Oregon’s Dillon Gabriel has been recognized as the Big Ten’s Offensive Player of the Year, while Penn State’s Abdul Carter takes home the Defensive Player of the Year accolade. Additionally, Indiana’s Curt Cignetti has been honored as Coach of the Year. The selections were made by a panel of 21 media members who closely follow the conference.
Unanimous first-team selections include Iowa’s Kaleb Johnson and Tyler Warren from Penn State. The first-team roster showcases a strong representation from various teams: Iowa boasts five players, while Ohio State fields four, and both Oregon and Indiana contribute three each. Among the repeat first-team honorees are Minnesota’s Aireontae Ersery, Ohio State’s Donovan Jackson, and Iowa’s Jay Higgins. Ohio State’s JT Tuimoloau, who was named a first-team member in both 2022 and 2023, has now secured a spot on the second team.
Dillon Gabriel, who moved to Oregon from Oklahoma during the offseason, played a pivotal role in leading the undefeated and top-ranked Oregon team to a Big Ten championship in their inaugural season in the conference. With an impressive average of 274 passing yards per game, he has thrown for 28 touchdowns while only six interceptions, achieving a 73.2% completion rate, positioning him second nationally.
Abdul Carter leads the Big Ten with 19.5 tackles for loss and has registered 10 sacks, marking the highest total for a Penn State player since Carl Nassib’s 15.5 sacks in 2015. Curt Cignetti has made a remarkable turnaround during his first season at Indiana, guiding the Hoosiers from just three wins in 2023 to an 11-1 record, securing double-digit wins for the first time and advancing to the College Football Playoff with their first-round game set against Notre Dame on December 20.
Jeremiah Smith from Ohio State received the Newcomer of the Year honor, setting school records for freshmen with 57 receptions, 934 receiving yards, 10 touchdown receptions, and three 100-yard games.
The following is the first-team offense lineup:
Wide receivers include Jeremiah Smith, Ohio State; Pat Bryant, Illinois; and Tai Felton, Maryland.
The offensive line features Aireontae Ersery (Minnesota), Josh Conerly Jr. (Oregon), Connor Colby (Iowa), and Donovan Jackson (Ohio State), with Seth McLaughlin (Ohio State) as center. Tyler Warren (Penn State) is the tight end, and Dillon Gabriel (Oregon) is the quarterback, supported by running backs Kaleb Johnson (Iowa) and Kyle Monangai (Rutgers). The kicker is Dominic Zvada (Michigan), while Kaden Wetjen (Iowa) occupies the all-purpose position.
The first-team defense includes edge rushers Abdul Carter (Penn State) and Mikail Kamara (Indiana). The defensive interior is manned by Mason Graham (Michigan) and Derrick Harmon (Oregon). Linebackers include Jay Higgins (Iowa), Aiden Fisher (Indiana), and Carson Schwesinger (UCLA). In the secondary, cornerbacks D’Angelo Ponds (Indiana) and Xavier Scott (Illinois) are joined by safeties Caleb Downs (Ohio State) and Koi Perich (Minnesota). Sebastian Castro from Iowa serves as a defensive back, while Eddie Czaplicki from Southern California is the punter.
The second-team offense features a mix of players including wide receivers Tez Johnson (Oregon), Elijah Sarratt (Indiana), and Emeka Egbuka (Ohio State). The offensive line includes Gennings Dunker (Iowa), Hollin Pierce (Rutgers), Emmanuel Pregnon (Southern California), and Olaivavega Ioane (Penn State), with Logan Jones (Iowa) as the center. Colston Loveland (Michigan) is the tight end, Kurtis Rourke (Indiana) is the quarterback, and running backs include Jordan James (Oregon) and Woody Marks (Southern California). Jonathan Kim (Michigan State) serves as the kicker, with Woody Marks also earning all-purpose recognition.
On the second-team defense, edge rushers Matayo Uiagalelei (Oregon) and JT Tuimoloau (Ohio State) highlight the lineup, supported by interior linemen Ty Robinson (Nebraska) and Kenneth Grant (Michigan). The linebackers consist of Cody Lindenberg (Minnesota), Bryce Boettcher (Oregon), and Kobe King (Penn State). The secondary features cornerbacks Jermari Harris (Iowa) and Will Johnson (Michigan), as well as safeties Jaylen Reed (Penn State) and Lathan Ransom (Ohio State). Rhys Dakin from Iowa is the punter for the second team.
In conclusion, the individual honors for this season go to Dillon Gabriel as the Offensive Player of the Year, Abdul Carter as the Defensive Player of the Year, Curt Cignetti as the Coach of the Year, and Jeremiah Smith as the Newcomer of the Year.
