Kevin SkiverUSA TODAY NETWORK
Super Bowl 58 is set for Las Vegas, with the San Francisco 49ers and Kansas City Chiefs squaring off in a rematch of Super Bowl 54.
Brock Purdy and Patrick Mahomes will lead their respective teams, with Purdy looking for a Super Bowl victory in his second season and Mahomes looking for his third Super Bowl in Year 7 (and second in a row).
While the quarterbacks represent the Big 12, however, there are plenty of Big Ten representitives as well. Each team has a key playmaker from a Big Ten school, along with a few defensive players. The 49ers' defensive line is bookended by former Ohio State Buckeyes, while the Chiefs have a Purdue Boilermaker coming off the edge.
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Jake Moody, of course, is also kicking for the 49ers as a Michigan alum, with Mike Danna serving as an edge rusher for the Chiefs. Here's a look at the full Big Ten representation in Super Bowl 58.
Note: Oregon, Washington, USC, and UCLA players are not being treated as Big Ten members for the purposes of this breakdown.
Key Big Ten players on 49ers, Chiefs in Super Bowl 58
When it comes to reputation, there is no bigger name coming out of the Big Ten than George Kittle of Tight End U, (a.k.a. Iowa).
Kittle is second on the 49ers this postseason with six catches for 108 yards and a touchdown in two games. Kittle's influence, however, goes further than on the field: He is a figurehead for the 49ers, serving as one of the faces of the uber-talented roster.
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On the defensive side of the ball, the 49ers are a bit more well-representative of the conference. Their pass-rushers, Nick Bosa and midseason acquisition Chase Young, both from Columbus as former Ohio State stars.
Ambry Thomas, who suffered an injury in the NFC championship game against the Lions, comes from Michigan. Jake Moody, the Chiefs' placekicker, is also a Michigan grad, whereas longsnapper Taybor Pepper comes from Michigan State.
Kittle and Thomas are both day-to-day for the 49ers after injuries suffered in the NFC championship game.
For the Chiefs, running back Isiah Pacheco has broken out as the highest-profile conference alum. The Rutgers star was picked in the seventh round of the 2022 NFL Draft — 11 picks before Purdy, who was Mr. Irrelevant — and has since gone on to lead Kansas City in rushing for the second year in a row. He has 63 carries for 254 yards in the playoffs, including a 97-yard game against the Bills in the AFC divisional round. Pacheco also has three touchdowns to his name, one in each game.
On defense, George Karlaftis from Purdue stands out for Kansas City. He has 14 tackles and 2.5 sacks this postseason, with the latter stat leading the team.
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49ers Big Ten players for Super Bowl 58
- TE George Kittle: Iowa
- DE Nick Bosa: Ohio State
- DE Chase Young: Ohio State
- CB Ambry Thomas: Michigan
- S Ji'Ayir Brown: Penn State
- S Logan Ryan: Rutgers
- DT Sebastian Joseph-Day: Penn State
- LB Jalen Graham: Purdue
- LB Randy Gregory: Nebraska
- K Jake Moody: Michigan
- LS Taybor Pepper: Michigan State
- DT Kevin Givens: Penn State (Injured)
- WR Ronnie Bell: Michigan (Inactive)
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Chiefs Big Ten players for Super Bowl 58
- RB Isiah Pacheco: Rutgers
- T Donovan Smith: Penn State
- G Nick Allegretti: Illinois
- DE Mike Danna: Michigan
- DE George Karlaftis: Purdue
- LB Leo Chenal: Wisconsin
- LB Cam Jones: Indiana
