Photo: Rich Graessle/Icon Sportswire
It’s finally time to release our SIS All-Conference teams. We used our all-encompassing player value stat, Total Points, along with other metrics and our scouting work as leading references in putting together our team of selections for 2023, plus some honorable mentions.
You can learn more about Total Points and the statistics referenced here.
These picks are meant to honor this season’s best-of-the-best in the Big Ten.
Offense
| Position | Name | School |
| QB | J.J. McCarthy | Michigan |
| RB | Kyle Monangai | Rutgers |
| WR | Marvin Harrison Jr. | Ohio State |
| WR | Isaiah Williams | Illinois |
| TE | Cade Stover | Ohio State |
| FLEX | Darius Taylor | Minnesota |
| OT | Delmar Glaze | Maryland |
| OT | Riley Mahlman | Wisconsin |
| OG | Trevor Keegan | Michigan |
| OG | Donovan Jackson | Ohio State |
| OC | Drake Nugent | Michigan |
Michigan leads the way with 3 selections off its national championship season. QB JJ McCarthy led the conference in Total Points with 143, ranked 8th nationally. OG Trevor Keegan and OC Drake Nugent highlight another mauling Michigan offensive line, leading the conference with 26 and 25 Total Points in the run game, respectively.
Bruising Rutgers RB Kyle Monangai comfortably tops a strong RB group with 55 Total Points, ranked 2nd nationally. Breakout true freshman, Minnesota RB Darius Taylor, earns a flex spot after producing 36 Total Points and leading the conference in Points Earned per Play. Both running backs will be back to terrorize the new look Big Ten.
Ohio State WR Marvin Harrison Jr was easily the best WR in the Big 10, leading the conference in Total Points (44), receiving yards (1,211), and touchdowns (14).
Defense
| Position | Name | School |
| DT | Kris Jenkins | Michigan |
| DT | Nash Hutmacher | Nebraska |
| EDGE | Adisa Isaac | Penn State |
| EDGE | Kydran Jenkins | Purdue |
| LB | Abdul Carter | Penn State |
| LB | Jay Higgins | Iowa |
| CB | Ricardo Hallman | Wisconsin |
| CB | Mike Sainristil | Michigan |
| S | Dillon Thieneman | Purdue |
| S | Hunter Wohler | Wisconsin |
| FLEX | Sebastian Castro | Iowa |
Ballhawking CBs Ricardo Hallman and Mike Sanristil head up our secondary after leading the nation with 7 and 6 interceptions, respectively. Hallman had a monster year, leading the nation in Coverage Total Points with 75. Following the trend of ballhawking DBs, Purdue S Dillon Thieneman also makes the team after grabbing 6 interceptions.
Iowa LB Jay Higgins leads our LB corps after leading all Big Ten LBs in Total Points in coverage (14) and against the run (27).
Penn State EDGE Adisa Isaac gets a nod after leading the conference in Pass Rush Total Points with 25, tallying 7.5 sacks, tied for 2nd in the Big 10. Purdue EDGE Kydran Jenkins takes the second spot after posting 7.5 sacks and 24 Total Points against the run, ranked 2nd in the Big Ten among edge rushers.
Specialists
| Position | Name | School |
| K | Dragan Kesich | Minnesota |
| P | Tory Taylor | Iowa |
| Returner | Daequan Hardy | Penn State |
Minnesota kicker Dragan Kesich earned the kicker spot after an impressive season making 23-of-27 field goals, 8-of-10 on kicks of 40+ yards, and 3-of-4 on 50+ yard kicks.
Fan favorite Iowa punter Tory Taylor easily gets the nod after leading the conference in Net Average Punt Yards (45.3) and Punts Inside the 20 (32). He also finished 2nd in Punts inside the 10 with 11.
Penn State’s Daequan Hardy earned the returner job after leading the conference in average punt return yards (19.9), punt return yards (338) and punt return touchdowns (3).
Honorable Mentions
| Name | School |
| RB Blake Corum | Michigan |
| TE Colston Loveland | Michigan |
| OL Josh Simmons | Ohio State |
| OL Zak Zinter | Michigan |
| OL Zach Carpenter | Indiana |
| DT Tyleik Williams | Ohio State |
| DT Jer’Zhan Newton | Illinois |
| ED Nic Scourton | Purdue |
| ED Derrick Moore | Michigan |
| CB Cooper DeJean | Iowa |
| S Tyler Nubin | Minnesota |
| RET Jaylin Lucas | Indiana |
Michigan RB Blake Corum makes the list on the back of his 27 rushing touchdowns, breaking the season and career rushing touchdown records at Michigan. Paving the way for Corum all year was OL Zak Zinter. He made the list after producing 18 Total Points in the run game, 2nd among all Big Ten guards.
Playmaking CB Cooper DeJean earns Honorable Mention with 37 Total Points in coverage along with a punt return touchdown. Disruptive Illinois DT Jer’Zhan Newton cracks the list after leading all Big 10 defensive tackles in sacks with 7.5.
Check out this year’s NFL Draft site to see how we feel some of these players project to the NFL.
Total Points, stats, and ranks as of 3/11/2023
