PISCATAWAY, N.J. – Linebacker Olakunle Fatukasi, the nation's leading tackler, earned All-Big Ten First Team honors in a vote of the conference media, while taking Second Team in the coaches' poll. He becomes the first Scarlet Knight on the defensive side of the ball to earn All-Big Ten First Team accolades, and third overall joining wide receiver Leonte Carroo (2014, media) and punter Ryan Anderson (2017, coaches & media).
 
Defensive back Tre Avery was picked on the Third Team for both lists, making it the first time Rutgers football has had multiple defensive All-Big Ten selections. Defensive lineman Michael Dwumfour (coaches & media), defensive back Christian Izien (coaches & media), linebacker Tyshon Fogg (media), defensive lineman Julius Turner (coaches & media), defensive lineman Mike Tverdov (coaches & media), defensive back Brendon White (coaches) and defensive back Avery Young (media) were all honorable mention picks.
 
The Scarlet Knights have had 12 recognized in the All-Big Ten voting so far, with special teams to follow Thursday, the most for the program since joining the league. The previous high was eight honorees in 2017.
 
Rutgers opened the season holding Michigan State to 50 rushing yards, the least amount permitted in a game since joining the Big Ten. The Scarlet Knights secured seven takeaways in the win, the most by the team since 2000 and most by a Big Ten team since 2010. Overall, RU has forced a turnover in seven games with 15 overall. That has led to 38 points off turnovers.
 
In addition, Rutgers leads the league with 7.4 tackles-for-loss with a high of 13 in the recent victory at Maryland. That included seven sacks, the most by the team in a Big Ten game. The 18 sacks this year are double the amount totaled at the same point, eight Big Ten games, last season.
 
Rutgers Football Big Ten Honors
First Team (Media): LB Olakunle Fatukasi
Second Team (Coaches): LB Olakunle Fatukasi
Third Team (Coaches): DB Tre Avery
Third Team (Media): DB Tre Avery
Honorable Mention (Coaches): DL Michael Dwumfour, DB Christian Izien, WR Bo Melton, OL Reggie Sutton, DL Julius Turner, DL Mike Tverdov, DB Brendon White
Honorable Mention (Media): DL Michael Dwumfour, DB Christian Izien, LB Tyshon Fogg, WR Bo Melton, OL Raiqwon O'Neal, DL Julius Turner, DL Mike Tverdov, DB Avery Young


OLAKUNLE FATUKASI
One of 16 linebackers on the Butkus Award semifinalist list, Fatukasi is averaging 12.4 tackles per game to lead the nation. The 99 total stops are eighth in the country, with every player above having played at least nine games. The next highest total by a Big Ten player is 77. The 99 also signal the most by a Scarlet Knight through eight games since Brian Sheridan (112) in 1997, as 102 tackles are the program record in a Big Ten season (Trevor Morris, 2017). Fatukasi set a career high with 17 stops in the games versus Michigan and Penn State, recording double digits in 6-of-8 games. He also owns 11.0 tackles-for-loss, tied most by an RU player in a Big Ten campaign, with 2.5 each versus No. 17 Indiana and Michigan. The 1.4 per game sit second in the conference. Following the season opener at Michigan State, the linebacker earned Bednarik Award National Player of the Week and Big Ten Co-Defensive Player of the Week after posting 10 tackles, two fumble recoveries and a forced fumble.



TRE AVERY
Starting all eight games at cornerback, Avery leads the Scarlet Knights with eight passes defended (seven breakups, one interception). The Baltimore native opened the season at Michigan State with seven tackles, one for a loss, an interception and a pass breakup in the win. He matched his career high with seven stops versus Michigan, having recorded a pass breakup in 7-of-8 games. In the victory at Purdue, Avery was the primary defender of the Boilermakers' All-American Rondale Moore, helping hold PU to a to a season-low 237 passing yards after entering with an average of 320.8 per game.



MICHAEL DWUMFOUR
In his first season with the Scarlet Knights, Dwumfour has established a presence on the interior of the defensive line. The Scotch Plains, New Jersey, native has started all eight games at defensive tackle, registering 25 tackles. The includes a career-high six stops with 1.5 for loss in the win at Michigan State, matching the six tackles with an assisted sack versus Penn State.



CHRISTIAN IZIEN
Izien leads the secondary with 58 tackles, starting all eight games at safety. He recorded his first collegiate interception versus Penn State and added his second the week after at Maryland. The New York native matched his career high with 11 stops against the Nittany Lions, also reaching double digits versus Illinois. Izien posted two breakups against Michigan, adding a fumble recovery in the game, and owns four deflections overall in 2020.



TYSHON FOGG
Fogg earns honorable mention All-Big Ten for the second-straight season. The linebacker has totaled 58 tackles to increase his career total to 228, most on the active roster. The Maryland native posted 14 stops with two for a loss in the season-opening victory at Michigan State, adding 13 more stops versus Illinois. Fogg, who has played in seven games with six starts, produced a forced fumble at No. 3 Ohio State and broke up a pass versus Michigan.



JULIUS TURNER
Playing in all eight games with starts in each of the last seven at defensive tackle, Turner has recorded 30 tackles for seven for a loss as a force in the middle of the Rutgers defensive line. He posted three tackles-for-loss at No. 3 Ohio State, the most for an RU defensive lineman since 2011 at the time. From Mississippi, he registered seven stops versus Penn State and six against No. 17 Indiana. Turner is tied for the team lead with 45 games of experience with 30 starts, most on the defense.



MIKE TVERDOV
Tverdov most recently notched three sacks in the win at Maryland, becoming the fourth player in program history to reach the mark in a game and the first since 2008. He has eight tackles-for-loss overall on the season, including one for a five-yard loss that forced a three-and-out and proved to be the final offensive play of the game for Purdue. The Union, New Jersey, native set a career high with 10 tackles against Penn State and leads the defensive line with 34 stops on the season. He added a forced fumble versus Illinois and recovered a fumble at No. 3 Ohio State.



BRENDON WHITE
Rejoining head coach Greg Schiano, White has started five games at safety for the Scarlet Knights. The Ohio native recovered a fumble, collected an interception and registered five tackles in his Rutgers debut at Michigan State. He posted a career-high 15 tackles and forced a fumble versus Michigan, breaking up two passes in the victory at Purdue. White has 40 tackles overall in 2020.



AVERY YOUNG
Starting all eight games at cornerback, Young has collected 46 tackles, with three for loss, three pass breakups, two forced fumbles and a fumble recovery this season. He registered 10 stops with a pair of forced fumbles in the season-opening win at Michigan State and recovered one versus Penn State. On special teams, Young executed a lateral across the field at No. 3 Ohio State that led to a 58-yard punt return touchdown by Bo Melton. The Pennsylvania native paces the active roster with 19 career passes defended (18 breakups, one interception) in 32 games.
 
Rutgers is set for its ninth Big Ten game in nine weeks Friday against Nebraska. Kickoff is set for 7:30 p.m. on Big Ten Network.
 
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