AP All-Big Ten: Dillon Gabriel, Abdul Carter, Curt Cignetti take top honors

Oregon quarterback Dillon Gabriel is The Associated Press Big Ten offensive player of the year, Penn State edge rusher Abdul Carter is the defensive player of the year and Indiana’s Curt Cignetti is coach of the year.

Iowa running back Kaleb Johnson and Penn State tight end Tyler Warren were unanimous first-team selections Tuesday by the voting panel of 21 media members who cover the conference.

The first team includes five players from Iowa, four from Ohio State and three each from conference champion Oregon and Indiana.

Repeat first-team selections are Minnesota offensive tackle Aireontae Ersery, Ohio State guard Donovan Jackson and Iowa linebacker Jay Higgins. Ohio State defensive end JT Tuimoloau, a first-team pick in 2022 and ’23, is on the second team.

Gabriel, who transferred from Oklahoma in the offseason, led unbeaten and top-ranked Oregon to the Big Ten championship in its first year in the league. Gabriel averages 274 yards passing per game and has thrown for 28 touchdowns against six interceptions. His 73.2% completion rate is second in the nation.

Carter leads the Big Ten with 19.5 tackles for loss, and his 10 sacks are the most by a Penn State player since Carl Nassib had 15.5 in 2015.

Cignetti has orchestrated one of the great turnarounds of all time in his first season at Indiana. The Hoosiers, who won three games in 2023, have double-digit wins for the first time and will take an 11-1 record into their College Football Playoff first-round game at Notre Dame on Dec. 20.

Ohio State freshman Jeremiah Smith is the newcomer of the year. He set school freshman records for receptions (57), yards (934), touchdown receptions (10) and 100-yard games (three).

First-team offense

Wide receivers — Jeremiah Smith, Ohio State, freshman, 6-3, 215, Miami Gardens, Florida; Pat Bryant, Illinois, senior, 6-3, 200, Jacksonville, Florida; Tai Felton, Maryland, senior, 6-2, 186, Ashburn, Virginia.

Tackles — Aireontae Ersery, Minnesota, senior, 6-3, 330, Kansas City, Missouri; Josh Conerly Jr., Oregon, junior, 6-4, 315, Seattle.

Guards — Connor Colby, Iowa, senior, 6-6, 310, Cedar Rapids, Iowa; Donovan Jackson, Ohio State, senior, 6-4, 320, Cypress, Texas.

Center — Seth McLaughlin, Ohio State, graduate, 6-4, 305, Buford, Georgia.

Tight end — u-Tyler Warren, Penn State, senior, 6-6, 261, Mechanicsville, Virginia.

Quarterback — Dillon Gabriel, Oregon, graduate, 6-0, 200, Mililani, Hawaii.

Running backs — u-Kaleb Johnson, Iowa, junior, 6-0, 225, Hamilton, Ohio; Kyle Monangai, Rutgers, senior, 5-9, 209, Roseland, New Jersey.

Kicker — Dominic Zvada, Michigan, junior, 6-3, 180, Chandler, Arizona.

All-purpose — Kaden Wetjen, Iowa, senior, 5-10, 196, Williamsburg, Iowa.

First-team defense

Edge rushers — Abdul Carter, Penn State, junior, 6-3, 252, Philadelphia; Mikail Kamara, Indiana, junior, 6-1, 265, Ashburn, Virginia.

Interior linemen — Mason Graham, Michigan, junior, 6-3, 320, Mission Viejo, California; Derrick Harmon, Oregon, junior, 6-5, 310, Detroit.

Linebackers — Jay Higgins, Iowa, senior, 6-2, 232, Indianapolis; Aiden Fisher, Indiana, junior, 6-1, 233, Fredericksburg, Virginia; Carson Schwesinger, UCLA, junior, 6-2, 225, Moorpark, California.

Cornerbacks — D’Angelo Ponds, Indiana, sophomore, 5-9, 170, Miami; Xavier Scott, Illinois, junior, 5-11, 190, Riviera Beach, Florida.

Safeties — Caleb Downs, Ohio State, sophomore, 6-0, 205, Hoschton, Georgia; Koi Perich, Minnesota, freshman, 6-1, 200, Esko, Minnesota.

Defensive back — Sebastian Castro, Iowa, graduate, 5-11, 205, Oak Lawn, Illinois.

Punter — Eddie Czaplicki, Southern California, senior, 6-1, 207, Charlotte, North Carolina.

Second-team offense

Wide receivers — Tez Johnson, Oregon, senior, 5-10, 165, Pinson, Alabama; Elijah Sarratt, Indiana, junior, 6-2, 209, Stafford, Virginia; Emeka Egbuka, Ohio State, graduate, 6-1, 205, Steilacoom, Washington.

Tackles — Gennings Dunker, Iowa, junior, 6-5, 316, Lena, Illinois; Hollin Pierce, Rutgers, senior, 6-8, 344, Trenton, New Jersey.

Guards — Emmanuel Pregnon, Southern California, senior, 6-5, 320, Denver; Olaivavega Ioane, Penn State, sophomore, 6-4, 348, Graham, Washington.

Center — Logan Jones, Iowa, senior, 6-3, 293, Council Bluffs, Iowa.

Tight end — Colston Loveland, Michigan, junior, 6-5, 245, Gooding, Idaho.

Quarterback — Kurtis Rourke, Indiana, graduate, 6-5, 233, Oakville, Ontario.

Running backs — Jordan James, Oregon, junior, 5-10, 210, Nashville, Tennessee; Woody Marks, Southern California, senior, 5-10, 208, Atlanta.

Kicker — Jonathan Kim, Michigan State, graduate, 6-1, 227, Fredericksburg, Virginia.

All-purpose — Woody Marks, Southern California, senior, 5-10, 208, Atlanta.

Second-team defense

Edge rushers — Matayo Uiagalelei, Oregon, sophomore, 6-5, 270, Bellflower, California; JT Tuimoloau, Ohio State, senior, 6-5, 269, Edgewood, Washington.

Interior linemen — Ty Robinson, Nebraska, senior, 6-6, 310, Gilbert, Arizona; Kenneth Grant, Michigan, junior, 6-3, 339, Gary, Indiana.

Linebackers — Cody Lindenberg, Minnesota, senior, 6-3, 240, Anoka, Minnesota; Bryce Boettcher, Oregon, senior, 6-2, 225, Eugene, Oregon; Kobe King, Penn State, junior, 6-1, 248, Detroit.

Cornerbacks — Jermari Harris, Iowa, graduate, 6-1, 189, Chicago; Will Johnson, Michigan, junior, 6-2, 202, Detroit.

Safeties — Jaylen Reed, Penn State, senior, 6-0, 212, Detroit; Lathan Ransom, Ohio State, graduate, 6-1, 210, Tucson, Arizona.

Punter — Rhys Dakin, Iowa, freshman, 6-0, 222, Melbourne, Australia.

Individual honors

Offensive player of the year — Dillon Gabriel, Oregon.

Defensive player of the year — Abdul Carter, Penn State.

Coach of the year — Curt Cignetti, Indiana.

Newcomer of the year — Jeremiah Smith, Ohio State.

Reporting by The Associated Press.

---

---