Jordan Stout named Big Ten Punter of the Year; 12 Nittany Lions made All-B1G defense/specialists teams
Penn State punter Jordan Stout spent most of the season backing opposing offenses up to the goal line, and now he’s been honored for his efforts.
Stout was named the Big Ten Punter of the Year Tuesday afternoon when the conference announced its awards on the defensive side of the ball.
The redshirt senior — who was also named the All-Big Ten first team punter alongside Rutgers punter Adam Korsak — punted the ball 62 times with an average of 46.5 yards per attempt this season, good for second in the Big Ten. He finished tied for second in the conference with 34 punts downed inside the 20-yard line and tied for first with 25 punts of 50+ yards.
Stout wasn’t the only Nittany Lion honored Tuesday, however.
Ten players coached by former defensive coordinator Brent Pry — who was named Virginia Tech’s head coach Tuesday afternoon — were also honored, while one more special teamer was honored.
Redshirt senior defensive end Arnold Ebiketie and senior safety Jaquan Brisker were both named All-Big Ten first teamers at their positions, while senior defensive tackle PJ Mustipher and redshirt senior linebacker Ellis Brooks were named All-Big Ten second teamers by the coaches and honorable mention by the media.
Brisker and Ebiketie selected by both the coaches and the media.
Senior safety Ji’Ayir Brown, junior linebacker Brandon Smith, redshirt sophomore cornerback Joey Porter Jr. and senior punt returner Jahan Dotson were selected by the coaches to the All-Big Ten third team and honorable mention by the media. Senior Jesse Luketa, who has played defensive end and linebacker, was selected as a defensive lineman to the third team by the media and was named an honorable mention by the coaches.
Senior cornerback Tariq Castro-Fields was named an honorable mention by both the coaches and media while sophomore linebacker Curtis Jacobs was named an honorable mention by the media.
Ebiketie earned the honor in his lone season as a Nittany Lion. The defensive end spent the first four years of his career at Temple before transferring to Penn State following the 2020 season. The decision paid off in a big way for both parties, with Ebiketie setting career highs in total tackles (62), sacks (9.5) and tackles for loss (18). His sack and tackle for loss totals led the Penn State defense.
Brisker was named to the team in his third season at Penn State after spending two seasons at Lackawanna Community College. He chose to return for the 2021 season using an extra year of eligibility the NCAA made available to all athletes who participated in the 2020 season. Brisker was one of the leaders of the defense and set career highs in tackles (63), passes defended (5) and tied a career high in interceptions (2).
Mustipher made the second team despite suffering a season-ending injury Oct. 9 against the Iowa Hawkeyes in Penn State’s sixth game of the season. He tallied 21 tackles, three tackles for loss and a sack in his limited action.
Brooks took a step forward at linebacker for the Nittany Lions, setting a career high with 100 tackles and leading the team.
Brown led the team with four interceptions this season and finished with five passes defended, while Porter added an interception of his own and four passes defended.
