The Big Ten Conference announced its 2017 football preseason honors on Monday in conjunction with the start of Big Ten Media Days at McCormick Place Convention Center in Chicago. A media panel selected the 10-member preseason list, with five representatives each from the East and West divisions.
Ohio State and Penn State each fielded a pair of honorees on the East Division roster. The Buckeyes were represented by senior quarterback J.T. Barrett and senior defensive end Tyquan Lewis, while the Nittany Lions saw junior running back Saquon Barkley and senior quarterback Trace McSorley make the list. Indiana senior linebacker Tegray Scales rounded out the East Division lineup. Barrett and Barkley each garnered Big Ten football preseason honors for the second consecutive season.
Northwestern and Wisconsin each had two standouts selected to represent the West Division. The Wildcats were represented by three-time honoree and senior running back Justin Jackson and senior safety Goodwin Igwebuike, while the Badgers saw senior linebacker Jack Cichy and senior tight end Troy Fumagalli earn recognition. Iowa senior linebacker Josey Jewell completed the West Division honorees. Cichy, Fumagalli, Igwebuike and Jewell garnered Big Ten football preseason honors for the first time in their careers.
The 2017 Big Ten preseason honors list features the reigning Graham-George Offensive Player and Ameche-Dayne Running Back of the Year in Barkley and the returning Big Ten Smith-Brown Defensive Lineman of the Year in Lewis, who are among nine All-Big Ten selections on the squad. Barkley, Barrett and Lewis were first-team All-Big Ten picks last year, while Jackson was a first-team choice by the media and a second-team selection by the coaches. Other second- and third-team All-Conference honorees last year who made this year’s preseason honors list include Fumagalli, Igwebuike, Jewell, McSorley and Scales.
The full list of Big Ten football preseason honorees is as follows:
EAST DIVISION
Tegray Scales, Sr., LB, IND
J.T. Barrett, Sr., QB, OSU
Tyquan Lewis, Sr., DE, OSU
Saquon Barkley, Jr., RB, PSU
Trace McSorley, Sr., QB, PSU
WEST DIVISION
Josey Jewell, Sr., LB, IOWA
Goodwin Igwebuike, Sr., S, NU
Justin Jackson, Sr., RB, NU
Jack Cichy, Sr., LB, WIS
Troy Fumagalli, Sr., TE, WIS
via Big Ten
Photo: Wisconsin Badgers