Although Ohio State senior defensive tackle Haskell Garrett was only named to the All-Big Ten Third Team, he earned first-team All-America honors from Pro Football Focus (PFF).
“Garrett, a 2017 four-star recruit, has finally taken on a starting job this year, and the results have been everything Ohio State coaches and fans would have dreamed of,” PFF wrote of Garrett.
“The defensive tackle has emerged as the highest-graded interior defender in the FBS at 91.4, and his work as a pass-rusher is the key reason why. Garrett has won 22 percent of his pass-rush reps this season, a rate that leads all Power 5 interior defensive linemen by nearly four percentage points.”
The standout season by Garrett has been exceptionally impressive when considering he nearly lost his season, and possibly his life, when he was shot in the face Aug. 30.
The former four-star prospect from Las Vegas Bishop Gorman miraculously recovered in time to be ready for the Buckeyes’ season-opening victory over Nebraska on Oct. 24. Garrett has been one of Ohio State’s most productive players on the season, helping hold opposing offenses to just 96.7 rushing yards per game to rank seventh nationally.
Through six regular-season games, Garrett recorded 17 tackles (10 solo), with four tackles for loss, two sacks and one interception, which was a pick-six in the end zone on a tremendous athletic play. Across his four-year career, Garrett has totaled 37 stops (21 solo), 6.5 TFL and two sacks.
Garrett was joined on the first team by fellow interior defensive lineman Alim McNeil of NC State. The second-team selections at defensive tackle were Alabama’s Christian Barmore and O’Bryan Goodson of Memphis, while UTEP’s Keenan Stewart and Louisiana Tech’s Milton Williams were named to the third team. Dante Stills of West Virginia and Zi’Yon Hill of Louisiana earned honorable mention All-American status.
A senior standout, Garrett, will next lead Ohio State in the College Football Playoff semifinal against Clemson, where the Buckeyes will look to avenge its 2019 loss. A victory over the Tigers in the Sugar Bowl would earn the Scarlet and Gray a spot in the national championship game against the winner of the Alabama-Notre Dame semifinal showdown.
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