Bosa, Dobbins Earn Big Ten Preseason Honors
Duo selected by panel of media voters
COLUMBUS, Ohio – Ohio State standouts Nick Bosa and J.K. Dobbins were selected today to the Big Ten’s preseason list of 10 outstanding players from the conference. Five represented the Big Ten East while another five represented the Big Ten West. The announcement was made in conjunction with the start of Big Ten Media Days at the Chicago Marriott Downtown Magnificent Mile.
Bosa, a junior from Fort Lauderdale, Fla., was named last week to the Maxwell Award Watch List and the Bednarik Award Watch List. Both awards are presented by the Maxwell Club and honor the nation’s most valuable player and its top defensive player, respectively. A first-team All-American by the American Football Coaches Association, Bosa led the 2017 Buckeyes in tackles-for-loss (16.0), tackles-for-loss yardage (74) and sacks (8.0).
As a result of his production, Bosa was the Big Ten Conference’s Smith-Brown defensive lineman of the year in 2017, becoming the fourth consecutive Buckeye to earn the award. He enters this season with 63 tackles in 27 career games to go along with 23 TFLs and 13.5 sacks.
Dobbins, a sophomore from LaGrange, Texas, is already a member of the Doak Walker Award and Maxwell Award watch lists. He is coming off the best statistical seasons for any freshman running back in program history, rushing for 1,403 yards and seven touchdowns while starting all 14 games for the Big Ten and Cotton Bowl champions.
In last year’s Big Ten Championship Game against No. 4 Wisconsin, Dobbins rushed for 174 yards to earn the game’s Most Outstanding Player honors. It was one of six 100-yard games for Dobbins, who averaged 7.2 yards per carry – good for seventh-best nationally and No. 1 among freshmen.
2018 Big Ten Preseason Honors
EAST DIVISION
Rashan Gary, Jr., DL, Michigan
Brian Lewerke, Jr., QB, Michigan State
Nick Bosa, Jr., DE, Ohio State
J.K. Dobbins, So., RB, Ohio State
Trace McSorley, Sr., QB, Penn State
WEST DIVISION
Noah Fant, Jr., TE, Iowa
Stanley Morgan Jr., Sr., WR, Nebraska
Paddy Fisher, So., LB, Northwestern
T.J. Edwards, Sr., LB, Wisconsin
Jonathan Taylor, So., RB, Wisconsin
