In an award seemingly reserved for edge defenders, Northwestern’s own Brandon Joseph poses a unique threat as a Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year candidate. Bursting onto the scene in 2020 as a redshirt freshman that ended up with All-American honors, the Wildcats’ safety put himself in a perfect position for a 2021 DPOY run.

To win the award, however, Joseph will have to beat out numerous impressive opponents all across the Midwest and the East Coast (yes you, Rutgers). Let’s look at five of the top players up for the Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year award and how Brandon Joseph stacks up to the competition:

Micah McFadden, LB, Indiana

Micah McFadden can largely be credited with helping the Indiana defense become one of the strongest in the Big Ten.