Four Iowa Defenders Earn All-B1G Honors

On the defensive side, a pair of players made second team. While nine in total were named All B1G, the two that stood out the most were defensive lineman Aaron Graves and defensive back Zach Lutmer.

For what it's worth, Lutmer was voted second team by Big Ten Coaches, but media voted him to the third team. Graves earned second team honors from both the coaches and media. At the end of the day, Graves and Lutmer were absolutely two key names who held their ground for Iowa.

Graves finished his senior season tying his career high of 36 total tackles. He had 17 solo tackles which matched the career high he set last season. Graves finished with five sacks, but also recorded the first, and only interception of his career.

Lutmer is just a sophomore which is telling as to how good this Hawkeyes defense will continue to be. He ended the year with 68 tackles, a number that put him fourth on the team. That said, the gap between first and fourth was smaller than the gap between fourth and fifth.

All B1G Third Team

Defensive backs TJ Hall and Xavier Nwankpa both found themselves named to the third team. Nwankpa was in a similar situation as Lutmer as the coaches voted him to the third team but the media named him an honorable mention.

Hall put up his best career numbers as a senior. In fact, he had more total tackles this year than he did in his first three seasons combined. With an interception and eight passes defended, Hall established himself as a difference maker on this defense.

Nwankpa ended the year tied for second on the team with 69 total tackles. He forced two fumbles and finished with an interception to complete a stellar career for the Iowa native.

Honorable Mentions

In the end, five Hawkeyes were named honorable mentions. Those names include: Linebacker Karson Sharar, defensive backs Koen Entringer and Deshaun Lee, along with defensive lineman Max Llewellyn and Jonah Pace.