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List of players attending Big Ten Media Days disappoints

By Matthew Bartlett

PASADENA, CA - JANUARY 02: Running back Saquon Barkley #26 of the Penn State Nittany Lions celebrates after scoring on a 24-yard touchdown run in the first half against USC Trojans during the 2017 Rose Bowl Game presented by Northwestern Mutual at the Rose Bowl on January 2, 2017 in Pasadena, California. (Photo by Stephen Dunn/Getty Images)
PASADENA, CA - JANUARY 02: Running back Saquon Barkley #26 of the Penn State Nittany Lions celebrates after scoring on a 24-yard touchdown run in the first half against USC Trojans during the 2017 Rose Bowl Game presented by Northwestern Mutual at the Rose Bowl on January 2, 2017 in Pasadena, California. (Photo by Stephen Dunn/Getty Images) /
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Big Ten Media Days are scheduled to take place on July 24 and 25 in Chicago Illinois. The list of players attending is disappointing to say the least.

There are literally hundreds of players that could have been invited to Big Ten Media Days. The list is out and three players from each school made the cut. The problem? Only three quarterbacks and four running backs are making the trip.

It’s not just the quantity that’s disappointing. It’s the omission of guys that will be part of the Heisman trophy discussion. There’s no Saquon Barkley, J.T. Barrett or L.J. Scot among others the media might have asked for.

Related: Could L.J. Scott be the best running back in the Big 10?

If everyone is being honest, media days are a spectacle. They’re meant to draw the fans and the media back into the frenzy that is college football. If that’s the goal, why are some of the most electrifying and interesting names staying at home? Here’s the list of those that will be in attendance.

Indiana

Rashard Fant, Sr., CB
Richard Lagow, Sr., QB
Tegray Scales, Sr., LB

Maryland

Jermaine Carter Jr., Sr., LB
Ty Johnson, Jr., RB
D.J. Moore, Jr., WR

Michigan

Mason Cole, Sr., OL
Maurice Hurst, Sr., DT
Mike McCray, Sr., LB

Michigan State

Brian Allen, Sr., OL
Chris Frey, Sr., LB
Gerald Holmes, Sr., RB

Ohio State

Tyquan Lewis, Sr., DE
Billy Price, Sr., C
Chris Worley, Sr., LB

Penn State

Marcus Allen, Sr., S
Jason Cabinda, Sr., LB
Mike Gesicki, Sr., TE

Rutgers

Blessuan Austin, Jr., CB
Sebastian Joseph, Sr., DL
Dorian Miller, Sr., OL

Illinois

Christian DiLauro, Sr., OL
Jaylen Dunlap, Sr., DB
Malik Turner, Sr., WR

Iowa

Josey Jewell, Sr., MLB
Matt VandeBerg, Sr., WR
Sean Welsh, Sr., OL

Minnesota

Jonathan Celestin, Sr., LB
Steven Richardson, Sr., DT
Rodney Smith, Jr., RB

Nebraska

Chris Jones, Sr., CB
Tanner Lee, Jr., QB
Chris Weber, Sr., LB

Northwestern

Godwin Igwebuike, Sr., S
Justin Jackson, Sr., RB
Clayton Thorson, Jr., QB

Purdue

Ja’Whaun Bentley, Sr., LB
David Blough, Jr., QB
Danny Ezechukwu, Sr., LB

Wisconsin

Jack Cichy, Sr., LB
T.J. Edwards, Jr., LB
Troy Fumagalli, Sr., TE

Next: Biggest storylines entering conference media days

Big Ten Media Days will be broadcast on the Big Ten network. They won’t be the first media days to get underway. The SEC kicked off their sessions on Monday. You can view that full schedule here.

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