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The Big Ten Conference recently unveiled its 2025 football preseason honors, with a 16-member list selected by a media panel. Seven schools placed players on the list, led by three honorees each from Ohio State and Penn State.
By Earl Heath | Contributing Sports Writer
The Big Ten Conference recently unveiled its 2025 football preseason honors, with a 16-member list selected by a media panel. Seven schools placed players on the list, led by three honorees each from Ohio State and Penn State.
Eight of this year’s honorees — Illinois’ Luke Altmyer, Iowa’s Logan Jones, Minnesota’s Koi Perich, Oregon’s Matayo Uiagalelei, Ohio State’s Caleb Downs, Jeremiah Smith and Sonny Styles, and Penn State’s Drew Allar — attended Big Ten Media Day in Indianapolis.
Allar’s growth on display
Penn State quarterback Drew Allar is already being touted as one of the league’s biggest stars.
“Drew has made tremendous growth every single year, all the way back to recruiting,” Penn State head coach James Franklin said. “He’s now 6-foot-5, 235 pounds, can make every throw on the field, and has shown he can hurt people with his feet. He’s made tremendous strides as a leader.”
Allar sat behind an NFL-caliber quarterback as a freshman, learned the system, and then took control of the offense. Now entering his third year as starter, he is the face of a program with championship-level expectations.
Uiagalelei embracing leadership
Oregon linebacker Matayo Uiagalelei, a former St. John Bosco standout, also made the list after leading the Ducks with 10 sacks last season.
“I wouldn’t consider myself a vocal leader, but I’ve definitely been trying to push myself out of my comfort zone for the betterment of the team,” Uiagalelei said at Media Day. “If I’m one of the four guys returning, I definitely have a responsibility to speak up and be a leader for our guys.”
Complete list of 2025 Big Ten preseason honorees
Illinois: QB Luke Altmyer, OLB Gabe Jacas
Indiana: DL Mikail Kamara, DB D’Angelo Ponds
Iowa: OT Gennings Dunker, C Logan Jones
Minnesota: DB Koi Perich
Oregon: OLB Matayo Uiagalelei, DB Dillon Thieneman
Ohio State: S Caleb Downs (UNANIMOUS), WR Jeremiah Smith (UNANIMOUS), LB Sonny Styles
Penn State: QB Drew Allar (UNANIMOUS), DE Dani Dennis-Sutton, RB Nicholas Singleton
(Unanimous selections in all caps. Additional honorees named due to ties.)