WEST LAFAYETTE, Ind. – Seven Boilermakers on the defensive side of the ball were named All-Big Ten Honorable Mention, as the league office announced the first half of all-conference awards Tuesday afternoon.
Cam Allen, Branson Deen, Jalen Graham, Kydran Jenkins, Lawrence Johnson, Jack Sullivan and Cory Trice earned All-Big Ten Honorable Mention accolades, while Charlie Jones received honorable recognition as a return specialist. The league will release all-conference honors for offensive players on Wednesday (Nov. 30).
As a team, the Purdue defense ranks 19th nationally in third down percentage defense (.315) and interceptions (13). The Boilermakers have returned three picks for touchdowns to crack the Top 10 nationwide.
Allen hauled in a team-high three interceptions, ranking sixth in the conference and returning one for a touchdown. Against Indiana State, the senior defensive back scampered 65 yards to the end zone for his first career pick-six. Allen has made 41 tackles on the season, third on the team, and six pass breakups. With 10 interceptions over his career, he ranks ninth in Purdue history.
Another senior, Deen earns all-conference honorable mention for the second straight season. The Indianapolis native has played in 10 games, starting in nine of them, before missing the last two due to injury. Deen has tallied 23 tackles, including 3.5 tackles-for-loss and 2.5 sacks, to go along with a forced fumble.
Despite playing in just eight games this season, Graham ranks second on the team in total tackles (48); his 6.0 tackles per game pace Purdue. After missing four games due to injury, he returned to record a team-high nine tackles to go along with one tackle-for-loss and one pass breakup to help the Boilermakers beat Maryland. The senior followed up his return performance with six tackles, including two tackles-for-loss, one sack and a forced fumble in the win over Nebraska, while adding an interception against Northwestern.
Jenkins leads the Boilermakers with 8.0 tackles-for-loss and seven QB hurries. The junior has made 4.0 sacks as well to go along with one forced fumble. In last week's win at Indiana, Jenkins blocked a field goal for the first time in his career to help Purdue secure the B1G West and the Old Oaken Bucket.
Johnson has contributed 27 tackles on the season, while starting on the interior of the defensive line for all 12 games. The Purdue graduate has made 2.5 TFLs and 1.5 sacks with a forced fumble of his own. At No. 21 Illinois, his pass deflection led to an interception late in the fourth quarter to provide a crucial turnover in the B1G road win.
Sullivan leads the Boilermakers with 5.5 sacks this season, ranking eighth in the conference. Stepping up in conference games, 4.5 sacks have come in against league opponents, the sixth-most in the B1G. Sullivan had a crucial strip sack in the win over Northwestern, forcing a turnover late in the fourth quarter to preserve the victory. His 33 tackles pace the Purdue defensive line.
Trice has been the Boilermakers' lockdown corner all season long, leading the team in pass breakups (9) with a pair of interceptions. The senior picked off a pass at Maryland, but his biggest play of the season may have come against Indiana. With Purdue inching closer to victory, Trice's fourth-quarter pick-six put the game on ice to wrap up the rivalry win and divisional crown.
With the defense helping the team capture an outright Big Ten West title for the first time in school history, Purdue heads to Indianapolis to face No. 2 Michigan in the Big Ten Championship Game. Kickoff is set for 8 p.m. ET on FOX.
Cam Allen, Branson Deen, Jalen Graham, Kydran Jenkins, Lawrence Johnson, Jack Sullivan and Cory Trice earned All-Big Ten Honorable Mention accolades, while Charlie Jones received honorable recognition as a return specialist. The league will release all-conference honors for offensive players on Wednesday (Nov. 30).
As a team, the Purdue defense ranks 19th nationally in third down percentage defense (.315) and interceptions (13). The Boilermakers have returned three picks for touchdowns to crack the Top 10 nationwide.
Allen hauled in a team-high three interceptions, ranking sixth in the conference and returning one for a touchdown. Against Indiana State, the senior defensive back scampered 65 yards to the end zone for his first career pick-six. Allen has made 41 tackles on the season, third on the team, and six pass breakups. With 10 interceptions over his career, he ranks ninth in Purdue history.
Another senior, Deen earns all-conference honorable mention for the second straight season. The Indianapolis native has played in 10 games, starting in nine of them, before missing the last two due to injury. Deen has tallied 23 tackles, including 3.5 tackles-for-loss and 2.5 sacks, to go along with a forced fumble.
Despite playing in just eight games this season, Graham ranks second on the team in total tackles (48); his 6.0 tackles per game pace Purdue. After missing four games due to injury, he returned to record a team-high nine tackles to go along with one tackle-for-loss and one pass breakup to help the Boilermakers beat Maryland. The senior followed up his return performance with six tackles, including two tackles-for-loss, one sack and a forced fumble in the win over Nebraska, while adding an interception against Northwestern.
Jenkins leads the Boilermakers with 8.0 tackles-for-loss and seven QB hurries. The junior has made 4.0 sacks as well to go along with one forced fumble. In last week's win at Indiana, Jenkins blocked a field goal for the first time in his career to help Purdue secure the B1G West and the Old Oaken Bucket.
Johnson has contributed 27 tackles on the season, while starting on the interior of the defensive line for all 12 games. The Purdue graduate has made 2.5 TFLs and 1.5 sacks with a forced fumble of his own. At No. 21 Illinois, his pass deflection led to an interception late in the fourth quarter to provide a crucial turnover in the B1G road win.
Sullivan leads the Boilermakers with 5.5 sacks this season, ranking eighth in the conference. Stepping up in conference games, 4.5 sacks have come in against league opponents, the sixth-most in the B1G. Sullivan had a crucial strip sack in the win over Northwestern, forcing a turnover late in the fourth quarter to preserve the victory. His 33 tackles pace the Purdue defensive line.
Trice has been the Boilermakers' lockdown corner all season long, leading the team in pass breakups (9) with a pair of interceptions. The senior picked off a pass at Maryland, but his biggest play of the season may have come against Indiana. With Purdue inching closer to victory, Trice's fourth-quarter pick-six put the game on ice to wrap up the rivalry win and divisional crown.
With the defense helping the team capture an outright Big Ten West title for the first time in school history, Purdue heads to Indianapolis to face No. 2 Michigan in the Big Ten Championship Game. Kickoff is set for 8 p.m. ET on FOX.