Ohio State's Joey Bosa, Vonn Bell, Joshua Perry and Raekwon McMillan were named first team All-Big Ten performers for the 2015 football season, the conference announced Monday on Big Ten Network.
Bosa was a unanimous choice by both the coaches and media, while Perry earned the nod from the coaches and McMillan the media. Bell also earned first-team recognition from the media.
Bosa, the 2014 Big Ten Defensive Player and Defensive Lineman of the Year, is fourth in the league in tackles for loss with 16 and also has 5.0 sacks on the year despite spending the majority of his time fighting through double and sometimes even triple teams. The junior also has 14 quarterback hurries, impacting the game in various ways even if the stat sheet doesn't show it. His numbers aren't as good as they were last season, but there's a reason he's projected by many to be the No. 1 pick in the 2016 NFL Draft. He's also a finalist for the Lombardi Award, given to the nation's best linebacker or lineman and won conference Defensive Lineman of the Year honors for the second straight season Monday.
McMillan, a sophomore, is third in the conference with 114 tackles. He is a finalist for the Butkus Award, given to the nation's best linebacker, and the guy who directs his teammates as the man in the middle each play.
Perry, a senior captain and one of Urban Meyer's most trusted players, is second on the team in tackles with 98 and fourth in tackles for loss with 7.5. He also has 3.5 sacks and led the team in tackles last season.
Bell is fourth on the Buckeyes with 63 total tackles and is tied for seventh in the Big Ten with 11 passes defended. His interception return for a touchdown ignited the Buckeyes to a 28-14 victory against Minnesota Nov. 8 and he also returned a fumble for a score against Hawai'i. Bell is a semifinalist for the Thorpe Award, given to the nation's best defensive back.
The quartet of Buckeyes were joined by eight of their teammates on All-Big Ten teams. Adolphus Washington (coaches and media), Darron Lee (coaches), Eli Apple (coaches), Cameron Johnston (coaches and media) were all named to the conference's second team. Lee was also named third team by the media.
Defensive end Tyquan Lewis, safety Tyvis Powell and cornerback Gareon Conley earned honorable mention. Jalin Marshall also received honorable mention from both the coaches and media as a punt returner.
The All-Big Ten offensive teams are set to be announced Tuesday at 6 p.m. on Big Ten Network.
