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Congratulations to Austin Allen on winning the Big Ten Tight End of the Year. It would logically follow that he would be a first team All-Conference tight end, which is exactly what happened.
Your B1G Tight End of the Year @austin11allen /// #thegoodlife pic.twitter.com/88E6RNCRQz
— Nebraska Football (@HuskerFBNation) December 1, 2021
Of interest, Austin Allen becomes Nebraska's first tight end to earn first-team all-conference recognition since 2003, when Matt Herian of Pierce was so honored by the Big 12.
— Steven M. Sipple (@HuskerExtraSip) December 1, 2021
Herian was a fleet field-stretcher.
Allen's size (6-9, 255) is surely intriguing for NFL teams.
Also of interest, Austin Allen becomes Nebraska's first non-punter or place-kicker to earn All-Big Ten recognition since 2014, when DE Randy Gregory and WR Kenny Bell were honored.
— Steven M. Sipple (@HuskerExtraSip) December 1, 2021
Nebraska had three first-teamers in 2013, five in 2012 and four 2011.
Yes, it matters.
Cam Jurgens earned his third-team All-Conference honor as well.
The honorable mention all-conference players who also reserved recognition were Adrian Martinez and Samori Toure.
Here is a statement from the Athletic Department:
Senior tight end Austin Allen has been named the Kwalick-Clark Big Ten Tight End of the Year, as well as a first-team All-Big Ten honoree. Allen led four Husker offensive standouts who earned all-conference accolades as announced by the Big Ten Office on Wednesday.
A native of Aurora, Neb., Allen was a first-team all-conference choice by the Big Ten media panel and earned second-team accolades from the Big Ten coaches. Allen is the first Husker position player to earn first-team All-Big Ten honors since 2014, and he is the first Husker tight end to be a first-team all-conference selection since Matt Herian in 2003.
Allen had a record-setting season for a Nebraska tight end in 2021, setting school position records for receptions (38) and yards (602), and a single-game record for receiving yards by a tight end with 143 yards at Wisconsin. Allen led all Big Ten tight ends in receiving yards, and his 15.8 yards per reception ranked sixth nationally among tight ends and bettered all other Big Ten tight ends by more than three yards per catch.
Three other Husker offensive players were recognized by the Big Ten on Wednesday. Center Cam Jurgens was a third-team all-league pick by the Big Ten coaches, while earning honorable-mention accolades from the media panel. Jurgens anchored a Nebraska offensive line that helped the Husker offense average 447.6 yards per game to rank in the top 25 nationally.
Quarterback Adrian Martinez earned honorable-mention All-Big Ten recognition for the second time in his career, picking up the accolades from the Big Ten Coaches. Martinez ranked second in the Big Ten in total offense with 308.0 yards per game, while throwing for 14 touchdowns and rushing for 13 scores.
Receiver Samori Toure made the most of his only season at Nebraska and was an honorable-mention all-conference choice by the Big Ten media. Toure caught 46 passes for 898 yards and five touchdowns, while leading all Big Ten players with 19.5 yards per reception, a figure that ranked seventh nationally among players with at least 40 receptions.
In addition to the four all-conference selections, senior receiver Levi Falck was Nebraska’s recipient of the Sportsmanship Award. Falck has been a key contributor at receiver during his two seasons with the Huskers. He caught 18 passes for 223 yards and one touchdown in 2021.
The four offensive players joined seven Husker defenders who received All-Big Ten honors on Tuesday.