Nov. 29, 2017
UNIVERSITY PARK, PA. -
Junior running back Saquon Barkley collects his second-straight first-team All-Big Ten award, while senior tight end Mike Gesicki garners first-team all-conference accolades from the media and second team honors from the coaches to lead the Penn State All-Big Ten contingent on offense.
Joining Barkley and Gesicki on the All-Big Ten offensive team are junior quarterback Trace McSorley (second team -- coaches & media), senior wide receiver DaeSean Hamilton (second team - coaches; third team - media), sophomore offensive lineman Ryan Bates (third team - coaches & media) and sophomore wide receiver Juwan Johnson (honorable mention - coaches & media).
Saquon Barkley, RB, Jr./Jr., 5-11, 230, Coplay, Pa./Whitehall
- First-team all-conference running back.
- Second-straight first-team All-Big Ten selection by the coaches and media.
- Marks the third all-conference honor of his career after first team bid in 2016 and second team berth in 2015.
- Is just the second running back in Penn State history to earn back-to-back first team honors, joining Curtis Enis (1996 & 1997).
- First-team All-Big Ten return specialist.
- Is the first Penn State player to be named all-conference return specialist (added in 2015).
- Selected as a finalist for the Paul Hornung Award, Maxwell Award and Doak Walker Award.
- Named a semifinalist for the Walter Camp Player of the Year Award.
- Is 1-of-5 student-athlete in the FBS with four all-purpose plays of 80 yards or longer in 2017.
- Ranks No. 2 in the FBS and leads the Big Ten in all-purpose yards (179.50).
- Is the 24th FBS player to produce 1,000 rushing yards and 500 receiving yards in a season since 2000.
- Sits tied for No. 5 nationally and leads the Big Ten lead in total touchdowns (21).
- Is tied for No. 7 nationally and leads the Big Ten in scoring per game (10.5).
- Ranks No. 10 in the FBS and leads the Big Ten in rushing touchdowns (16).
- Owns nine games with 200-plus all-purpose yards in his career (four in 2016, five in 2017).
- His six Player of the Week honors in 2017 (four offensive, two special teams) are the most in a single season in Big Ten history.
- Ranks No. 2 on the single season all-purpose yards list with 2,154 yards in 2017, just the second player in program history to eclipse the 2,000 all-purpose yard mark (Larry Johnson, 2,655; 2002).
- Set the single game all-purpose yards mark with 358 at Iowa (9/23/17), accounting for 211 yards rushing, 94 yards receiving and 53 yards on kickoff return, topping Curt Warner's previous mark of 341 vs. Syracuse in 1981.
- Earned Midseason All-America honors from The All-American, Associated Press, CBSSports.com, ESPN.com, Sporting News, Sports Illustrated (RB & all-purpose)and USA Today.
- Named Big Ten Co-Offensive Player of the Week (Barrett, OSU) on Sept. 4 after rushing for 174 yards and totaling 246 all-purpose yards vs. Akron.
- Earned Big Ten Rose Bowl Player of the Week on Sept. 5 after his effort vs. Akron in the season opener.
- Selected to the Paul Hornung Award Honor Roll on Sept. 11 after posting 183-all purpose yards and two touchdowns vs. Pittsburgh.
- Named Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week on Sept. 25 after breaking the school record for all-purpose yards (358) vs. Iowa.
- Graded out as the top offensive player in the FBS during week four by Pro Football Focus to earn a spot on the National Team of the Week.
- The effort vs. Iowa also earned him Rose Bowl Big Ten Player of the Week and Maxwell Award Player of the Week, along with a spot on the Hornung Award Honor Roll and Pro Football Focus Big Ten Team of the Week.
- Garnered Big Ten Offensive Player of the Week, along with earning a spot on the Hornung Award Honor Roll, on Oct. 23 after piling up 176 all-purpose yards vs. Michigan.
- Garnered Big Ten Player of the Week and a spot on the Pro Football Focus Big Ten Team of the Week after logging 224 all-purpose yards vs. Nebraska (11/18).
- Scored a touchdown in 15-straight games from Oct. 29, 2016-Oct. 28, 2017, which set the Penn State school record, passing Curtis Enis' 14-game streak from 1996-97.
- Had a streak of nine-straight games with a rushing touchdown snapped vs. Georgia State, which was the longest streak by a Penn Stater since Larry Johnson had 11 in a row in 2002.
Mike Gesicki, TE/H, Sr./Sr., 6-6, 250, Manahawkin, N.J./Southern Regional
- First-team all-conference selection by the media and second-team All-Big Ten choice by the coaches.
- Earns second All-Big Ten honor of his career after an appearance on the second team (coaches & media) last season.
- Is the first Nittany Lion tight end to earn All-Big Ten first team accolades since Kyle Carter in 2012.
- Selected as one of three finalists for the Mackey Award.
- Ranks third among FBS tight ends in touchdown receptions (9).
- Ranks sixth among FBS tight ends in yards (501).
- Ranks second among FBS tight ends in receptions (51).
- Has at least one reception in 25-straight games.
- Of his 46 catches this season, 26 of them have gone for a first down or a touchdown.
- Ranks tied No. 19 nationally and No. 3 in the Big Ten in receiving touchdowns (9).
- Is tied for No 89 nationally and No. 6 in the Big Ten in receptions per game (4.3).
- Set the Penn State career receptions record for tight ends with his final catch vs. Pittsburgh, eclipsing Andrew Quarless' 87 grabs from 2006-09.
- Surpassed Ted Kwalick's 1,343 yards from 1966-68 for the most receiving yards by a tight end vs. Nebraska and has 1,419 yards in his career.
- Is No. 10 on the career receptions charts with 123 grabs.
- Sits No. 18 on Penn State's career receiving yards chart with 1,419 yards.
- Became the 29th Penn State pass catcher to eclipse 1,000 receiving yards vs. Pittsburgh.
- Owns 13 career touchdown receptions, moving past Jesse James (11; 2012-14) for the school record for a tight end.
- Joins teammates Saquon Barkley and DaeSean Hamilton as the second RB/WR/TE trio to eclipse 1,000 career receiving yards in Big Ten history (Purdue, 1982-85: WR Steve Griffin, 2,234 yards; RB Rodney Carter, 1,814 yards; TE Marty Scott, 1,247 yards).
- Owns the Penn State single season record for touchdown catches for a tight end with seven in 2017.
- Owns the single-season record for receptions by a tight end with 48 in 2016, passing Andrew Quarless (41; 2009), and yardage by a tight end at 679 in 2016, besting Mickey Shuler's single-season record of 600 receiving yards (1977).
- Earned Midseason All-America honors from Sports Illustrated.
- Earned Pro Football Focus Big Ten Team of the Week honors on Sept. 12 after catching two touchdown passes vs. Pittsburgh.
- Selected to the Pro Football Focus Big Ten Team of the Week following his two-touchdown effort vs. Nebraska.
- Caught a touchdown pass in five-straight games from Nov. 26, 2016-Sept. 9, 2017, including multiple touchdown grabs in the first two games of 2017.
Trace McSorley, QB, Sr./Jr., 6-0, 195, Ashburn, Va./Briar Woods
- All-Big Ten second team selection by the coaches and media.
- Earns second-straight all-conference second team honor.
- Is the first Penn State quarterback to earn All-Big Ten first or second team honors in consecutive seasons since Daryll Clark (first team in 2008 and 2009).
- Has a streak of 27-straight games with a touchdown pass, which is a Penn State record and the second-longest active streak in the FBS (Baker Mayfield, Oklahoma).
- Sits No. 12 nationally and No. 2 the Big Ten in points responsible for per game (18.5).
- Is No. 14 in the FBS and leads the Big Ten in total offense (304.9 ypg).
- Ranks No. 18 nationally and No. 3 in the Big Ten in passing efficiency (153.6).
- Sits No. 15 nationally and No. 2 in the Big Ten in passing touchdowns (26).
- Ranks No. 15 nationally and No. 3 in the Big Ten in completion percentage (65.3).
- Is No. 21 nationally and leads the Big Ten in passing yards per game (269.0).
- Is the only quarterback in Penn State history with 50-plus touchdown passes, topping the all-time ledger with 55 scoring tosses, besting Christian Hackenberg's (2013-15) previous mark of 48.
- His 72 touchdowns responsible for are the most in Penn State history, passing Daryll Clark's (65; 2006-09) career total.
- One of three Penn State passers to eclipse the 7,000-yard mark for a career.
- Owns 16 career games with both a rushing and passing touchdown (seven in 2016, nine in 2017).
- Has 18 career games with multiple passing touchdowns (one in 2015, eight in 2016, nine in 2017).
- Broke the Penn State's touchdowns responsible for list with 37, topping his own mark of 36 touchdowns from 2016.
- His 26 passing touchdowns are tied for No. 2 in Penn State season history, behind his 29 scoring tosses in 2016.
- Sits No. 2 on Penn State's single season total offense list at 3,659 yards, behind only his 3,979 from 2016.
- Is the first player in program history with two 3,000-yard seasons and ranks No. 3 in single season passing yardage with a junior-record 3,228 yards.
- Teamed with Saquon Barkley (14) as the third set of Penn Staters with 10-plus rushing touchdowns in a single season, joining Royster (12) and Daryll Clark (10) in 2008 and Charlie Pittman (10) and Mitchell (10) in 1969.
- Became the first Penn State quarterback with three rushing touchdowns in a game since at least 1967 vs. Michigan (10/21/17).
- Completed 15-straight pass attempts at Northwestern to break the Penn State record for consecutive completions, which was 14-straight completions by Kerry Collins at Minnesota in 1994.
- Set the school record for passing yards in a first half with 258 yards vs. Georgia.
- Named as one of five finalists for the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award.
- Earned the Walter Camp National Offensive Player of the Week, Davey O'Brien National Quarterback of the Week and the Manning Award's National Quarterback of the Week on Oct. 23 after accounting for four touchdowns - including three rushing scores - vs. Michigan.
- Selected Big Ten Rose Bowl Player of the Week and a spot on the Pro Football Focus Big Ten Team of the Week on Oct. 23 after his effort vs. Michigan.
DaeSean Hamilton, WR, Gr./Sr., 6-1, 206, Fredericksburg, Va./Mountain View
- Second-team All-Big Ten selection by the coaches and third-team all-conference by the media.
- Earns third all-conference honor of his career after an appearance on the second team (media in 2014) and honorable mention squad (media in 2015; coaches in 2014).
- Is the first Nittany Lion wide receiver to earn first or second team All-Big Ten honors since Chris Godwin (second team) in 2015.
- Ranks No. 10 among active FBS pass catchers with 209 career receptions, which leads active B1G receivers.
- Sits No. 10 in receiving yards (2,732) among active FBS pass catchers, which is tops among Big Ten pass catchers.
- Is No. 25 in receiving yards per game (52.5) among active FBS receivers.
- Is Penn State's all-time leader in receptions (209), passing Deon Butler's former mark of 179 against Indiana (9/30/17).
- Ranks No. 3 on Penn State's all-time receiving yardage list (2,732).
- Is the ninth player in Penn State history to eclipse the 2,000-yard receiving mark.
- Has 20 career games with five-plus receptions (nine in 2014, five in 2015, two in 2016, four in 2017).
- Tied for No. 4 all-time at Penn State with eight 100-yard receiving games (four in 2014, one in 2016, three in 2017).
- Ranks tied for No. 7 on Penn State's career receiving touchdowns charts with 16 scoring grabs.
- Joins teammates Saquon Barkley and Mike Gesicki as the second RB/WR/TE trio to eclipse 1,000 career receiving yards in Big Ten history (Purdue, 1982-85: WR Steve Griffin, 2,234 yards; RB Rodney Carter, 1,814 yards; TE Marty Scott, 1,247 yards).
- Earned a spot on the Pro Football Focus Big Ten Team of the Week on Oct. 24 after his showing vs. Michigan.
- Named Co-Big Ten Player of the Week (Davis III, MSU) on Oct. 2 after his 9-catch, 122-yard, 3-touchdown performance vs. Indiana.
- Earned Pro Football Focus National Team of the Week and Big Ten Team of the Week following his effort vs. Indiana (9/30), earning the highest position grade of any B1G offensive student-athlete that week.
- Ranks tied for No. 49 in the FBS and No. 8 in the Big Ten in receiving touchdowns (7).
- Ranks No. 80 in the FBS and No. 7 in the Big Ten in yards per reception (15.56).
- Is No. 75 nationally and No. 6 in the Big Ten in receiving yards per game (62.3).
Ryan Bates, OL, Jr./So., 6-4, 312, Warrington, Pa./Archbishop Wood
- Third-team All-Big Ten selection by the coaches and media.
- Is the first Penn State offensive lineman to earn first, second or third team All-Big Ten honors since John Urschel (first team) in 2013.
- Has protected a 3,000-yard passer and 1,000-yard rusher from the left tackle spot.
- Started eight games and appeared in nine contests.
- Helped the Penn State offense rank in the top 7 in scoring offense (41.6; 7th in FBS & 2nd in B1G), total offense (453.3; 4th in FBS & 1st in B1G) and turnovers lost (10; 5th in FBS & 1st in B1G).
- Leads an offensive line that has protected for the No. 24 passing offense in FBS (285.8; 1st in B1G).
Juwan Johnson, WR, Jr./So., 6-4, 226, Glassboro, N.J./Glassboro
- Honorable-mention All-Big Ten choice by coaches and media.
- Has a reception in all 12 games this season.
- Earned a spot on the Pro Football Focus Big Ten Team of the Week following his game-winning touchdown catch at Iowa (9/30).
- Named to the Pro Football Focus Big Ten Team of the Week following his first career 100-yard receiving game vs. Nebraska.
- Made his first career touchdown catch as time expired at Iowa to give Penn State a walk-off win in regulation for the first time since 1929 vs. Lafayette (per Lou Prato's Penn State Football Encyclopedia).
- Posted a career-high seven receptions for 92 yards at Iowa.
- Caught four passes for 63 yards against Indiana.
- Totaled 43 yards on a game-high-tying six grabs at Northwestern.
- Made a game-high five catches for 78 yards against Rutgers.
- Caught five passes for a career-high 105 yards, which was his first-career 100-yard game, against Nebraska.
- Pulled in six receptions for a team-high 63 yards at Maryland.
The Nittany Lions' bowl destination will be announced Sunday, Dec. 3. Fans can visit GoPSUsports.com/bowlcentral to submit a request for tickets for the bowl. The ability to request tickets does not guarantee a Nittany Lion Club member will receive tickets from Penn State's allotment.
Penn State season ticket renewals and Nittany Lion Club membership renewals also are underway for the 2018 campaign. The ticket invoice and Nittany Lion Club renewal deadline is Feb. 1, 2018. For information on joining the Nittany Lion Club and purchasing new 2018 season tickets, as well as club seating in Beaver Stadium, fans can visit www.PSUnrivaled.com, call 1-800-NITTANY weekdays from 8 a.m.-5 p.m. or visit the Bryce Jordan Center ticket office weekdays from 10 a.m-6 p.m.
Nearly 1,600 new season tickets have already been sold for the 2018 campaign.