Breakout candidates for each Big Ten football team in 2024

Washington: Jeremiah Hunter, WR

The national runner-up Huskies lost a ton, including its head coach, first-round quarterback, and all five starters on the offensive line. Washington also lost an elite receiving corps that featured three top-100 NFL draft picks in Rome Odunze, Jalen McMillan, and Jalyn Polk. 

Sitting at the top of the 2024 depth chart is Cal transfer Jeremiah Hunter, who was the Golden Bears’ top receiver last season behind a 63-731-7 stat line. With a rebuild in full swing, the Jedd Fisch experiment will be a work in progress as there are a handful of unproven players on its depth chart. Having a standout receiver like Hunter gives transfer quarterback Will Rogers a reliable target, which could win games in 2024.

Wisconsin: Will Pauling, WR

There’s a lot to be excited about for head coach Luke Fickell’s encore season at Wisconsin. The defense is loaded and should be one of the Big Ten’s best. Quarterback Tyler Van Dyke transfers in from Miami. Running back Chez Mellusi will be healthy. The offensive line should improve.

But what about the wide receivers?

Rushing has always been the strength of Wisconsin, but being able to effectively air it out is equally as important. Enter wide receiver Will Pauling, who led the Badgers with 837 receiving yards (11.3 YPR) last season and was an incredibly reliable possession target, as his 22 third-down receptions were the most by a Big Ten player since 2012. It will be crucial to have a playmaker like Pauling to help Van Dyke acclimate to Phil Longo’s offense. To call him a “breakout candidate” may be a stretch based on his past production, but I believe he can assert himself as one of the conference’s top receivers in 2024.