Northwestern University Athletics
Six Wildcats Earn All-Big Ten Defense/Special Teams Honors
11/28/2023 12:00:00 PM | Football
EVANSTON, Ill. – Five Northwestern defensive players received All-Big Ten selections, while kicker Jack Olsen earned All-Big Ten special teams recognition, the conference announced on Tuesday.
Linebackers Bryce Gallagher and Xander Mueller headlined the awards haul for the defense, with Gallagher being named a consensus Second Team selection while Mueller earned Third Team accolades from the media. Additionally, Rod Heard II, Aidan Hubbard and Coco Azema all received Honorable Mention recognition. On special teams, Jack Olsen earned consensus All-Big Ten honorable mention honors.
This marks the second-consecutive year in which Gallagher received All-Big Ten recognition, after previously taking home Third Team honors in 2022. Gallagher finished as the Wildcats leading tackler for a second-straight season with 110 total tackles (43 solo), the third-highest mark in the Big Ten. He is the first Wildcat to finish with 100+ tackles in back-to-back seasons since Paddy Fisher did so in 2017-18. His 210 tackles over the last two seasons rank second-most among any Big Ten player behind Cal Haladay (Michigan State).
Mueller led the Wildcats defense with 10.5 total tackles for loss (seventh in the Big Ten) along with 52 solo tackles. He also ranked second on the team with 102 total tackles and 5.0 sacks, making him one of just nine players in the country to finish the regular season with 100+ tackles and at least 5.0 sacks. Mueller is the first Northwestern player to finish with 100+ tackles for loss and 10.0+ TFL's in a season since Anthony Walker did so in back-to-back years from 2015-16. Mueller also led the team with three interceptions on the year (tied for eighth in the Big Ten), including crucial takeaways in the final minutes of the Wildcats' last two regular season wins over Purdue and Illinois. Since 2000, he is the first Wildcat to post 100+ tackles, 5.0+ sacks and 3+ interceptions in the same season, and just the third player in the Big Ten during that span.
Heard takes home consensus All-Big Ten honorable mention honors for the first time in his career after finishing second on the team with 50 solo tackles and third on the team with 73 total tackles. Heard recorded five or more tackles in six games, including each of the last three games. Serving as the Wildcats' primary nickel cornerback, Heard finished with four pass breakups, two forced fumbles and an interception. Per Pro Football Focus, Heard's 83.1 coverage grade led the team and ranked 10th among all qualifying Big Ten players (50% of snaps).
Bursting onto the scene in his second season on the field with Northwestern, Hubbard led the team with 6.0 sacks on his way to his first-career All-Big Ten selection. Hubbard recorded 5.0 sacks over the Wildcats' last five games of the season, joining Jer'Zhan Newton (Illinois; 5.0) and Nic Scourton (Purdue; 5.5) as the only Big Ten players to record 5.0+ sacks over the final five games of the season. Hubbard's breakout performance came in the Wildcats' 33-27 win over Maryland on October 28, posting five tackles, 3.0 sacks and 3.0 tackles for loss en route to earning Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week honors. He proceeded to record a sack in the Wildcats' next two games against Iowa and Wisconsin.
Azema earns his first-ever All-Big Ten recognition to round out an impressive haul for the Wildcats' defense. The captain finished with 47 total tackles (28 solo) and contributed as a leader in nearly every facet of the Northwestern defensive unit which saw its scoring defense improve by a 4.5 point margin from 2022 to 2023 (23.8 ppg) and its total defense allow over 23 yards fewer per game (351.6). Azema recorded the game-sealing interception in Northwestern's win over Maryland, and contributed to the special teams unit throughout the season with seven kickoff returns for an average of 25.6 yards.
Olsen becomes the first Wildcat kicker to take home All-Big Ten honors since Charlie Kuhbander did so in 2020. Olsen finished a perfect 31-for-31 on extra point attempts this season and converted on 14-of-17 field goals this season. His 82.4 field goal percentage ranks fifth in the Big Ten and 36th in the nation.
As a team, Northwestern finished the regular season on a three-game winning streak en route to a 7-5 record and a 5-4 mark in Big Ten play. The Wildcats' six-win improvement from 2022 to 2023 is the largest win improvement by any FBS team this season.
Linebackers Bryce Gallagher and Xander Mueller headlined the awards haul for the defense, with Gallagher being named a consensus Second Team selection while Mueller earned Third Team accolades from the media. Additionally, Rod Heard II, Aidan Hubbard and Coco Azema all received Honorable Mention recognition. On special teams, Jack Olsen earned consensus All-Big Ten honorable mention honors.
This marks the second-consecutive year in which Gallagher received All-Big Ten recognition, after previously taking home Third Team honors in 2022. Gallagher finished as the Wildcats leading tackler for a second-straight season with 110 total tackles (43 solo), the third-highest mark in the Big Ten. He is the first Wildcat to finish with 100+ tackles in back-to-back seasons since Paddy Fisher did so in 2017-18. His 210 tackles over the last two seasons rank second-most among any Big Ten player behind Cal Haladay (Michigan State).
Mueller led the Wildcats defense with 10.5 total tackles for loss (seventh in the Big Ten) along with 52 solo tackles. He also ranked second on the team with 102 total tackles and 5.0 sacks, making him one of just nine players in the country to finish the regular season with 100+ tackles and at least 5.0 sacks. Mueller is the first Northwestern player to finish with 100+ tackles for loss and 10.0+ TFL's in a season since Anthony Walker did so in back-to-back years from 2015-16. Mueller also led the team with three interceptions on the year (tied for eighth in the Big Ten), including crucial takeaways in the final minutes of the Wildcats' last two regular season wins over Purdue and Illinois. Since 2000, he is the first Wildcat to post 100+ tackles, 5.0+ sacks and 3+ interceptions in the same season, and just the third player in the Big Ten during that span.
Heard takes home consensus All-Big Ten honorable mention honors for the first time in his career after finishing second on the team with 50 solo tackles and third on the team with 73 total tackles. Heard recorded five or more tackles in six games, including each of the last three games. Serving as the Wildcats' primary nickel cornerback, Heard finished with four pass breakups, two forced fumbles and an interception. Per Pro Football Focus, Heard's 83.1 coverage grade led the team and ranked 10th among all qualifying Big Ten players (50% of snaps).
Bursting onto the scene in his second season on the field with Northwestern, Hubbard led the team with 6.0 sacks on his way to his first-career All-Big Ten selection. Hubbard recorded 5.0 sacks over the Wildcats' last five games of the season, joining Jer'Zhan Newton (Illinois; 5.0) and Nic Scourton (Purdue; 5.5) as the only Big Ten players to record 5.0+ sacks over the final five games of the season. Hubbard's breakout performance came in the Wildcats' 33-27 win over Maryland on October 28, posting five tackles, 3.0 sacks and 3.0 tackles for loss en route to earning Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week honors. He proceeded to record a sack in the Wildcats' next two games against Iowa and Wisconsin.
Azema earns his first-ever All-Big Ten recognition to round out an impressive haul for the Wildcats' defense. The captain finished with 47 total tackles (28 solo) and contributed as a leader in nearly every facet of the Northwestern defensive unit which saw its scoring defense improve by a 4.5 point margin from 2022 to 2023 (23.8 ppg) and its total defense allow over 23 yards fewer per game (351.6). Azema recorded the game-sealing interception in Northwestern's win over Maryland, and contributed to the special teams unit throughout the season with seven kickoff returns for an average of 25.6 yards.
Olsen becomes the first Wildcat kicker to take home All-Big Ten honors since Charlie Kuhbander did so in 2020. Olsen finished a perfect 31-for-31 on extra point attempts this season and converted on 14-of-17 field goals this season. His 82.4 field goal percentage ranks fifth in the Big Ten and 36th in the nation.
As a team, Northwestern finished the regular season on a three-game winning streak en route to a 7-5 record and a 5-4 mark in Big Ten play. The Wildcats' six-win improvement from 2022 to 2023 is the largest win improvement by any FBS team this season.
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