Thirteen Trojans Earn All-Big Ten Conference Honors

LOS ANGELES—Thirteen Trojan football players earned All-Big Ten Conference honors, the Conference announced today (Dec. 3).

P Eddie Czaplicki not only earned First Team honors by the coaches and the media, but he was named the Eddleman-Fields Punter of the Year.

RB Woody Marks and OL Emmanuel Pregnon both were selected to the Second Team.

All-Big Ten Third Team honors were presented to OL Jonah Monheim, CB Jaylin Smith, RET Makai Lemon and SNP Hank Pepper.

TE Lake McRee, OL Elijah Paige, LB Easton Mascarenas-Arnold, DT Gavin Meyer, S Kamari Ramsey and LB Mason Cobb each earned Big Ten Honorable Mention.

Czaplicki, a Ray Guy Award finalist and All-American candidate is the best punter in the nation. USC ranks first in the nation in net punting (45.54). He leads the nation in percentage of punts inside the 20 for punters with a minimum of 30 attempts. Twenty-four of his punts have been inside the 20, 9 have been inside the 10 and 4 inside the 5. He has recorded just 1 touchback the entire season. He has averaged over 50-yards in 4 games this season (55.3 vs. LSU, 53.1 vs. Michigan, 56.0 vs. Minnesota and 51.8 vs. Nebraska). He has been named a Ray's 8 Award recipient three times this season. Twenty-one of Czaplicki's 40 punts have been over 50 yards (.525), including a season-long of 62 yards against Minnesota. He also recorded a career-high single game punting average of 53.1 yards against Michigan. Czaplicki has been instrumental in flipping the field and giving the Trojan defense great field position all season long.

Although Marks was at USC for just one season, he immediately made a massive impact on the field. He recorded 1,133 rushing yards on 198 attempts (5.7 avg.) with 9 TDs. He sits at 24^th among USC's all-time single-season rushing leaders with 1,133 yards this season. He surpasses Anthony Davis who had 1,112 rushing yards in the 1973 season. Marks is USC's first 1,000-yard rusher since Ronald Jones II rushed for 1,550 yards in 2017. Since Reggie Bush and LenDale White were 1,000-yard rushers in 2005, just five USC RBs have been 1,000-yard season rushers: Joe McKnight (2009), Curtis McNeal (2011), Javorius Allen (2014), Ronald Jones II (2016 & 2017) and now Woody Marks. He also tied with WR Zachariah Branch for USC's 2024 receiving leader with 47 catches for 321 yards (6.83 avg.). He is the first Trojan RB with 40+ catches in a single season since Javorius Allen recorded 41 in 2014. Marks has collected 47 receptions with at least 2 games remaining. When he left early in the first quarter against Notre Dame, he snapped his streak of consecutive games with at least one catch at 56. It was the longest active streak in the nation. He is No. 4 in the Big Ten among all positions (and No. 11 in the Power 4) with 37 explosive runs throughout the season. Marks averaged 121.17 all-purpose yards per game, which ranks third in the Big Ten and 19^thin the nation. His 1,133 rushing yards are fourth in the Big Ten and 25^th in the nation, and his rushing yards per game (94.4) is No. 4 in the Big Ten.

Monheim, leading the way at center, Pregnon at left guard and Paige at left tackle, were crucial to the success of the USC offense this season. USC finished the regular season ranked No. 11 in the nation in passing offense (291.7) and No. 1 in the Big Ten and No. 23 in the nation in total offense (440.3) and third in the Big Ten.

Smith, a steady veteran presence for the Trojans, finished the regular season with 59 tackles, including 4 for loss of 5 yards, recorded 2 INTs and 2 PBUs.

The USC defense has made a significant improvement from 2023 to 2024. The Trojans currently rank No. 18 in the nation and No. 3 in the Big Ten Conference in third-down conversation percentage defense (0.322), compared to ranking No. 106 (0.436) in 2023.  At the end of the 2023 season, USC ranked 116 in total defense (432.8). USC has jumped to No. 70 in total defense (371.6).

The USC defense is holding opponents to an average of just 22.7 points per game. In 2023, the USC defense allowed an average of 34.4 points per game.

USC's defense ranked No. 83 in turnovers gained in 2023 (16), and USC now ranks No. 67 in the same category (16). In 2023, USC was No. 116 in the nation in red zone defense (0.909), and this season, USC is currently ranked No. 69 (0.829). In 2023, USC was No. 107 in fourth-down conversion percentage defense (0.607), and in 2024, USC is No. 84 (0.559).

USC ranked No. 124 in first downs defense in 2023 (295), and in 2024, USC is ranked No. 72 (238). In 2023, USC was No. 116 in rushing defense (186.5), compared to ranking No. 54 (140.8) in 2024. The Trojans were No. 118 in scoring defense in 2023 (34.4), and now are No. 56 (23.5). USC was No. 116 in team passing efficiency defense in 2023 (149.72), and now, USC is No. 71 (132.20). Finally, USC ranked No. 109 in passes intercepted in 2023 (7), and USC is No. 61 in the same category in 2024 (10).

Lemon was USC's most versatile player of the 2024 season. He recorded 46 receptions for a team-leading 665 yards (14.5 avg.) and 3 TDs. Lemon also fielded kickoff returns, recording 18 returns for 468 yards (26.0 avg.) with a long of 80 yards. He leads the Big Ten in kickoff returns and ranks No. 10 in the nation. He was also a crucial member of the punt coverage team downing punts for Czaplicki. Most notably against UCLA, he downed a punt at the UCLA 1-yard line.

While Czaplicki received the national spotlight, it would not have been possible without SNP Hank Pepper. In addition to long snapping, Pepper tallied 9 fair catches forced, 6 downed punts and 3 tackles. He also recorded a crucial play against Wisconsin by recovering a muffed punt at the Badgers' 30-yard line. This play by Pepper gave the Trojans a short field which ultimately resulted in a USC score. He was double teamed or blocked in coverage multiple times throughout the season showing his impact on punt coverage.

After returning to the field from a torn ACL right before the 2023 Holiday Bowl, McRee continued to positively impact the Trojan offense. He recorded 24 receptions for 245 yards (10.2 avg.) and was an important blocker.

Mascarenas-Arnold, who immediately stepped into a leadership role after transferring from Oregon State, led the team with 89 tackles, including 5 for loss of 20 yards (with a team-leading 3 sacks for minus 14 yards), 2 INTs, 2 QBHs and 1 FR in 2024.

Meyer, another one-season transfer from Wyoming, recorded 28 tackles, including 2 for loss of 10 yards (with 1 sack for minus 8 yards), 3 PBUs, 3 QBHs and 1 blocked kick. His leadership and consistent play  were imperative for the success of the Trojan defensive line.

Ramsey transferred from crosstown rival UCLA and helped defensive coordinator D'Anton Lynn install his defense. Ramsey, a pseudo-coach-on-the-field, recorded 53 tackles, including 5.5 for loss of 26 yards (with 2 sacks for minus 19 yards), 5 PBUs, 2 FFs and 1 QBH in the regular season.

In his final season as a Trojan, Cobb tallied 71 tackles, including 2.5 for loss of 7 yards, 3 PBUs, 2 INTs (including a pick-6) and 1 QBH.

Big Ten Conference Awards

Eddleman-Fields Punter of the Year: Eddie Czaplicki

All-Big Ten Conference (Coaches)

First Team: P Eddie Czaplicki
Second Team: RB Woody Marks, OL Emmanuel Pregnon
Third Team: OL Jonah Monheim, CB Jaylin Smith, RET Makai Lemon, SNP Hank Pepper
Honorable Mention: WR Makai Lemon, TE Lake McRee, OL Elijah Paige, LB Easton Mascarenas-Arnold, DT Gavin Meyer, S Kamari Ramsey

All-Big Ten Conference (Media)

First Team: P Eddie Czaplicki
Second Team: RB Woody Marks, OL Emmanuel Pregnon
Honorable Mention: OL Jonah Monheim, WR Makai Lemon, LB Easton Mascarenas-Arnold, CB Jaylin Smith, LB Mason Cobb, S Kamari Ramsey, SNP Hank Pepper, RET Makai Lemon

Players Mentioned

Zachariah Branch

Mason Cobb

Eddie Czaplicki

Makai Lemon

Woody Marks

Easton Mascarenas-Arnold

Lake McRee

Gavin Meyer

Jonah Monheim

Elijah Paige

Hank Pepper

Emmanuel Pregnon

Kamari Ramsey

Jaylin Smith