Penn State football’s Yetur Gross-Matos and Amani Oruwariye each earned All-Big Ten accolades for their performances throughout the 2018 season.

Gross-Matos was selected to the conference’s first team by the media and the third team by the Big Ten’s coaches after growing into one of the Nittany Lions’ most important defensive linemen. The sophomore racked up 54 tackles — 20 of which were for a loss of yardage — and a team-leading eight sacks this season.

The Spotsylvania, VA native established himself as one of the conference’s best defensive ends after taking over the starting role alongside Shareef Miller in training camp. Shane Simmons picked up an injury during camp, so Gross-Matos stepped in and never let relinquished his starting role. He’ll be back in Happy Valley next season poised to prove himself as one of the best defensive ends in all of college football.

Meanwhile, Amani Oruwariye earned first team honors from both the media and coaches in the conference after another excellent season. He intercepted three passes, broke up 12 others, and finished the season with 48 tackles. He was part of a secondary that allowed 186.5 yards through the air per game, a number that ranked No. 2 in the Big Ten behind Michigan.

Oruwariye intercepted passes in the Nittany Lions’ first two games of the season — his first pick clinched a 45-38 overtime victory over Appalachian State during the season opener at Beaver Stadium. The senior is projected to be a first-round selection in next spring’s NFL Draft by CBS Sports. He could become the second Nittany Lion in as many seasons to be selected in the first round after the Giants used the second overall pick to draft Saquon Barkley in April.

In addition to Gross-Matos and Oruwariye’s honors, Shareef Miller was voted to the third team by the media and coaches, while Robert Windsor, John Reid, Nick Scott, and KJ Hamler all earned all-conference honorable mentions. Hamler was selected as an honorable mention for his returning duties throughout the season, while Miller, Windsor, Reid, and Scott were all honored for their roles on Penn State’s defense.