Ranking the Big Ten: Cornerback

Many questions remain for what the 2020 college football season will look like, but that doesn't mean we still can't evaluate some of the top players to watch in the Big Ten Conference.

We continue our annual Ranking the Big Ten series today with a look at the league's top returning cornerbacks.

Rankings: QB | RB | WR | TE | OT | OG | C | DE | DT | ILB | OLB

The ridiculous pipeline of Ohio State cornerbacks turned future first-round NFL Draft picks should keep on rolling this season, as Shaun Wade returns as the next in line for the Buckeyes.

A consensus third-team All-Big Ten selection last season as a sophomore, Wade finished with 26 tackles, four tackles for loss, one interception, two forced fumbles, and eight pass breakups while playing primarily in the slot.

Now Wade will move outside as the No.1 corner for OSU as a junior. After briefly debating an early jump to the NFL this offseason, Wade returns as a consensus first-team preseason all-conference selection by the national magazines and was a first-team All-American and the No. 2 cornerback in the country by Lindy's.

Despite playing opposite one of the best cornerbacks in the Big Ten in Lavert Hill, Ambry Thomas managed to have a breakout year of his own in 2019.

Thomas finished tied for second in the conference with three interceptions and two fumble recoveries to go along with 38 tackles, three for loss, and seven pass breakups as a junior.

That earned him third-team All-Big Ten honors from the league's coaches and second-team All-Big Ten by PFF. Now a senior, Thomas was tabbed a consensus first-team all-conference pick by the magazines.

The leader of Penn State's secondary both on and off the field this season will be senior Tariq Castro-Fields.

Though he struggled a bit down the stretch, Castro-Fields still managed to finish with 52 total tackles, three TFL, two interceptions and eight pass breakups in 2019. That earned him third-team All-Big Ten honors from the league's media.

But expectations are soaring for the 6-foot, 190-pounder this year. Castro-Woods was named a first-team preseason all-conference pick by Street & Smith's and second-team by Lindy's and Athlon.

Nebraska's secondary has a chance to surprise some people this season, and senior Dicaprio Bootle is one of the main reasons why.

A versatile piece for the Husker defense, Bootle played the first eight games at cornerback last year before starting the final four at safety due to injuries. He finished with 31 tackles, six breakups, and one forced fumble to earn honorable-mention All-Big Ten honors by the media.

But Bootle's production is best measured beyond the normal statistics. Since the start of the 2018 season, the two-time Nebraska Defensive Back of the Year ranks third nationally with a forced incompletion percentage among Power Five cornerbacks at 22.6 percent, per PFF.

Both Lindy's and Athlon had Bootle tabbed as a third-team preseason All-Big Ten selection going into 2020.

Few cornerbacks found the football as much as Indiana's Tiawan Mullen did last season as a freshman.

Mullen tied for third in the Big Ten and finished second among freshmen nationally with 13 total passes defended. He also tied for third in the conference with two fumble recoveries to go along with two forced fumbles.

Mullen was named to PFF's All-Freshman Team (second team) and now enters his second year with the Hoosiers as a second-team all-league pick by Athlon.