Multiple Mountaineers Earn Big 12 Award Honors

West Virginia University offensive lineman Wyatt Milum, defensive lineman TJ Jackson II, and linebacker Josiah Trotter among the Mountaineers earning Big 12 Conference honorees.

Wyatt Milum (74), TJ Jackson (11), Josiah Trotter (40). / Christopher Hall - West Virginia on SI

West Virginia University offensive lineman Wyatt Milum, defensive lineman TJ Jackson II and linebacker Josiah Trotter earned Big 12 Conference awards the league announced Thursday afternoon.

Wyatt Milum was named the Big 12 Offensive Lineman of the Year and All-Big 12 First Team selection. The senior left tackle did not allow a sack the past two seasons and helped pave the way for a Mountaineer rushing attack that averaged 192.7 yards per game on the ground which ranked ninth among Power Four schools. He is the third offensive lineman to claim the award (Yodny Cajuste, 2018; Colton McKivitz, 2019).

Josiah Trotter claimed the program’s first Big 12 Conference Defensive Freshman of the Year award. He was the nation’s leading freshman tackler with 92 tackles, including 36 unassisted tackles, assisted on a sack, four tackles for loss, give quarterback hurries, two pass breakups and an interception. He had a career best 12 tackles against Iowa State and Cincinnati.

TJ Jackson II was selected to the All-Big 12 First team. The senior tallied 38 tackles, including 20 solo stops, 6.5 sacks, 13.5 tackles for loss and a fumble recovery after transferring from Troy a season ago. He had a season-high six tackles against Pitt, Kansas and Arizona and finished with at least one tackle for loss in eight games and had at least one sack in six games. He become a household name amongst Mountaineer fans after registering a career-high four tackles for loss versus Pitt in the third game of the season.

Six Mountaineers were named All-Big 12 Honorable Mention: tight end Kole Taylor, offensive lineman Nick Malone, offensive lineman Tomas Rimac, kickoff/punt returner Preston Fox, defensive lineman Sean Martin and Trotter.