With the Big Ten regular season wrapped up, the selections for the all-conference teams were announced and 15 Penn State football players made the list. Although it hasn’t been the best season from a team standpoint, there were still plenty of bright spots and individual successes. Here’s a look at the Nittany Lions who made it.
1st Team Offense
Tight End - Pat Freiermuth: The AP preseason first team All-American impressed in his shortened season. The junior captain played in four games before a season ending injury. In that span he led all FBS tight ends with 5.8 receptions while averaging 77.5 yards per game. He also scored the first touchdown of the season to take sole possession of the all-time leading touchdown scorer by a Penn State tight end.
2nd Team Offense
Guard - Mike Miranda: The redshirt junior has been a consistent piece on the line this year starting in every game and helping the offense average over 400 total yards a game. Miranda will be a good returning starter for the 2021 season.
Tackle - Will Fries: In his fifth year in Happy Valley, Fries was another solid contributor to the offensive line. He started in every game of the 2020 season. He does have another year of eligibility because of COVID-19, so we’ll wait and see what the big tackle decides to do regarding his future.
3rd Team Offense
Center - Michael Menet: A team captain that served Nittany Nation well in his time at Penn State. As a redshirt senior, the center has accepted an invitation to the Senior Bowl to end his collegiate career.
Receiver - Jahan Dotson: There are a lot of good receivers in the Big Ten, but Dotson earning third team honors is laughable. The junior racked up 695 receiving yards and seven total touchdowns through seven games. He really broke onto the scene as a true No. 1 option for Clifford after K.J. Hamler’s departure last year. As a selfish Penn State fan, I hope Dotson returns for his senior season to improve his draft stock and really show off what he can do. But if he decides to go to the draft, his time in State College was fun and we had the pleasure of watching him become a star.
Honorable Mention Offense
Tackle - Rasheed Walker
1st Team Defense
Defensive End - Shaka Toney: This is a guy who decided to return to Penn State for his final season and I think it did him justice. Toney led the team with four sacks and also forced a fumble in seven games. The Philly native will also be heading to the Senior Bowl ahead of the 2021 draft.
2nd Team Defense
Defensive End - Jayson Oweh: The redshirt sophomore comes in fourth on the team in total tackles. Through seven games, Oweh had 38 tackles which is the most by a Penn State defensive lineman since 2015. He is an athletic freak who is eligible for the draft. I hope we see No. 28 for one more season in the blue and white.
3rd Team Defense
Defensive Back - Lamont Wade: Wade forced three turnovers this season, the most by any player on the defense. He is a gritty, hard hitting safety who has a nose for the ball. I’m looking forward to following what’s next from Wade.
Defensive Back - Joey Porter Jr.: After redshirting in 2019, Porter Jr. played a big role in this year’s defense starting every game at corner. He’s recorded 34 total tackles, four pass breakups and a sack. The future is bright with Porter in the secondary.
Honorable Mention Defense
Defensive Line - PJ Mustipher
Defensive Line - Antonio Shelton
Linebacker - Brandon Smith
Defensive Back - Jaquan Brisker
Defensive Back - Tariq Castro Fields
Junior at Penn State University covering all things PSU Football, Men’s Basketball and the 2020 Heisman Trophy race. Die-hard Philly 4 for 4 fan. Go Birds and We Are.