Ohio State defensive end Tyquan Lewis was named the Big Ten’s Smith-Brown Defensive Lineman of the Year this afternoon.
Lewis, a fourth-year junior, leads the Buckeyes in tackles for loss with 10 and sacks with 7½. He also has drawn praise from defensive line coach Larry Johnson for his play against the run. The North Carolina native also developed into a leader of a young unit that lost Tracy Sprinkle in the season opener.
Last year, Lewis had 16½ tackles for loss, including 8 ½ sacks, when defenses geared their blocking to stopping Joey Bosa on the opposite side of the defensive line.