The Big Ten unveiled it's All-Conferece defense honorees on Tuesday evening with six Nittany Lions earning recognition. Defensive end Yetur Gross-Matos was named to the first team by both the coaches and media, along with linebacker Micah Parsons.
Defensive end Shaka Toney earned second team honors from the league coaches. The coaches also named defensive tackle Robert Windsor and linebacker Cam Brown to the third team. Cornerback Tariq Castro-Fields was named to the media's third team.
Garrett Taylor, John Reid, Lamont Wade, and Jan Johnson all earned Honorable Mention recognition.
Congratulations to these Nittany Lions on receiving All-B1G defensive honors, as selected by #B1GFootball coaches & media!
— Penn State Football (@PennStateFball) December 3, 2019
: https://t.co/lEZZeA846J
#WeAre pic.twitter.com/EACRj3dF2Z
Gross-Matos, a potential first round pick in next year's NFL Draft, put together another impressive season. He led all Nittany Lions 14 tackles for loss, including 8.5 sacks. He was particularly impressive in Penn State's loss to Ohio State two sacks, and 3.5 TFLs, despite missing time in the second half due to injury.
Toney finished right behind Gross-Matos with 6.5 sacks and eight TFLs. He accounted for 39 total tackles, becoming a more complete player against both the run and pass. He was also credited with a blocked kick in the Michigan State win.
Windsor wrapped up his regular season career with another solid season, including 38 tackles, 2.5 sacks, and four TFLs.
Brown finished third on the team with 69 tackles, 5.5 TFLs, and two sacks. He also broke up four passes, recovered two fumbles, and forced one as well.
Castro-Fields tied for the team lead with two interceptions despite battling lingering injuries much of the season. He also broke up eight passes and added 48 total tackles.