22 Buckeyes Earn All-Big Ten Honors 

Ohio State received a litany of Big Ten honors on Tuesday, with all-but four starters earning All-Big Ten recognition, including seven named to the first team.

The Buckeyes who earned first-team Big Ten selections were safeties Caleb Downs and Lathan Ransom, offensive lineman Donovan Jackson, center Seth McLaughlin, wide receiver Jeremiah Smith, linebacker Cody Simon and defensive end J.T. Tuimoloau. 

Downs, Ransom, Simon and Tuimoloau each helped lead a formidable Ohio State defense who finished the regular season ranked first in both scoring defense (10.7 points allowed per game) and total defense (241.1 yards allowed per game), second in passing defense (144.3 passing yards allowed per game) and sixth in rushing defense (96.8 rushing yards allowed per game). 

Downs and Ransom each locked down the back end of the secondary, with the former Alabama transfer recording 62 tackles, 6 ½ tackles for loss, three pass breakups, one interception, one quarterback hurry and ½ sack, and Ransom totaling 57 tackles, six tackles for loss, three forced fumbles, one interception, one pass breakup, one quarterback hurry and one fumble recovery. 

Simon was a dominant force in the middle of the Buckeyes’ defense, totaling 74 tackles, 8 ½ tackles for loss, five sacks, five pass breakups, one fumble recovery and one forced fumble, while Tuimoloau led the team off the edge with a team-high 11 ½ tackles and six sacks along with 38 tackles, five quarterback hurries, a forced fumble and one pass breakup. 

Smith was the lone offensive skill player on the team to earn first-team All-Big Ten honors after putting together a historic freshman season, earning a team-high 934 receiving yards and 10 touchdowns on 57 receptions — each of those numbers being the most by a freshman wideout in school history — while Jackson and McLaughlin helped anchor an offensive line that, when fully healthy, was one of the best in the Big Ten, allowing just 13 sacks on the year. 

Jackson, who shifted over to left tackle after the season-ending injury to Josh Simmons, earned first-team All-Big Ten honors for the third consecutive season.

Two Buckeye defenders were given second-team All-Big Ten honors, including defensive end Jack Sawyer and linebacker Sonny Styles. Styles led the team with 76 tackles at his new position, while Sawyer added 4 ½ sacks and an interception while serving as one of the team leaders on the team.

The third-team included eight Buckeyes, including cornerback Denzel Burke, wide receiver Emeka Egbuka, running backs TreVeyon Henderson and Quinshon Judkins, quarterback Will Howard, offensive lineman Josh Simons and defensive lineman Tyleik Williams. 

Another six Buckeyes earned honorable mention All-Big Ten honors, including defensive lineman Ty Hamilton, cornerbacks Jordan Hancock and Davison Igbinosun, long snapper John Ferlmann and offensive linemen Josh Fryar and Tegra Tshabola. 

With 22 Buckeyes earning All-Big Ten distinctions, that leaves just kicker Jayden Fielding, punter Joe McGuire, tight end Gee Scott Jr. and wide receiver Carnell Tate as the only Ohio State starters who were not recognized by the conference.