At this point I should just have a generic “Joe Bachie and Kenny Willekes receive preseason honor ____” post with a bunch of blank spots I can just fill in to match the specific award. I could use it right now.
Joe Bachie and Kenny Willekes have been chosen as preseason first-team All-Americans by The Athletic. The blurbs for them sum up as Willekes was a walk-on and is now a dominant edge player and Joe Bachie is a tackling machine and leader of one of the best defenses in the country.
Ohio State’s Chase Young and Iowa’s A.J. Epensea are the two other Big Ten players on the first team defense.
Bachie and Willekes were both named preseason All-Americans by CBS Sports last week. Both were recently named in Pro Football Focus’ top 50 college football players rankings. They’re both preseason All-Big Ten. And they’re both on a bunch of preseason award watch lists.
Last season both were named first-team All-Big Ten and Willekes won the Defensive Lineman of the Year Award for the conference.
Michigan State kicks off the season August 30 (7pm, FS1) against Tulsa.
