Big Ten all-conference football team: Defense, special teams selections for 2023 season
The Big Ten on Tuesday released its all-conference team for defense and special teams following the 2023 college football season.
Unsurprisingly, Big Ten East champion Michigan (12-0, 9-0 in Big Ten play) and runner-up Ohio State (11-1, 8-1) have among the most players selected to the all-conference team, as does Big Ten West champion Iowa (10-2, 7-2). But they aren't the only teams represented.
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Among the teams listed for all-conference honors are several awards winners, such as Illinois' Jer'Zhan Newton, who won both defensive lineman and defensive player of the year in 2023. Iowa's Cooper DeJean was named defensive back of the year; Ohio State's Tommy Eichenberg was linbacker of the year; and Northwestern's David Braun was coach of the year.
Specialists who received honors in Tuesday's release include Minnesota's Dragan Kesich (kicker of the year) and Iowa's DeJean and Tory Taylor (return specialist and punter of the year, respectively).
Here's a rundown of the first-, second- and third-team all-Big Ten selections for defense and special teams, as judged by the league's coaches and media:
Big Ten all-conference football team 2023
First-team defense
Editor's note: all players listed are selected by coaches and media unless otherwise specified
DL: Jer'Zhan Newton, Illinois
DL: JT Tuimoloau, Ohio State
DL: Chop Robinson, Penn State
DL: Mason Graham, Michigan (coaches)
DL: Adisa Isaac, Penn State (media)
LB: Jay Higgins, Iowa
LB: Tommy Eichenberg, Ohio State
LB: Abdul Carter, Penn State (coaches)
LB: Aaron Casey, Indiana (media)
DB: Cooper DeJean, Iowa
DB: Will Johnson, Michigan
DB: Tyler Nubin, Minnesota
DB: Denzel Burke, Ohio State (coaches)
DB: Mike Sainristil, Michigan (media)
Second-team defense
DL: Kris Jenkins, Michigan
DL: Nic Scourton, Purdue
DL: Kenneth Grant, Michigan (coaches)
DL: Tyleik Williams, Ohio State (media)
DL: Jack Sawyer, Ohio State (media)
LB: Junior Colson, Michigan
LB: Bryce Gallagher, Northwestern
DB: Kalen King, Penn State
DB: Tarheeb Still, Maryland (coaches)
DB: Dillon Thieneman, Purdue (coaches)
DB: Sebastian Castro, Iowa (media)
DB: Hunter Wohler, Wisconsin (media)
Third-team defense
DL: Michael Hall Jr., Ohio State (coaches)
DL: Dani Dennis-Sutton, Penn State (coaches)
DL: Keith Randolph Jr., Illinois (media)
DL: Joe Evans, Iowa (media)
LB: Ruben Hyppolite II, Maryland (coaches)
LB: Mike Barrett, Michigan (coaches)
LB: Luke Reimer, Nebraska (coaches)
LB: Nick Jackson, Iowa (media)
LB: Xander Mueller, Northwestern (media)
LB: Steele Chambers, Ohio State (media)
DB: Rod Moore, Michigan (coaches)
DB: Johnny Dixon, Penn State (coaches)
DB: Daequan Hardy, Penn State (coaches)
DB: Josh Proctor, Ohio State (media)
DB: Ricardo Hallman, Wisconsin (media)
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First-team special teams
K: Dragan Kesich, Minnesota
P: Tory Taylor, Iowa
RS: Cooper DeJean, Iowa
Second-team special teams
K: James Turner, Michigan (coaches)
K: Jayden Fielding, Ohio State (coaches)
K: Alex Felkins, Penn State (media)
P: Ryan Eckley, Michigan State
RS: Daequan Hardy, Penn State
Third-team special teams
K: Drew Stevens, Iowa (coaches)
K: Jai Patel, Rutgers (media)
P: Tommy Doman, Michigan (coaches)
P: James Evans, Indiana (media)
RS: Tyrone Tracy Jr., Purdue (coaches)
RS: Jaylin Lucas, Indiana (media)
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Big Ten awards
Defensive Player of the Year: Jer'Zhan Newton, Illinois
Defensive Lineman of the Year: Jer'Zhan Newton, Illinois
Linebacker of the Year: Tommy Eichenberg, Ohio State
Defensive Back of the Year: Cooper DeJean, Iowa
Return Specialist of the Year: Cooper DeJean, Iowa
Kicker of the Year: Dragan Kesich, Minnesota
Punter of the Year: Tory Taylor, Iowa
Coach of the Year: David Braun, Northwestern
This article originally appeared on Nashville Tennessean: Big Ten all-conference football team: Defense, special teams players