The Walter Camp Player of the Year award preseason watch list has only 40 names on it, just eight hailing from Big Ten teams.
Two are Northwestern Wildcats.
Linebacker Anthony Walker Jr. and running back Justin Jackson both landed on the list, which was released Friday. The Walter Camp Player of the Year award annually honors the nation's top collegiate player.
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Walker put up some of the best numbers of any linebacker in the country last season, leading the Cats with 122 tackles and leading the Big Ten with 20.5 tackles for loss, the latter number the fourth-best mark in college football. Jackson, meanwhile, built on an impressive freshman season by rushing for 1,418 yards as a sophomore, a total ranking second in the Big Ten behind only Ohio State star and top-five NFL Draft pick Ezekiel Elliott. Jackson is the conference's leading returning rusher and was the only Big Ten running back on the list.
Walker earned All-Big Ten First Team honors last season, and Jackson earned All-Big Ten Second Team honors.
Three other Big Ten teams each landed a pair of players on the Walter Camp list.
Ohio State boasts quarterback J.T. Barrett and linebacker Raekwon McMillan. McMillan ranked fourth in the conference in tackles and earned All-Big Ten First Team honors. Barrett scored 20 total touchdowns over the Buckeyes' final eight games after finishing in the top five in Heisman Trophy voting in 2014.
Big Ten
Michigan sent its dynamic defensive-back duo of Jourdan Lewis and Jabrill Peppers. Last season the two combined for 97 tackles, nine tackles for loss, two interceptions, one sack, 601 kick-return yards, 194 punt-return yards and a touchdown. Both players earned All-Big Ten First Team honors, and Peppers was named the conference's Freshman of the Year.
Iowa's representatives were quarterback C.J. Beathard and defensive back Desmond King. King is the reigning Big Ten Defensive Back of the Year and an All-Big Ten First Team honoree after he led the Big Ten and ranked second in the country with eight interceptions. He also ranked third in the league and fifth nationally with 21 passes defended. Beathard was an All-Big Ten Second Team pick after throwing for 2,809 yards and leading the Hawkeyes to an undefeated regular season.
The last winner of the Walter Camp Player of the Year award from a Big Ten school was Ohio State quarterback Troy Smith in 2006. Other winners from current Big Ten schools include Penn State running back Larry Johnson (2002), Nebraska quarterback Eric Crouch (2001), Wisconsin running back Ron Dayne (1999), Michigan defensive back Charles Woodson (1997), Ohio State running back Eddie George (1995), Michigan wide receiver Desmond Howard (1991), Indiana running back Anthony Thompson (1989), Nebraska running back Mike Rozier (1983), Ohio State running back Archie Griffin (1974 and 1975), Penn State running back John Cappelletti (1973) and Nebraska running back Johnny Rodgers (1972).