Nick KrugFor the first time since 2009 the Kansas football program has two players on a Preseason All-Big 12 first team.
A pair of redshirt seniors for the Jayhawks’ defense, both defensive tackle Daniel Wise and linebacker Joe Dineen were among the 17 seniors, 11 juniors and one sophomore selected by a media panel as the conference’s most likely standouts this coming fall.
KU last had more than one representative on the preseason first team in 2009, when receiver Dezmon Briscoe and safety Darrell Stuckey made the cut.
A hometown linebacker from Lawrence’s Free State High, Dineen led the Big 12 in total tackles (137), tackles-for-loss (25.0) and solo tackles (93) in 2017. What’s more, the 6-foot-2 KU captain led all FBS players with 7.8 solo tackles a game and ranked third nationally with 2.1 tackles for loss per game.
Dineen’s 25.0 TFLs set a new KU single-season record, and he finished his redshirt junior year ranked third in the FBS in total tackles. Dineen also accounted for two pass breakups, two quarterback hurries and a forced fumble.
Nick KrugLeague coaches and media selected Dineen for the All-Big 12 second team following the 2017 season.
Wise, too, produced impressive numbers as a junior this past calendar year. A defensive tackle from Lewisville, Texas, the 6-3 lineman recorded 16.0 tackles for loss, and 7.0 sacks.
Wise accounted for 53 total tackles, one forced fumble, one pass breakup and five quarterback hurries to supplement his sacks and TFLs.
Coaches named Wise a first-team all-league defender following his redshirt junior season, while media placed him on the second team.
The Big 12 media preseason poll will be released on Thursday.
Offensive Player of the Year: Will Grier, West Virginia, QB
Defensive Player of the Year: Ben Banogu, TCU, DL
Newcomer of the Year: Brendan Radley-Hiles, Oklahoma, DB
OFFENSE
QB — Will Grier, West Virginia, senior
RB — David Montgomery, Iowa State, junior
RB — Rodney Anderson, Oklahoma, junior
RB — Justice Hill, Oklahoma State, junior
WR — Denzel Mims, Baylor, junior
WR — Marquisse Brown, Oklahoma, junior
WR — David Sills V, West Virginia, senior
TE — Grant Calcaterra, Oklahoma, sophomore
OL — Dalton Risner, Kansas State, senior
OL — Bobby Evans, Oklahoma, junior
OL — Ben Powers, Oklahoma, senior
OL — Marcus Keyes, Oklahoma State, junior
OL — Yodny Cajuste, West Virginia, senior
PK — Austin Seibert, Oklahoma, senior
KR/P — KaVontae Turpin, TCU, senior
*Note: a tie in voting created an extra RB position
DEFENSE
DL — JaQuan Bailey, Iowa State, junior
DL — Daniel Wise, Kansas, senior
DL — Jordan Brailford, Oklahoma State, junior
DL — Ben Banogu, TCU, senior
DL — Breckyn Hager, Texas, senior
LB — Joe Dineen, Kansas, senior
LB — Dakota Allen, Texas Tech, senior
LB — David Long Jr., West Virginia, junior
DB — Brian Peavy, Iowa State, senior
DB — Kendall Adams, Kansas State, senior
DB — Kris Boyd, Texas, senior
DB — Jah’Shawn Johnson, Texas Tech, senior
DB — Justus Parker, Texas Tech, junior
P — Austin Seibert, Oklahoma, senior
