Gophers' Johnson, Bateman make AP All-Big Ten first team
Heisman Trophy finalists Justin Fields and Chase Young head an Associated Press All-Big Ten football team dominated by players from conference champion Ohio State.
Fields is the offensive player of the year, Young is defensive player of the year and the Buckeyes' Ryan Day is coach of the year in his first season.
Ohio State has eight players on the first team in voting by 25 media members. Fields, Young and J.K. Dobbins join Iowa's Tristan Wirfs and Keith Duncan and Wisconsin's Jonathan Taylor as unanimous selections.
Taylor, the Big Ten's No. 2 all-time rusher, is on the first team for the third straight year. Other repeat first-team picks are Minnesota receiver Tyler Johnson, Michigan offensive tackle Jon Runyan and cornerback Lavert Hill, Wisconsin center Tyler Biadasz and Michigan State defensive tackle Raequan Williams.
Fields led Ohio State to a 13-0 record and the No. 2 seed in the College Football Playoff in his first season after transferring from Georgia. He has passed for 2,953 yards and 40 touchdowns and has thrown just one interception.
Young leads the nation with 16.5 sacks and seven forced fumbles, and he tops the Big Ten with 21 tackles for loss. He missed two games while serving a suspension related to borrowing money from a family friend in 2017.
Day coaches an Ohio State team that has beaten 11 of 13 opponents by at least 24 points and ranks in the top five nationally in scoring, scoring defense, total offense and total defense.
Purdue receiver David Bell was voted newcomer of the year. His 86 catches and 1,035 receiving yards were most of any freshman in the nation.
FIRST TEAM
Offense
WR — Rashod Bateman, Minnesota, 6-2, 210, So., Tifton, Georgia.
WR — Tyler Johnson, Minnesota, 6-2, 205, Sr., Minneapolis.
u-OT — Tristan Wirfs, Iowa, 6-5, 322, Jr., Mount Vernon, Iowa.
OT — Jon Runyan, Michigan, 6-5, 321, Sr., Moorestown, New Jersey.
OG — Ben Bredeson, Michigan, 6-5, 325, Sr., Harland, Wisconsin.
OG — Wyatt Davis, Ohio State, 6-4, 315, So., Bellflower, California.
C — Tyler Biadasz, Wisconsin, 6-3, 321, Jr., Amherst, Wisconsin.
TE — Brycen Hopkins, Purdue, 6-5, 245, Sr., Nashville, Tennessee.
u-QB — Justin Fields, Ohio State, 6-3, 223, So., Kennesaw, Georgia.
u-RB — J.K. Dobbins, Ohio State, 5-10, 217, Jr., La Grange, Texas.
u-RB — Jonathan Taylor, Wisconsin, 5-11, 219, Jr., Salem, New Jersey.
u-PK — Keith Duncan, Iowa, 5-10, 180, Jr., Weddington, North Carolina.
All-purpose — Javon Leake, Maryland, 6-0, 206, Jr., Greensboro, North Carolina.
Defense
u-DE — Chase Young, Ohio State, 6-5, 265, Jr., Hyattsville, Maryland.
DE — A.J. Epenesa, Iowa, 6-6, 280, Jr., Glen Carbon, Illinois.
DT — Davon Hamilton, Ohio State, 6-4, 310, Sr., Pickerington, Ohio.
DT — Raequan Williams, Michigan State, 6-4, 303, Sr., Chicago.
LB — Micah Parsons, Penn State, 6-3, 245, So., Harrisburg, Pennsylvania.
LB — Malik Harrison, Ohio State, 6-3, 240, Sr., Columbus.
LB — Zack Baun, Wisconsin, 6-3, 245, Sr., Brown Deer, Wisconsin.
CB — Jeff Okudah, Ohio State, 6-1, 200, Jr., Grand Prairie, Texas.
CB — Lavert Hill, Michigan, 5-11, 182, Sr., Detroit.
S — Jordan Fuller, Ohio State, 6-2, 205, Sr., Old Tappan, New Jersey.
S — Antoine Winfield Jr., Minnesota, 5-10, 205, So., The Woodlands, Texas.
P — Blake Hayes, Illinois, 6-6, 230, Jr., Melbourne, Australia.
SECOND TEAM
Offense
WR — David Bell, Purdue, 6-2, 210, Fr., Indianapolis.
WR — KJ Hamler, Penn State, 5-9, 176, So., Pontiac, Michigan.
OT — Thayer Munford, Ohio State, 6-6, 310, Jr., Cincinnati.
OT — Branden Bowen, Ohio State, 6-7, 315, Sr., Draper, Utah.
OG — Jonah Jackson, Ohio State, 6-4, 305, Sr., Media, Pennsylvania.
OG — Steven Gonzalez, Penn State, 6-4, 341, Sr., Union City, New Jersey.
C— Josh Myers, Ohio State, 6-5, 310, So., Miamisburg, Ohio.
TE — Pat Freiermuth, Penn State, 6-5, 256, So., Merrimac, Massachusetts.
QB — Tanner Morgan, Minnesota, 6-2, 215, So., Union, Kentucky.
RB — Rodney Smith, Minnesota, 5-11, 210, Sr., Jonesboro, Georgia.
RB— Stevie Scott III, Indiana, 6-2, 231, So., Syracuse, New York.
PK — Logan Justus, Indiana, 5-11, 182, Sr., McCordsville, Indiana.
All-purpose — KJ Hamler, Penn State, 5-9, 176, So., Pontiac, Michigan.
Defense
DE — Joe Gaziano, Northwestern, 6-4, 275, Sr., Scituate, Massachusetts.
DE — Yetur Gross-Matos, Penn State, 6-5, 264, Jr., Spotsylvania, Virginia.
DT — Robert Windsor, Penn State, 6-4, 285, Sr., Fond Du Lac, Wisconsin.
DT — Jashon Cornell, Ohio State, 6-3, 285, Sr., St. Paul, Minnesota.
LB — Dele Harding, Illinois, 6-1, 230, Sr., Elkton, Maryland.
LB — Chris Orr, Wisconsin, 6-0, 224, Sr., DeSoto, Texas.
x-LB — Josh Uche, Michigan, 6-2, 250, Sr., Miami.
x-LB — Paddy Fisher, Northwestern, 6-4, 246, Jr., Katy, Texas.
CB — Lamar Jackson, Nebraska, 6-3, 215, Sr., Elk Grove, California.
x-CB — Michael Ojemudia, Iowa, 6-1, 200, Sr., Farmington Hills, Michigan.
x-CB — Damon Arnette, Ohio State, 6-0, 195, Sr., Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
S — Geno Stone, Iowa, 5-10, 210, Jr., New Castle, Pennsylvania.
S — Antoine Brooks Jr., Maryland, 5-11, 215, Sr., Lanham, Maryland.
P — Adam Korsak, Rutgers, Jr., 6-1, 184, Jr., Melbourne, Australia.
- - -
Offensive Player of the Year — QB Justin Fields, Ohio State.
u-Defensive Player of the Year — DE Chase Young, Ohio State.
Newcomer of the Year — David Bell, Purdue.
Coach of the Year — Ryan Day, Ohio State
u-Unanimous selection
x-Tie.
ALL BIG-TEN VOTING PANEL
Bob Asmussen, Champaign (Illinois) News-Gazette; Colten Bartholomew, Madison.com, Madison, Wisconsin; Bret Beherns, WCIA-TV, Champaign, Illinois; Kevin Brockway, CNHI Sports, Anderson, Indiana; Mike Carmin, Lafayette (Indiana) Journal & Courier; Angelique Chengelis, Detroit News; Matt Charboneau, Detroit News; Graham Couch, Lansing (Michigan) State Journal; Dave Eanet, WGN Radio, Chicago; Parker Gabriel, Lincoln (Nebraska) Journal Star; Emily Giambalvo, Washington Post; Teddy Greenstein, Chicago Tribune; Joseph Kaufman, Columbus Dispatch; James Kratch, NJ Advance Media; Chad Leistikow, Des Moines (Iowa) Register; Sam McKewon, Omaha (Nebraska) World-Herald; Aaron McMann, MLive, Ann Arbor, Michigan; Marc Morehouse, Cedar Rapids (Iowa) Gazette; Josh Moyer, Centre Daily Times, State College Pennsylvania; Zach Osterman, Indianapolis Star; Greg Pickel, Harrisburg (Pennsylvania) Patriot-News; Jim Polzin, Madison.com, Madison, Wisconsin; Kyle Rowland, Toledo (Ohio) Blade; Keith Sargeant, NJ Advance Media; Dylan Sinn, Fort Wayne (Indiana) Journal Gazette.
