NOVEMBER 30, 2021

COLUMBUS – Ohio State defensive tackle and team co-captain Haskell Garrett led a contingent of 13 defensive players honored by the Big Ten Conference today with first-team All-Big Ten honors as selected by both the conference coaches and the media.

Garrett, who has already graduated, was tied with junior Zach Harrison for the team lead with seven tackles-for-loss, and he led the team with 5.5 quarterback sacks. Harrison, a second-team all-Big Ten selection and also a team co-captain, contributed four quarterback sacks and led all Buckeye defensive linemen with 29 tackles this year.

Joining Harrison as second-team selections are senior defensive end Tyreke Smith and third-year sophomore “bullet” Ronnie Hickman. Smith contributed 25 tackles, 5 TFLs and 3.0 quarterback sacks. Hickman was the leading tackler on the team with 97 tackles, a figure that was good for eighth-best in the Big Ten. He also tied for the team lead with two interceptions.

True freshman cornerback Denzel Burke earned third-team all-conference honors after a season in which he started every game and led the team with 11 pass break-ups plus an interception.

Eight Buckeyes on defense earned honorable mention all-Big Ten honors: CB Sevyn Banks, CB Cam Brown, LB Steele Chambers, LB Tommy Eichenberg, DT Antwuan Jackson, SAF Bryson Shaw, DT Taron Vincent and DT Tyliek Williams.

Specialists
Kicker Noah Ruggles, a finalist for the Lou Groza award after a season in which he was 18 for 19 in field goals and didn’t miss on 68 extra point tries, is the Big Ten’s second-team all-Big Ten kicker.

Freshman Emeka Egbuka was named an honorable mention return player after averaging 32.1 yards per kickoff return to rank seventh nationally.

COURTESY OSU ATHLETIC COMMUNICATIONS