ROSEMONT, Ill. – Quarterback J.T. Barrett and five other members of Ohio State’s offensive unit received top post-season honors from coaches and media who cover the Big Ten Conference.
Barrett was named the Griese-Brees Quarterback of the Year, Elflein was named the Rimington-Pace Offensive Lineman of the Year and Mike Weber took home the Thompson-Randle El Freshman of the Year award.
Junior H-Back Curtis Samuel and junior guard Billy Price joined Barrett and Elflein on the All-Big Ten first team while Weber and junior tackle Jamarco Jones were named to the second team by both coaches and media.
Penn State running back Saquon Barkley was honored Wednesday as the Big Ten offensive player of the year. Barkley, who also was selected the top running back, leads the Big Ten with 17 total touchdowns and 1,563 all-purpose yards. Barkley ran for over 200 yards twice this season against Maryland and Purdue.
The Nittany Lions will face Wisconsin on Saturday in the Big Ten championship game in Indianapolis.
Barrett has thrown for 24 touchdowns this season with just five interceptions while rushing for 847 yards. The junior led the Buckeyes with 3,275 yards of total offense, led the Big Ten in points responsible for with 33 touchdowns and was second with 24 TD passes
Elflein, a finalist for the Outland Trophy, started all 12 games this season at center. Along with Price and Jones, the senior anchored an offensive line that helped the Buckeyes rank ninth in the nation in scoring.
Weber became the third Buckeye freshman to rush for over 1,000 yards in a season, joining Robert Smith and Maurice Clarett. He carried the ball 177 times for 1,072 yards and led all freshmen in the Big Ten with 89.3 rushing yards per game.
Northwestern’s Austin Carr is the Big Ten’s top receiver, while Michigan’s Jake Butt was the best tight end for the second straight season.