Iowa football's Riley Moss named Big Ten's Tatum-Woodson Defensive Back of the Year

IOWA CITY — The big week for the Iowa football program continued Tuesday as five Hawkeyes on defense and special teams earned first-team all-Big Ten Conference honors from the media, coaches or both. 

Perhaps most notably, Iowa senior cornerback Riley Moss was named the Big Ten’s Tatum-Woodson defensive back of the year. The award is especially impressive considering Moss missed 3½ games after tearing the PCL in his left knee in Week 6 against Penn State. Moss returned to the field Nov. 13 against Minnesota and later said he is playing without a PCL (and with a titanium knee brace).

Moss became the fifth Hawkeye defensive back in the last decade to win the award, joining Micah Hyde (2012), Desmond King (2015), Josh Jackson (2017) and Amani Hooker (2018).

Joining Moss as a first-team honoree for Iowa’s defense was safety Dane Belton (media and coaches) and linebacker Jack Campbell (media). Campbell was named a third-teamer by the league’s coaches.

Belton is tied for the national lead with five interceptions; Campbell ranks second in the Big Ten in tackles (124) and scored two touchdowns (one on a fumble vs. Iowa State, one on an interception vs. Illinois). Iowa’s defense leads the country with 22 interceptions

Defensive end Zach VanValkenburg and cornerback Matt Hankins, who won’t play in Saturday’s Big Ten title game against Michigan, were named to the second team by media and coaches.

More:Leistikow: Is there a path for Iowa football against Michigan in Big Ten Championship game? Absolutely.

Two Hawkeye specialists were also named to the Big Ten’s first team.

Charlie Jones became the second Hawkeye to win the Rodgers-Dwight return specialist of the year award, joining Ihmir Smith-Marsette in 2018. Jones ranks second nationally in kickoff-return yards (605) and ranks second in the Big Ten with 8.5 yards per punt return.

And placekicker Caleb Shudak was named a first-team selection by the league’s media, second team by the coaches. Shudak has connected on 22 of 25 field-goal attempts this year. The coaches’ first-teamer was Michigan’s Jake Moody.

More:How Iowa football's roller-coaster weekend ended with a trip to the Big Ten championship

Earning honorable mention for Iowa were linebacker Seth Benson, safety Jack Koerner, defensive tackle Noah Shannon and punter Tory Taylor.

The league’s offensive awards will be announced Wednesday.