Buckeyes defenders sweep individual Big Ten awards, litter all-conference team

COLUMBUS — Ohio State has the country’s best defense, and it’s being recognized as such from the Big Ten awards that were released on Wednesday. The Buckeyes swept the Big Ten individual defensive awards, highlighting just how dominant this group has been.

Buckeyes junior superstar safety Caleb Downs was named the Big Ten’s Nagurski–Woodson Defensive Player of the Year on Wednesday, officially becoming the best defensive player in a conference littered with impressive defensive standouts.

Downs is the 10th Ohio State player to be named the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year; it’s the 11th time a Buckeyes defender has won the award as linebacker James Laurinaitis won it twice in 2007 and 2008.

Downs was also named the Big Ten’s Tatum-Woodson Defensive Back of the Year for the second straight season. The only other winner of the award from Ohio State, which began in 2011, was Shaun Wade in 2020.

Star defensive tackle Kayden McDonald was named the Big Ten’s Smith-Brown Defensive Lineman of the Year, becoming the first Buckeyes defensive lineman since Chase Young in 2019 to win the award. He’s the 11th Ohio State player to win it, and it’s the 13th time the program has had the top defensive lineman in the conference; Mike Vrabel and Joey Bosa each won it twice. That award has been given since 1984. McDonald was also named a first-team All-Big Ten selection from both the media and the coaches.

And junior linebacker Arvell Reese was named the Butkus-Fitzgerald Linebacker of the Year from the league. The only other winner of the award from Ohio State, which began in 2011, was Tommy Eichenberg in 2023.

All-Big Ten defenders from Ohio State

Coaches

First team: DT Kayden McDonald, LB Arvell Reese, LB Sonny Styles, DB Caleb Downs
Second-team: DE Caden Curry, CB Davison Igbinosun
Third-team: CB Jermaine Mathews Jr., LS John Ferlmann
Honorable mention: DB Jaylen McClain, DE Kenyatta Jackson Jr., DB Lorenzo Styles Jr., DT Tywone Malone, KR Brandon Inniss

Media

First team: DT Kayden McDonald, DE Caden Curry, LB Arvell Reese, LB Sonny Styles, DB Caleb Downs, CB Davison Igbinosun
Second-team: LS John Ferlmann
Third-team: DB Jaylen McClain
Honorable mention: DT Eddrick Houston, CB Jermaine Mathews Jr., DE Kenyatta Jackson Jr., LB Payton Pierce, DB Lorenzo Styles Jr., DT Tywone Malone, KR Brandon Inniss