Ohio State's Ezekiel Elliott, Taylor Decker, Pat Elflein Lead Batch of Buckeyes Chosen to All-Big Ten Offensive Teams

By Eric Seger on December 1, 2015 at 6:51 pm
Ezekiel Elliott, Taylor Decker and Michael Thomas lead the Ohio State representatives named first team All-Big Ten.
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Running back Ezekiel Elliott, left tackle Taylor Decker and right guard Pat Elflein are first team All-Big Ten selections for the 2015 football season, the conference announced Tuesday. The trio joins four teammates on the other side of the ball to earn first team All-Big Ten.

Elliott and Decker were unanimous selections by both the media and coaches. Elliott also earned Big Ten Running Back and Offensive Player of the Year honors for his highly productive junior campaign.

A junior from St. Louis, Elliott led the Big Ten with 1,672 rushing yards and 19 touchdowns in leading Ohio State to a 11-1 regular season record in 2015. He had a streak of 15 straight games with at least 100 rushing yards snapped in his team's 17-14 loss to Michigan State Nov. 21, but was easily the most efficient and best option for a Buckeye offense that at times struggled to move the ball this year. He was also a semifinalist for the Doak Walker Award, given to the nation's best running back.

Decker is a senior, captain and three-year starter for the Buckeyes. He is the mostly highly regarded Ohio State offensive lineman in the eyes of pro scouts, and someone Urban Meyer constantly counts on as a leader. The 6-foot-8, 315-pound senior was also named the Big Ten's Offensive Lineman of the Year.

Elflein, a fourth-year junior at Ohio State, bookends the Buckeye offensive line along with Decker. From Pickerington, Ohio, Elflein is a two-year starter and was instrumental along with Decker to Elliott's success this season on the ground in addition to the team's 2014 post-season run. It is his second straight first team All-Big Ten nod. The two helped pave the way for 2,903 rushing yards and 35 rushing scores in 2015, both tops in the Big Ten.

Center Jacoby Boren, left guard Billy Price and wide receiver Michael Thomas all earned third team All-Big Ten honors for their performances in 2015. H-backs Braxton Miller and Jalin Marshall as well as tight end Nick Vannett were given honorable mention accolades.

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