Newton Named to Walter Camp All-America Second Team

CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — Illinois defensive tackle Jer'Zhan Newton was named to the Walter Camp All-America Second Team for the second consecutive season, the Walter Camp Football Foundation announced Friday during The Home Depot College Football Awards Show on ESPN. It is the first second-team honor for Newton, who has been named to five All-America first teams this week by The Athletic, CBS, PFF, Sports Illustrated, and USA TODAY. 

Newton's long list of accolades this season have included Nagurski Trophy finalist, as one of the nation's top-five defensive players, and Big Ten Defensive Player of the Year. 

Newton led Power-5 defensive tackles in quarterback pressures for the second straight season in 2023, according to PFF. His 44 pressures during the regular season led all Big Ten defensive tackles by 15, and he also led Big Ten defensive tackles in sacks with 7.5, which ranked second overall in the conference. Over the last two seasons, Newton totaled 103 quarterback pressures, by far the most in the nation among defensive tackles. 

Newton ranked in the top three of nearly every statistical category among defensive tackles this season, including third in sacks, defensive stops, and quarterback hits, plus first in snaps played. He also ranked seventh in the nation in tackles among defensive tackles with 52, which ranked third among Power-5 defensive tackles and first among Big Ten defensive tackles, and led the nation in blocked kicks with four. 

Newton's National DT Ranks

Newton is looking to become the second Illini defender to earn Consensus All-American honors in as many years, following DB Devon Witherspoon last season. With a second-team selection by Walter Camp, Newton must be a first-team selection by three of the final four remaining lists that make up official NCAA All-America selections: Football Writers Association of America, Associated Press, Sporting News, and American Football Coaches Association. The four remaining awards are all released next week. Illinois last had back-to-back seasons with Consensus All-Americans in 1994 and 1995, when linebackers Dana Howard (1994) and Kevin Hardy (1995) were both honored. 

Illinois' All-Time Walter Camp All-Americans
2023 Jer'Zhan Newton, DL (second team)
2022 Devon Witherspoon, DB
2022 Chase Brown, RB (second team)
2022 Jer'Zhan Newton, DL (second team)
2011 Whitney Mercilus, DL
2007 J Leman, LB (second team)
1995 Simeon Rice, LB
1995 Kevin Hardy, LB
1994 Dana Howard, LB
1990 Moe Gardner, DL
1989 Moe Gardner, DL
1985 David Williams, WR 
1984 David Williams, WR 
1965 Jim Grabowski, HB
1964 Dick Butkus, C
1963 Dick Butkus, C
1959 Bill Burrell, G
1953 J.C. Caroline, HB
1951 John Karras, B
1946 Alex Agase, G
1928 Albert "Butch" Nowack, T
1926 Bernie Shively, G
1925 Red Grange, HB
1924 Red Grange, HB
1923 Red Grange, HB
1920 Charles Carney, E
1915 Bart Macomber, HB
1914 Ralph Chapman, G