Media poll picks Jack Campbell as preseason Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year

Iowa linebacker Jack Campbell (31) returns an interception for a touchdown in the fourth quarter of the Iowa’s win over Illinois at Kinnick Stadium in Iowa City on Saturday, Nov. 20, 2021. (Savannah Blake/The Gazette)

The annual Cleveland.com poll of Big Ten football beat writers picked Iowa linebacker Jack Campbell as the preseason favorite to win Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year.

Campbell, who is coming off a junior season with 143 tackles, received 20 of the 35 first-place votes.

Iowa cornerback Riley Moss was fourth in the voting. The reigning Big Ten Defensive Back of the Year had one first-place vote.

Iowa is projected to finish second in the Big Ten West behind Wisconsin. The Badgers received 31 of 36 first-place votes. The Hawkeyes had three first-place votes and one seventh-place vote.

Ohio State was the unanimous pick to win the Big Ten.

Iowa’s crossover opponents were picked to finish first (Ohio State), second (Michigan) and sixth (Rutgers) in the Big Ten East.

This is the 12th year Cleveland.com conducted a media poll. At least one beat writer from 13 of 14 Big Ten teams voted in the poll, including The Gazette’s John Steppe, along with some reporters who cover the whole conference.

Big Ten West

Wisconsin, 246 points (31 first-place votes)
Iowa, 198 (3)
Minnesota, 162 (2)
Purdue, 153
Nebraska 123
Illinois, 65
Northwestern 61

Big Ten East

Ohio State, 252 points (36 first-place votes)
Michigan, 203
Penn State, 169
Michigan State, 162
Maryland, 104
Rutgers, 60
Indiana 58

Preseason Offensive Player of the Year

C.J. Stroud, QB, Ohio State, 101 points (32 first-place votes)
Jaxon Smith-Njigba, WR, Ohio State, 42 (2)
Braelon Allen, RB, Wisconsin, 37
Blake Corum, RB, Michigan, 8
Aidan O’Connell, QB, Purdue, 7
TreVeyon Henderson, RB, Ohio State, 5
Taulia Tagovailoa, QB, Maryland, 4 (1)
Mohamed Ibrahim, RB, Minnesota, 3
(Three-way tie with 1 point) Rakim Jarrett, WR, Minnesota; Payton Thorne, QB, Michigan State; Jayden Reed, WR, Michigan State

Preseason Defensive Player of the Year

1. Jack Campbell, LB, Iowa, 74 points (20 first-place votes)

2. Nick Herbig, LB, Wisconsin, 55 (10)

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3. Zach Harrison, DE, Ohio State, 26 (4)

4. Riley Moss, CB, Iowa, 20 (1)

5. Joey Porter Jr., CB, Penn State, 8

6. Ji’Ayir Brown, S, Penn State, 7

7. (four-way tie with 3 points) Denzel Burke, CB, Ohio State; Tiawan Mullen, CB, Indiana; Garrett Nelson, LB, Nebraska; J.T. Tuimoloau, DE, Ohio State

11. (three-way tie with 2 points) Junior Colson, LB, Michigan; Ronnie Hickman, S, Ohio State; P.J. Mustipher, DT, Penn State

14. (two-way tie with 1 point) Xavier Henderson, S, Michigan State; Adam Korsak, P, Rutgers

Comments: (319) 398-8394; john.steppe@thegazette.com