STATE COLLEGE — Gateway graduate Jaquan Brisker and two other Penn State standouts picked up marquee honors from the Big Ten on Tuesday.

Brisker, a safety, and Arnold Ebiketie, a defensive end, were named to the All-Big Ten first-team defense by both the conference’s coaches and media. Jordan Stout was named the Big Ten Eddleman-Fields Punter of the Year.

Brisker, a team captain, returned to Penn State instead of entering the NFL draft at the end of the 2020 season, and he proved to be one of the Nittany Lions’ most consistent defenders and top leaders during the season.

Brisker had 64 tackles (38 solo), six tackles for loss, two interceptions, five pass breakups, one quarterback hit and one fumble recovery during the 2021 season. He helped seal the season-opening win at Wisconsin with a late interception, and he seemed to be around the ball at crucial points over the course of the season.

Ebiketie made an instant impact for the Penn State defense this season after he transferred in from Temple. Though Ebiketie was an All-AAC performer for the Owls, there were some questions about how he would handle the step up in competition. He answered all of those questions and then some.

Ebiketie led Penn State with 9.5 sacks and 18 tackles for loss in 2021. He also had a team-high seven quarterback hits and blocked two field goals. In Big Ten play, Ebiketie’s 8.5 sacks tied for second in the conference and his 15.5 tackles for loss ranked first. Overall, Ebiketie tied for No. 17 nationally in sacks and ranked No. 6 in tackles for loss.

Stout earned Big Ten Special Teams Player of the Week honors four times during the 2021 season. Stout ranked second in the Big Ten by averaging 46.5 yards per punt this season, and his 25 punts of 50-plus yards tied for the most in the conference. Stout also tied for second in the Big Ten with 34 punts downed inside the opponent’s 20-yard line.

Stout is the first Nittany Lion to win the Big Ten Eddleman-Fields Punter of the Year award. Stout is one of three finalists for the Ray Guy Award, which is presented annually to the nation’s best punter.

Penn State defensive tackle PJ Mustipher made the All-Big Ten second-team defense, as voted on by the coaches, despite suffering a season-ending injury at Iowa in the sixth game of the season. Mustipher had 21 tackles (16 solo), three tackles for loss and one sack this season. The senior hasn’t made a decision on whether he’ll enter the NFL draft or return to Penn State for a fifth season. Mustipher was an All-Big Ten honorable mention selection as voted on by media.

Linebacker Ellis Brooks also made the second-team defense in the coaches’ vote. He led the Nittany Lions with 100 tackles (53 solo) and also added 3.5 tackles for loss, one sack and one pass breakup. The redshirt senior had at least 10 tackles on four different occasions this season, including a career-high 16 against Michigan.

Linebacker Brandon Smith was named third-team defense as voted on by the coaches. Smith, a former five-star recruit, had 81 tackles (45 solo), nine tackles for loss, two sacks, five pass breakups, three quarterback hits and one forced fumble. Smith, a junior, is another draft-eligible prospect who faces an interesting decision this offseason.

Safety Ji’Ayir Brown made the third-team defense as voted on by the coaches. Brown had 67 tackles (team-high 56 solo), one tackle for loss, a team-high four interceptions, five pass breakups, two fumble recoveries and one forced fumble. Brown, a senior, also hasn’t made a decision on if he’ll return to Penn State for an extra season of eligibility.

Cornerback Joey Porter Jr. joined Brown on the third-team defense as voted on by the coaches. Porter, a redshirt sophomore, had 49 tackles, one interception, four pass breakups and one forced fumble. Porter was voted All-Big Ten honorable mention by the media.

Defensive end/linebacker Jesse Luketa was voted third-team defense by the conference media. Luketa, who added defensive end responsibilities for his senior season, recorded 52 tackles (30 solo), 7.5 tackles for loss, 0.5 sacks, one interception and five quarterback hits.

Cornerback Tariq Castro-Fields was voted honorable mention by both the coaches and the media. In his fifth season, Castro-Fields had 32 tackles (25 solo) and six pass breakups.

Linebacker Curtis Jacobs was voted honorable mention by the conference media. Jacobs, a sophomore, had 51 tackles (31 solo), six tackles for loss, two sacks, one interception and one quarterback hit this season.

The All-Big Ten offense will be announced Wednesday.

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