Nebraska corner Dicaprio Bootle and linebacker Mohamed Barry led a group of Husker defensive and special teams players honored by the Big Ten Conference on Tuesday.
After a 2017 season in which no one from Nebraska made the All-Defensive teams for coaches or media, Bootle and Barry set things back to normal. Leading up to last season, Nebraska had at least a Second Team selection on defense every year since joining the conference.
A sophomore cornerback, Bootle was a third-team all-conference selection by both the league’s coaches and cover media. Bootle registered 15 pass breakups on the season, tying for the second-most in Nebraska history and the most since 2004. He ranked fourth in the Big Ten and 17th nationally in passes defended per game.
Bootle developed into a real weapon for Nebraska on the perimeter as the season wore on.
As for Barry, he was a third-team all-conference selection by cover media. The junior led the team with 112 total tackles — the most by a Husker in one year since Lavonte David in 2011 — after logging just 44 in 18 games during his first two seasons on the field. With 11 tackles against Iowa in the season finale, he tallied his seventh double-figure tackle game of the season, the most since David had seven as well in 2010.
Barry’s tackles ranked second in the Big Ten, only behind Maryland’s Tre Watson, who had 114. The Blackshirt also had 14 run stuffs, 10 tackles for loss and two sacks for the Huskers.
Three other Husker defensive players received honorable mention all-conference recognition — senior linebacker Luke Gifford (coaches and media) and junior defensive linemen Carlos (coaches) and Khalil Davis (media).
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.
Carlos Davis had 27 tackles, three for a loss and one 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 midseason 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 All-Big Ten offensive teams will be announced on Wednesday at 4 p.m. CT.
Derek is a newbie on the Hail Varsity staff covering Husker athletics. In college, he was best known as ‘that guy from Twitter.’ He has covered a Sugar Bowl, a tennis national championship and almost everything in between (except an NCAA men’s basketball tournament game… *tears*). In his spare time, he can be found arguing with literally anyone about sports.
