Seven Illini honored as B1G Defensive Awards are handed out
Rosemont, Ill. – Senior safety Clayton Fejedelem was named All-Big Ten second team on Monday, while six other Fighting Illini were honorable mention selections as the conference announced defensive and special teams award winners.
Fejedelem was a second-team selection by the media and honorable mention by the coaches. Senior safety Taylor Barton, senior defenisve back and return specialist V'Angelo Bentley, senior linebacker Mason Monheim, junior linebacker T.J. Neal, junior LEO Dawuane Smoot and senior defensive end Jihad Ward all were honorable mention selections by both the media and coaches. Bentley also was named as Illinois' honoree for the Big Ten Sportsmanship Award.
Offensive award winners and all-conference teams will be announced on Tuesday, Dec. 1, on BTN Live between 5 and 6 p.m. CT.
Fejedelem | Second-Team Defense
· 140 tackles (74 solo), 4.5 TFLs, 2 INT, 7 PBU, 1 FF, 1 TD
· Big Ten's leading tackler, 23 ahead of 2nd place
· Led Big Ten during conference games with 102 tackles, 16 more than 2nd place
· Fifth in the nation in tackles per game (11.7)
· Ninth in the nation and second in the Big Ten in solo tackles (6.2 per game)
· Most tackles in a season for an Illini since J Leman had 152 in 2006
· 19 tackles vs. Wisconsin are the 11th most by an FBS player in 2015
· Recovered blocked punt for TD vs. Middle Tennessee
· Leader of Illini defense that ranks 14th in the nation in third-down defense (.314) and 15th in passing defense (184.4)
Honorable Mention Defense
· SS Taylor Barton – The junior had a team-high four interceptions on the season, the most for an Illini in a season since Kevin Mitchell had five in 2007 and more than the total for the entire team in all of 2013 (3). Barton ranks fifth in the Big Ten and 40th in FBS averaging 0.3 interceptions per game. He also ranked fourth on the team with 56 tackles and added 3 PBUs and one fumble recovery.
· CB V'Angelo Bentley (return specialist) – The senior cornerback earned honorable mention as a return specialist after ranking second in conference games in punt return average (8.6 ypr) and sixth overall (9.2 ypr). Bentley is Illinois' all-time leading kickoff return yardage leader (1,860 yards) and is the only player in Illinois history to record a kickoff return, punt return, interception return and fumble return for touchdown in his career. Bentley also was named as Illinois' honoree for the Big Ten Sportsmanship Award.
· LB Mason Monheim – Monheim ranked third on the team with 98 tackles this season, giving him 392 for his career, the seventh-most in Illinois history and third-most among active FBS players. In 2015, Monheim added 5.5 TFLs, two interceptions – including a 58-yard pick-six against Northwestern – six PBUs and one sack.
· LB T.J. Neal – Neal had a breakout year in 2015, ranking second on the team and sixth in the Big Ten in both tackles (109) and tackles for loss (14.0). He had career-highs with 17 tackles and 4.0 TFLs against Northwestern at Soldier Field. He also added 2.0 sacks. two QB hurries and one PBU on the season.
· LEO Dawuane Smoot – Smoot had a huge year at the LEO position (DE/LB hybrid), leading the team with 15.0 TFLS and 8.0 sacks, which rank fifth and seventh in the Big Ten, respectively. For the season, he added 39 tackles, three forced fumbles, three QB hurries, two PBUs and two fumble recoveries.
· DE/DT Jihad Ward – Ward overcame a training camp injury to become a mainstay on the rock-solid Illini defense, playing big snaps at both defensive end and defensive tackle. He finished the season with 54 tackles, 3.5 TFLs and 1.5 sacks, while also adding two PBUs, two QB hurries, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery.
Rosemont, Ill. – Senior safety Clayton Fejedelem was named All-Big Ten second team on Monday, while six other Fighting Illini were honorable mention selections as the conference announced defensive and special teams award winners.
Fejedelem was a second-team selection by the media and honorable mention by the coaches. Senior safety Taylor Barton, senior defenisve back and return specialist V'Angelo Bentley, senior linebacker Mason Monheim, junior linebacker T.J. Neal, junior LEO Dawuane Smoot and senior defensive end Jihad Ward all were honorable mention selections by both the media and coaches. Bentley also was named as Illinois' honoree for the Big Ten Sportsmanship Award.
Offensive award winners and all-conference teams will be announced on Tuesday, Dec. 1, on BTN Live between 5 and 6 p.m. CT.
Fejedelem | Second-Team Defense
· 140 tackles (74 solo), 4.5 TFLs, 2 INT, 7 PBU, 1 FF, 1 TD
· Big Ten's leading tackler, 23 ahead of 2nd place
· Led Big Ten during conference games with 102 tackles, 16 more than 2nd place
· Fifth in the nation in tackles per game (11.7)
· Ninth in the nation and second in the Big Ten in solo tackles (6.2 per game)
· Most tackles in a season for an Illini since J Leman had 152 in 2006
· 19 tackles vs. Wisconsin are the 11th most by an FBS player in 2015
· Recovered blocked punt for TD vs. Middle Tennessee
· Leader of Illini defense that ranks 14th in the nation in third-down defense (.314) and 15th in passing defense (184.4)
Honorable Mention Defense
· SS Taylor Barton – The junior had a team-high four interceptions on the season, the most for an Illini in a season since Kevin Mitchell had five in 2007 and more than the total for the entire team in all of 2013 (3). Barton ranks fifth in the Big Ten and 40th in FBS averaging 0.3 interceptions per game. He also ranked fourth on the team with 56 tackles and added 3 PBUs and one fumble recovery.
· CB V'Angelo Bentley (return specialist) – The senior cornerback earned honorable mention as a return specialist after ranking second in conference games in punt return average (8.6 ypr) and sixth overall (9.2 ypr). Bentley is Illinois' all-time leading kickoff return yardage leader (1,860 yards) and is the only player in Illinois history to record a kickoff return, punt return, interception return and fumble return for touchdown in his career. Bentley also was named as Illinois' honoree for the Big Ten Sportsmanship Award.
· LB Mason Monheim – Monheim ranked third on the team with 98 tackles this season, giving him 392 for his career, the seventh-most in Illinois history and third-most among active FBS players. In 2015, Monheim added 5.5 TFLs, two interceptions – including a 58-yard pick-six against Northwestern – six PBUs and one sack.
· LB T.J. Neal – Neal had a breakout year in 2015, ranking second on the team and sixth in the Big Ten in both tackles (109) and tackles for loss (14.0). He had career-highs with 17 tackles and 4.0 TFLs against Northwestern at Soldier Field. He also added 2.0 sacks. two QB hurries and one PBU on the season.
· LEO Dawuane Smoot – Smoot had a huge year at the LEO position (DE/LB hybrid), leading the team with 15.0 TFLS and 8.0 sacks, which rank fifth and seventh in the Big Ten, respectively. For the season, he added 39 tackles, three forced fumbles, three QB hurries, two PBUs and two fumble recoveries.
· DE/DT Jihad Ward – Ward overcame a training camp injury to become a mainstay on the rock-solid Illini defense, playing big snaps at both defensive end and defensive tackle. He finished the season with 54 tackles, 3.5 TFLs and 1.5 sacks, while also adding two PBUs, two QB hurries, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery.
