaks for itself. Burke played the most snaps in the Big Ten without allowing a touchdown. In fact, he had over 100 more snaps than the next closest player.
Lindy’s selected Burke to its preseason First-Team All-Big Ten and named him the No. 12 corner in the nation.
4. Tiawan Mullen, Indiana
Tiawan Mullen was one of many injuries that hampered the Indiana Hoosiers in 2021.
Mullen missed five games with a foot injury and couldn’t reproduce his level of play in the 2020 season. He, like many of the Hoosiers, will get a chance to get the poor taste of last season out of his mouth. That, and the chance to play with his brother Trevell Mullen, is a large part of why the Fort Lauderdale, Florida native returned for his senior season.
The 5-foot-10, 180-pound Mullen made only four starts last year. He amassed 19 tackles and had three pass breakups in 227 snaps. Turn the clock back to 2020, and things improve greatly. Mullen saw 429 snaps two years ago and made 22 tackles to go along with four sacks and three picks.
Mullen recorded a defensive grade of 75.9 in 2020 compared to 2021’s 61.1. He also graded out at 88.8 as a pass rusher in 2020 which was No. 11 nationally among corners.
Lindy’s placed Mullen on its preseason Second-Team All-Big Ten and ranked him as the No. 8 cornerback nationally. With a hefty amount of experience and a fully healthy foot, Mullen has a chance to make hay this year.
5. Cameron Brown, Ohio State
Cameron Brown is Denzel Burke’s partner in crime in the Ohio State secondary.
Both Burke and Brown have been excellent in deep coverage. Now, the old dog is back to support the young gun in what will be his fifth season of college football. Brown had 20 tackles, an interception, six pass breakups and held opposing quarterbacks to a 44.9 rating in coverage during the 2021 season.
The 6-foot, 190-pound Burke doesn’t have particularly impressive PFF grades. He owns a 67.0 overall-defensive grade and his highlight grade was run defense where he scored a 70.5. Burke was targeted in coverage 34 times last season and gave up 189 yards without surrendering a touchdown.
The veteran Brown also has NFL aspirations and came in as the No. 8 corner in NFL Draft Bible’s sneak peak.
Who are your top five cornerbacks in the Big Ten? Debate that and everything Nebraska on the Red Sea Scrolls forum.
