After only earning third-team All-Big Ten honors despite being named an All-American in 2020, Haskell Garrett got his recognition from the conference this year.
Garrett was named Tuesday as a first-team All-Big Ten defensive lineman, becoming the only Ohio State defensive player to earn first-team All-Big Ten honors for the 2021 season.
Garrett was selected as a first-teamer on both the coaches’ and media ballots, joining Michigan defensive end Aidan Hutchinson, Penn State defensive end Arnold Ebiketie and Purdue defensive end George Karlaftis on the first-team defensive line.
The recognition for Garrett comes after a regular season in which he led Ohio State with 5.5 sacks and tied for the team lead with seven tackles for loss. He recorded 22 total tackles and scored the second touchdown of his Ohio State career when he returned a fumble 32 yards for a score in the season opener against Minnesota.
Four other Ohio State defenders also second- and third-team All-Big Ten honors on Tuesday. Tyreke Smith was selected as a second-team defensive lineman by the coaches and a third-team defensive lineman by the panel of media voters, while fellow Ohio State defensive end Zach Harrison earned second-team honors from the media and third-team recognition from the coaches. Ohio State safety Ronnie Hickman was selected as a second-team defensive back by the coaches and a third-team defensive back by the media, while freshman cornerback Denzel Burke also earned third-team honors from the coaches.
Ohio State did not win any of the conference’s individual awards on defense or special teams. Despite missing just one kick for the entire regular season, Noah Ruggles earned only second-team All-Big Ten honors at kicker, as Michigan’s Jake Moody earned first-team honors from the coaches while Iowa’s Caleb Shudak earned first-team honors from the media. Ruggles was selected as the second-team kicker by both voting bodies, though he split second-team honors with Shudak on the coaches’ ballots.
Buckeye cornerbacks Sevyn Banks and Cam Brown and defensive tackle Antwuan Jackson earned honorable mention All-Big Ten recognition from the coaches while Banks, Brown, Burke, Jackson, linebackers Steele Chambers and Tommy Eichenberg, safety Bryson Shaw and defensive tackles Taron Vincent and Tyleik Williams all earned honorable mention status from the media. Emeka Egbuka earned honorable mention status from both the coaches and media as a returner.
C.J. Stroud and the rest of Ohio State’s offensive players will have their chance to earn recognition from the conference on Wednesday, when All-Big Ten selections and individual award winners on the offensive side of the ball will be announced.
