LINCOLN, Neb. (KMTV) — Nebraska defenders Dicaprio Bootle and Mohamed Barry led a group of Husker defensive and special teams standout honored by the Big Ten Conference on Tuesday.
A sophomore cornerback, Bootle was a third-team all-conference selection by both the Coaches and the Big Ten Media. Bootle registered 15 pass breakups on the season, tying for the second-most PBU in Nebraska history and the most since 2004. He ranked fourth in the Big Ten and 17th nationally in passes defended per game.
Barry had a standout junior season at linebacker and earned third-team recognition by the Big Ten Media and honorable-mention accolades from the coaches. Barry led Nebraska with 112 tackles, the most by a Husker since Lavonte David had 133 tackles in 2011. Barry had seven double-figure tackles games, becoming the fifth Husker to have seven games with 10 or more tackles in a season.
Three other Husker defensive players received honorable-mention all-conference recognition. Senior linebacker Luke Gifford was honored by both the media and coaches panel. Gifford had 62 tackles and led Nebraska with 13 tackles for loss and 5.5 sacks. Gifford was also recognized on Tuesday as Nebraska’s winner of the Big Ten Sportsmanship Award.
Junior defensive linemen Carlos and Khalil Davis were chosen as honorable-mention players by the coaches and media, respectively. The twins from Blue Springs, Mo., anchored the Blackshirt defensive front. Carlos Davis had 27 tackles, three TFL and a sack, while his five breakups were the most by a Nebraska defensive lineman in nine seasons. Khalil Davis finished with 41 tackles, including eight tackles for loss and three sacks.
Junior punter Isaac Armstrong was an honorable-mention choice by both the media and coaches. Armstrong took over the punting duties at mid-season and averaged 43.6 yards per punt to rank second in the Big Ten. The average ranks as the ninth-best season average in Nebraska history.
The Big Ten will announce all-conference offensive teams on Wednesday.
Nebraska All-Big Ten Defense and Special Teams Honorees
Big Ten Coaches
3rd Team: Dicaprio Bootle, CB
Honorable Mention: Carlos Davis, DL; Luke Gifford, LB; Mohamed Barry, LB; Isaac Armstrong, P
Big Ten Media
3rd Team: Dicaprio Bootle, CB; Mohamed Barry, LB
Honorable Mention: Khalil Davis, DL; Luke Gifford, LB; Isaac Armstrong, P
Big Ten Sportsmanship Award Winner: Luke Gifford, Sr., LB
