Eight TCU players earn All-Big 12 honors

Ben Banogu, right

Eight TCU football players, including defensive ends Ben Banogu and L.J. Collier as first-team selections, earned All-Big 12 honors from the conference head coaches.

Receiving second-team recognition were cornerback Jeff Gladney, safety Ridwan Issahaku, offensive tackle Lucas Niang and wide receiver Jalen Reagor. Honorable-mention accolades went to defensive tackle Corey Bethley and linebacker Ty Summers.

It’s the second straight season for TCU’s starting defensive ends to both be first-team All-Big 12. Last year, it was Banogu and Mat Boesen.

TCU, which has the Big 12’s No. 1 defense and faced five of the nation’s top-12 offenses, placed four players on the first- or second-team defense and five overall on the All-Big 12 squad for that side of the ball.

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Banogu is first-team All-Big 12 for the second straight season. He was also honorable mention for Defensive Lineman of the Year. The senior from McKinney, has a team-high 17.0 tackles for loss, which place second in the Big 12, and 7.5 sacks. He also tops TCU with eight quarterback hurries, two forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries. He was the Big 12 Defensive Player of the Week after recording a career-high 10 tackles, including 4.0 for loss, with a sack and forced fumble in the 16-9 win at Baylor.

Collier is second to Banogu on TCU with his 9.5 tackles for loss and 5.0 sacks. He adds five quarterback hurries and four pass breakups. In a 14-13 win over Kansas State, Collier had a career-high eight tackles, including 4.0 for loss, with 2.0 sacks.

Gladney is third in the Big 12 this season with a team-best 14 passes defended (one interception, 13 breakups). He had four PBUs and a pick in the 31-24 victory over Oklahoma State to send the Horned Frogs to their 19th bowl game in 21 seasons.

Issahaku is second on TCU with 74 tackles, one behind leader Arico Evans (75). Issahaku tops TCU with two interceptions and totaled a career-high 12 tackles in the win versus Oklahoma State.

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At right tackle, Niang is the lone TCU offensive lineman to start all 12 games this season.

Reagor has a team-best 72 receptions for 1,061 yards and nine touchdowns. The catches and yards rank second for a season in TCU history, trailing only 2015 first-team consensus All-American and Biletnikoff Award finalist Josh Doctson (79 receptions, 1,327 yards). Reagor has set a TCU record with a touchdown catch in seven consecutive games. He became the only wide receiver in Big 12 history to have a 100-yard rushing game and 90-yard receiving day when he ran for 121 yards, including an 83-yard touchdown, while adding eight receptions for 91 yards and a 6-yard scoring grab in the 31-24 win over Oklahoma State.

Bethley, who has started all 12 games, is third on TCU with 8.5 tackles for loss and 4.0 sacks.

Summers has totaled 44 stops, including 5.5 for loss and 3.0 sacks, in splitting time between linebacker and defensive end. His 315 career tackles are tied with Jason Phillips (2005-08) for second most in the 18-season head coaching tenure of Gary Patterson.

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2018 TCU All-Big 12 Selections by the Conference Head Coaches

First Team

Ben Banogo, DE

L.J. Collier, DE

Second Team

Jeff Gladney, CB

Ridwan Issahaku, S

Lucas Niang, OT

Jalen Reagor, WR

Honorable Mention

Corey Bethley, DT

Ty Summers, LB