Tag: All-Big Ten

Olu Fashanu named Big Ten offensive lineman of the year

The return of Olu Fashanu paid off for Penn State in 2023. Now he’s adding some hardware to his collection.

When offensive lineman [autotag]Olu Fashanu[/autotag] announced he would be returning for another year at Penn State, it was a bit of a shock. Expected to be a potential first-round draft pick had he declared for the 2023 NFL draft, Fashanu gambled on a return for one more season of college football before turning pro. It seems that gamble has been paying off quite nicely.

On Wednesday, the Big Ten announced Fashanu had been named the Rimington-Pace Offensive Lineman of the Year. He was also a consensus first-team All-Big Ten player according to Big Ten coaches and media.

Fashanu is the second Penn State player to win the Big Ten’s top offensive lineman award. [autotag]A.Q. Shipley[/autotag] received the award in 2008. Fashanu remains a clear first-round draft pick prospect, and he could be one of the earlier picks in the draft after his performance this season.

Here is a look at how the Big Ten coaches voted for the conference’s top players on the football field in 2023. Penn State was well-represented across the board this year.

All-Big Ten selections by Big Ten coaches

  • OT Olu Fashanu (first-team)
  • DE [autotag]Chop Robinson[/autotag] (first team)
  • LB [autotag]Abdul Carter[/autotag] (first team)
  • DE [autotag]Adisa Isaac[/autotag] (second team)
  • RB [autotag]Kaytron Allen[/autotag] (second team offense, honorable mention special teams)
  • DB [autotag]Kalen King[/autotag] (second team)
  • C [autotag]Hunter Nourzad[/autotag] (second team)
  • DL [autotag]Dani Dennis-Sutton[/autotag] (third team)
  • DB [autotag]Johnny Dixon[/autotag] (third team)
  • DB [autotag]Daequan Hardy[/autotag] (third team defense; second team special teams)
  • RB [autotag]Nick Singleton[/autotag] (third team)
  • TE [autotag]Tyler Warren[/autotag] (third team)
  • K [autotag]Alex Felkins[/autotag] (third team)
  • OL [autotag]Caedan Wallace[/autotag] (honorable mention)
  • OL [autotag]JB Nelson[/autotag] (honorable mention)
  • OL [autotag]Sal Wormley[/autotag] (honorable mention)
  • TE [autotag]Theo Johnson[/autotag] (honorable mention)
  • WR [autotag]KeAndre Lambert-Smith[/autotag] (honorable mention)
  • QB [autotag]Drew Allar[/autotag] (honorable mention)
  • P [autotag]Riley Thompson[/autotag] (honorable mention)

 

This Ohio State Football player named as one ‘who may have benefited’ from another year

He will be missed but maybe should have stayed another year #GoBucks

When [autotag]Ohio State Football[/autotag]’s starting center [autotag]Luke Wypler[/autotag] announced that he was entering the [autotag]NFL Draft[/autotag] a year early, it left many of us wondering if that was the correct decision.

First off, centers aren’t normally highly valued when NFL teams are establishing their draft boards. Just four have gone in the first round over the last five drafts, those odds don’t seem overtly enticing for a center. Secondly, Wypler’s anticipated draft ranking might be lower than what he thought it might be.

With that in mind, 247Sports believes that Wypler would have benefitted from using up his eligibility. Yes, he was a starter for two seasons and made third-team [autotag]All-Big Ten[/autotag] this past year but “Wypler hasn’t been mentioned among the nation’s best at the position,” according to the report.

There are some varying ideas on where Wypler could get drafted. [autotag]Pro Football Focus[/autotag] is very high on his abilities so that leads us to think the decision made might have been correct.

We all hope that Wypler gets drafted which leads to a long and successful NFL career. There are still some mixed messages though and will probably continue to be as we get closer and closer to April.

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2022 Husker Breakdown: Linebackers could be among Big Ten’s best

With Luke Reimer, Garrett Nelson and more, the Huskers’ linebackers provide a proven and stable presence that will lead their DC Erik Chinander’s defense

Stability is a beautiful thing in football and that Nebraska’s linebackers in 2022 will bring just that. The group was among the team’s best last season, with three Huskers in the top 16 in the Big Ten in tackles.

The heart and soul of the group was JoJo Domann, who was unsurprisingly drafted by the Indianapolis Colts following a second team All-American recognition from the Associated Press. Domann was elite in every phase of coverage last year but although it sounds far-fetched, there’s potential for the Cornhuskers to completely offset the loss of him. 

The starting group is all but locked in, with Caleb Tannor and Garrett Nelson ever-present on the outside pairing with all-Big Ten honorable mention pick Luke Reimer and Nick Henrich on the inside. After switching from a 3-4 to 4-3 look this year, the Huskers may still find a way to put those four on the field for a majority of snaps. Barring injuries or outside circumstances, the quartet will constitute Nebraska’s hallmark this season, plain and simple. 

With head coach Scott Frost being a former linebacker himself, former NFL star Barrett Ruud manning the inside linebackers and Mike Dawson, a 4-year NFL coaching vet, coaching the Huskers’ edge rushers, success is to be expected. 

That crew went out and landed prized transfer Ochaun Mathis from TCU and his presence on the defensive line adds to the pressure felt by opposing offensive lines. The Huskers didn’t exactly have a edge rusher of his caliber last year and Mathis may line up as a linebacker in a two-point stance on some occasions. 

Each starting linebacker brings something different to the table: Tannor is dependable, Nelson plays a large leadership role, Reimer is a tackle machine and Henrich is gifted in the open field. A number of 2nd stringers had impressive practices in the spring and fall so Nebraska’s linebackers may be as deep as they’ve been in years.

Women’s Basketball: All-Big Selection to Return for Super-Senior Year

Sam Haiby has announced that she will use her fifth year of eligibility and return to the Cornhuskers basketball team.

Head Coach Amy Williams continues to get good news for the 2022-23 Nebraska women’s basketball season. Sam Haiby has announced that she will use her fifth year of eligibility and return to the Cornhuskers basketball team. Haiby received a fifth year of eligibility due to the NCAA’s COVID-eligibility policy. The guard averaged 10.5 points, 4 assists, and 4 rebounds per game this season and was named an Honorable Mention All-Big Ten for the season. She’s also the only player in school history to accumulate 1,000 points, 500 rebounds, and 400 assists.

In a statement released by the school, Haiby says “I still feel like I have more to accomplish as a player and a leader. I am coming back to Nebraska next season because we believe we can take our program another step further together. I can’t wait to go to work again with this team. I love being a Husker because There is No Place Like Nebraska.”

The return of Haiby means that the Huskers may return all five starters from a team that went 24-9 last season and went to the NCAA Tournament. Isabelle Bourne, Alexis Markowski, Alison Weidner, and Jaz Shelley are set to return for next season. Things are looking very good for the Huskers heading into the off-season.

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What Penn State players were named All-Big Ten for 2021?

What Penn State players received all-Big Ten honors or honorable mention from B1G coaches and media in 2021?

Award season is upon us, and a number of Penn State players are receiving Big Ten accolades. The Big Ten unveiled its all-Big Ten rosters for the 2021 season as selected by the coaches and media around the conference. The Penn State defense landed two first-team All-Big Ten players after a very strong season.

Jaquan Brisker was one of four defensive backs to receive first-team accolades by the Big Ten coaches. Brisker joined Michigan’s Dax Hill and the Iowa duo of Dane Belton and Riley Moss on the first-team list.

Defensive lineman Arnold Ebiketie also landed on the first team after an impressive fall season after transferring from Temple. Ebikeitie was listed on the first-team defensive line along with Michigan’s Aidan Hutchinson, Ohio State’s Haskell Garrett, and Purdue’s George Karlaftis. That would be one monster of a defensive line, for sure.

Jahan Dotson was the only Penn State player to receive All-Big Ten recognition on offense. Dotson was named to the second-team All-Big Ten along with Garrett Wilson of Ohio State. Ohio State’s Chris Olave and Purdue’s David Bell took the first-team honors.

On special teams, punter Jordan Stout was named first-team All-Big Ten. Of course, that should have been expected after Stout was named the Big Ten’s punter of the year. Dotson also received a third-team nod for All-Big Ten as a return specialist.

PJ Mustipher and Ellis Brooks each appeared on the second-team defense. Brandon Smith, Ji’Ayir Brown, and Joey Porter Jr. all appeared on the third team All-Big Ten list.

Sean Clifford, Juice Scruggs, and Rasheed Walker all earned honorable mention for the offense by the coaches. Walker was named third-team All-Big Ten by the Big Ten media, while Brenton Strange and Mike Miranda received an honorable mention by the media. Defensive honorable mentions went to Tariq Castro-Fields and Jesse Luketa as well. Luketa received third-team All-Big Ten by the media. the media also gave honorable mention nods to Mustipher, Brooks, Brown, and Curtis Jacobs in addition to those appearing on the coaches honorable mentions list.

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Who from Rutgers football made the Pro Football Focus All-Big Ten Team?

Six Rutgers football players named to the Pro Football Focus All-Big Ten team

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Six players from both sides of the ball and special teams were named this week to Pro Football Focus’ All-Big Ten selections.

The Pro Football Focus nods come after Rutgers was a bit under-represented in the official all-conference team announced this week by the Big Ten. Rutgers was 5-7 (2-7 Big Ten) this season and went into the final two games of the regular season needing one win for bowl eligibility. The Scarlet Knights lost both games and likely will miss a bowl berth.

Rutgers has not made a bowl game since 2014, but the fact that the program played competitive football is a big step forward.

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In the second season of their rebuild under head coach Greg Schiano, Rutgers showed an improvement this past year in terms of record, including three out-of-conference wins to start the year. This optimism has resulted in a serious uptick in recruiting, with Rutgers among the highest-rated programs in the Big Ten for their 2022 recruiting class.

For the complete Pro Football Focus All-Big Ten team, click here.

Here’s a look at who Pro Football Focus honored from Rutgers in their all-conference selections: