Michigan State University Athletics
Photo by: Matthew Mitchell/MSU Athletic Communications
Four Spartans Earn Midseason All-America Honors
10/19/2021 5:38:00 PM | Football
Kenneth Walker III named first-team midseason All-American by AP, CBS Sports, ESPN, The Athletic and The Sporting News.
EAST LANSING, Mich. – Michigan State junior running back Kenneth Walker III, who leads the FBS in rushing with 997 yards (142.3 ypg), has been named a first-team midseason All-American by The Associated Press, CBS Sports, The Athletic and The Sporting News. Last week, Walker was listed on the first-team midseason All-American Team by ESPN.com.
In addition, redshirt junior Jayden Reed was named a first-team midseason All-American by CBS Sports and The Athletic as an all-purpose player, and by The Sporting News as a returner.
Senior safety Xavier Henderson and fifth-year senior defensive end Jacub Panasiuk earned second-team midseason All-America honors by The Athletic.
Michigan State Spartans on Midseason All-America Teams
First Team
RB: Kenneth Walker III (Associated Press, CBS Sports, ESPN, The Athletic, The Sporting News)
All-purpose/returner: Jayden Reed (CBS Sports, The Athletic, The Sporting News)
Second Team
S: Xavier Henderson (The Athletic)
DE: Jacub Panasiuk (The Athletic)
RB Kenneth Walker III
Kenneth Walker III is the only player in the FBS to rank among the top 15 in rushing yards (first with 997 yards; 142.3 ypg), rushing yards after contact (first with 737), rushing carries for 10-plus yards (tied for second, 27), total touchdowns (eighth with 10), rushing touchdowns (ninth with 9), all-purpose yards (10th with 146.0 ypg) and yards per carry (12th with 6.6 avg.). He currently ranks second among Heisman Trophy contenders by The Athletic and ESPN's Robert Griffin III and fourth by Dennis Dodd of CBS Sports.
Walker had a record-setting debut as a Spartan, rushing for a career-high 264 yards – the seventh-highest total in school history – while scoring a career-high four touchdowns to lead the Spartans past Northwestern on Sept. 3. It marked the most rushing yards by a Spartan in a debut wearing the Green and White and the third most by a player in the FBS this season. Walker became just the second Spartan to record more than 250 rushing yards and four touchdowns in the same game (Eric Allen, school-record 350 yards and four TDs vs. Purdue on Oct. 30, 1971).
After seeing limited action in Week 2 vs. Youngstown State (seven carries for 57 yards, 1 TD, 8.1 avg.), Walker was back at it in the victory at No. 24 Miami on Sept. 18, compiling 172 yards on the ground on 27 carries (6.4 avg.) while also catching three passes for 17 yards, including his first career TD reception on a 7-yard screen pass in the second quarter.
Walker had his third 100-yard rushing game of the season with 126 yards on 24 carries in the victory over Western Kentucky in Week 5. He scored three touchdowns in the first half (5, 5 and 3 yards) against the Hilltoppers.
Walker's 94-yard touchdown run in the third quarter at Rutgers in Week 6 was the longest rush in the 125-year history of Michigan State football, bettering a 90-yard by Lynn Chandnois vs. Arizona in 1949. It was also the longest offensive play from scrimmage in school history, topping the 93-yard pass from Tony Banks to Nigea Carter vs. Indiana in 1994. Walker's 94-yard TD run is also tied for the second longest rush in the FBS in 2021. He finished with a career-high 29 carries for 233 yards against the Scarlet Knights.
Walker has four 100-yard rushing games this season, including two 200-yard games (264 vs. Northwestern on Sept. 3; 172 at Miami on Sept. 18; 126 vs. Western Kentucky on Sept. 25; 233 at Rutgers on Oct. 9). Walker is the only player in the Big Ten and one of two in the FBS with two 200-yard rushing games this season (Tyler Badie, Missouri). Walker has nine 100-yard rushing games in his collegiate career (two at Wake Forest in 2019; three at Wake Forest in 2020; four at Michigan State in 2021) and also holds the school record at Wake Forest with a 96-yard TD run in 2019.
Walker is averaging 156.7 rushing yards per game against six FBS opponents this season.
WR/KR/PR Jayden Reed
Jayden Reed ranks among the Big Ten and FBS leaders in all-purpose yards (second in Big Ten and 10th in FBS, 146.0 ypg), punt returns (first and first, 23.3 avg.), combined kick returns (second and seventh with 418), yards per catch (first and eighth, 20.8 avg.), total touchdowns (fourth and 29th with 8), TD catches (fifth and 30th with 5) and receiving yards per game (sixth and 36th with 80.3 ypg). He also is tied for the FBS lead with two punt returns for touchdowns (62 yards vs. Nebraska, 88 yards vs. Western Kentucky).
Reed was recognized on the Paul Hornung Award Honor Roll for the third time of the season after collecting a career-high 285 all-purpose yards (127 receiving, 88 punt return, 63 kick return, 7 rushing), the seventh-most single-game total in school history, in the win over Western Kentucky on Oct. 2. Reed scored the first time he touched the ball against the Hilltoppers with an 88-yard punt return, marking his second consecutive punt return for a touchdown (62 yards vs. Nebraska in fourth quarter). He also had his second 100-yard receiving effort of the season with four catches for 127 yards vs. WKU, including a 46-yard TD in the first quarter.
Reed was named the Big Ten Special Teams Player of the Week on Sept. 27; he was also recognized on the Paul Hornung Award Honor Roll for the second time this season (Week 2 vs. Youngstown State). With MSU trailing 20-13 to Nebraska late in the fourth quarter, Reed returned a punt 62 yards for a touchdown to tie the game with 3:47 remaining, setting the stage for an overtime win over the Huskers. It marked MSU's first punt return for a touchdown since Nov. 26, 2011 (Keshawn Martin 57 yards at Northwestern). Reed finished the game with 192 all-purpose yards (69 kick return, 62 punt return, 59 receiving, 2 rushing). His 41-yard kick return in the second quarter set up an MSU field goal. He also hauled in four passes for 59 yards, including a 35-yard TD catch from Thorne in the second quarter.
Reed caught four passes for a career-high 181 yards against Youngstown State in Week 2; two of those catches came for 160 yards in the first half alone (75 yard TD on first play of the game; 85 yard TD in second quarter). He also tallied 264 all-purpose yards (181 receiving, 32 kick return, 48 punt return) against YSU.
Reed has seven 100-yard receiving games in his career (four at Western Michigan in 2018; one at MSU in 2020; two at MSU in 2021).
S Xavier Henderson
Senior Xavier Henderson has started a team-best 27 consecutive games at safety for the Spartans. He leads the team and ranks sixth in the Big Ten in tackles with 60 (8.6 avg) and recorded a career-high 17 tackles vs. Nebraska, the most by a Spartan since Montae Nicholson in 2016. Henderson also ranks second on the team and tied for ninth in the Big Ten with seven tackles for loss, including two sacks, and has one interception (vs. Youngstown State)
A product of Reynoldsburg, Ohio, Henderson has been selected a game captain every week this season. He has also led or shared the team lead in tackles four times. Henderson recorded an acrobatic interception in Week 2 vs. Youngstown State, the third pick of his career. He also leads all active Spartans with 199 career tackles.
DE Jacub Panasiuk
Fifth-year senior Jacub Panasiuk has 37 career starts to his credit, most of any active Spartan, including all seven games this season. He has recorded 5.5 sacks the past four games (two each vs. Nebraska and Western Kentucky; half sack vs. Rutgers; one sack vs. Indiana) and ranks tied for fifth in the Big Ten in tackles for loss with 8.5 TFLs for 49 yards. His team-best 5.5 sacks are tied for first in the league. Overall, he has 23 tackles, six QB hurries, one pass break-up, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery.
Panasiuk was named the Pro Football Focus National Defensive Player of the Week after collecting a career-high two sacks vs. Nebraska; he had seven stops overall against the Huskers.
Panasiuk ranks among the school's all-time leaders in sacks (13th with 14.5) and tackles for loss (16th with 29.5).
No. 9/7 Michigan State (7-0, 4-0 Big Ten) returns to action Saturday, Oct. 30 to host No. 6/6 Michigan in Spartan Stadium at noon. The game will be televised on FOX.
In addition, redshirt junior Jayden Reed was named a first-team midseason All-American by CBS Sports and The Athletic as an all-purpose player, and by The Sporting News as a returner.
Senior safety Xavier Henderson and fifth-year senior defensive end Jacub Panasiuk earned second-team midseason All-America honors by The Athletic.
Michigan State Spartans on Midseason All-America Teams
First Team
RB: Kenneth Walker III (Associated Press, CBS Sports, ESPN, The Athletic, The Sporting News)
All-purpose/returner: Jayden Reed (CBS Sports, The Athletic, The Sporting News)
Second Team
S: Xavier Henderson (The Athletic)
DE: Jacub Panasiuk (The Athletic)
𝙈𝙞𝙙𝙨𝙚𝙖𝙨𝙤𝙣 𝘼𝙡𝙡-𝘼𝙢𝙚𝙧𝙞𝙘𝙖𝙣 🏆@Kenneth_Walker9 // #GoGreen pic.twitter.com/nQPAHM08OD— Michigan State Football (@MSU_Football) October 19, 2021
RB Kenneth Walker III
Kenneth Walker III is the only player in the FBS to rank among the top 15 in rushing yards (first with 997 yards; 142.3 ypg), rushing yards after contact (first with 737), rushing carries for 10-plus yards (tied for second, 27), total touchdowns (eighth with 10), rushing touchdowns (ninth with 9), all-purpose yards (10th with 146.0 ypg) and yards per carry (12th with 6.6 avg.). He currently ranks second among Heisman Trophy contenders by The Athletic and ESPN's Robert Griffin III and fourth by Dennis Dodd of CBS Sports.
Walker had a record-setting debut as a Spartan, rushing for a career-high 264 yards – the seventh-highest total in school history – while scoring a career-high four touchdowns to lead the Spartans past Northwestern on Sept. 3. It marked the most rushing yards by a Spartan in a debut wearing the Green and White and the third most by a player in the FBS this season. Walker became just the second Spartan to record more than 250 rushing yards and four touchdowns in the same game (Eric Allen, school-record 350 yards and four TDs vs. Purdue on Oct. 30, 1971).
After seeing limited action in Week 2 vs. Youngstown State (seven carries for 57 yards, 1 TD, 8.1 avg.), Walker was back at it in the victory at No. 24 Miami on Sept. 18, compiling 172 yards on the ground on 27 carries (6.4 avg.) while also catching three passes for 17 yards, including his first career TD reception on a 7-yard screen pass in the second quarter.
Walker had his third 100-yard rushing game of the season with 126 yards on 24 carries in the victory over Western Kentucky in Week 5. He scored three touchdowns in the first half (5, 5 and 3 yards) against the Hilltoppers.
Walker's 94-yard touchdown run in the third quarter at Rutgers in Week 6 was the longest rush in the 125-year history of Michigan State football, bettering a 90-yard by Lynn Chandnois vs. Arizona in 1949. It was also the longest offensive play from scrimmage in school history, topping the 93-yard pass from Tony Banks to Nigea Carter vs. Indiana in 1994. Walker's 94-yard TD run is also tied for the second longest rush in the FBS in 2021. He finished with a career-high 29 carries for 233 yards against the Scarlet Knights.
Walker has four 100-yard rushing games this season, including two 200-yard games (264 vs. Northwestern on Sept. 3; 172 at Miami on Sept. 18; 126 vs. Western Kentucky on Sept. 25; 233 at Rutgers on Oct. 9). Walker is the only player in the Big Ten and one of two in the FBS with two 200-yard rushing games this season (Tyler Badie, Missouri). Walker has nine 100-yard rushing games in his collegiate career (two at Wake Forest in 2019; three at Wake Forest in 2020; four at Michigan State in 2021) and also holds the school record at Wake Forest with a 96-yard TD run in 2019.
Walker is averaging 156.7 rushing yards per game against six FBS opponents this season.
𝙈𝙞𝙙𝙨𝙚𝙖𝙨𝙤𝙣 𝘼𝙡𝙡-𝘼𝙢𝙚𝙧𝙞𝙘𝙖𝙣 🏆@JaydenReed5 // #GoGreen pic.twitter.com/U2aiqE4eJ8— Michigan State Football (@MSU_Football) October 19, 2021
WR/KR/PR Jayden Reed
Jayden Reed ranks among the Big Ten and FBS leaders in all-purpose yards (second in Big Ten and 10th in FBS, 146.0 ypg), punt returns (first and first, 23.3 avg.), combined kick returns (second and seventh with 418), yards per catch (first and eighth, 20.8 avg.), total touchdowns (fourth and 29th with 8), TD catches (fifth and 30th with 5) and receiving yards per game (sixth and 36th with 80.3 ypg). He also is tied for the FBS lead with two punt returns for touchdowns (62 yards vs. Nebraska, 88 yards vs. Western Kentucky).
Reed was recognized on the Paul Hornung Award Honor Roll for the third time of the season after collecting a career-high 285 all-purpose yards (127 receiving, 88 punt return, 63 kick return, 7 rushing), the seventh-most single-game total in school history, in the win over Western Kentucky on Oct. 2. Reed scored the first time he touched the ball against the Hilltoppers with an 88-yard punt return, marking his second consecutive punt return for a touchdown (62 yards vs. Nebraska in fourth quarter). He also had his second 100-yard receiving effort of the season with four catches for 127 yards vs. WKU, including a 46-yard TD in the first quarter.
Reed was named the Big Ten Special Teams Player of the Week on Sept. 27; he was also recognized on the Paul Hornung Award Honor Roll for the second time this season (Week 2 vs. Youngstown State). With MSU trailing 20-13 to Nebraska late in the fourth quarter, Reed returned a punt 62 yards for a touchdown to tie the game with 3:47 remaining, setting the stage for an overtime win over the Huskers. It marked MSU's first punt return for a touchdown since Nov. 26, 2011 (Keshawn Martin 57 yards at Northwestern). Reed finished the game with 192 all-purpose yards (69 kick return, 62 punt return, 59 receiving, 2 rushing). His 41-yard kick return in the second quarter set up an MSU field goal. He also hauled in four passes for 59 yards, including a 35-yard TD catch from Thorne in the second quarter.
Reed caught four passes for a career-high 181 yards against Youngstown State in Week 2; two of those catches came for 160 yards in the first half alone (75 yard TD on first play of the game; 85 yard TD in second quarter). He also tallied 264 all-purpose yards (181 receiving, 32 kick return, 48 punt return) against YSU.
Reed has seven 100-yard receiving games in his career (four at Western Michigan in 2018; one at MSU in 2020; two at MSU in 2021).
𝙈𝙞𝙙𝙨𝙚𝙖𝙨𝙤𝙣 𝘼𝙡𝙡-𝘼𝙢𝙚𝙧𝙞𝙘𝙖𝙣 🏆@JacubPanasiuk // @Xhenn5 pic.twitter.com/BbU0KhgRX2— Michigan State Football (@MSU_Football) October 19, 2021
S Xavier Henderson
Senior Xavier Henderson has started a team-best 27 consecutive games at safety for the Spartans. He leads the team and ranks sixth in the Big Ten in tackles with 60 (8.6 avg) and recorded a career-high 17 tackles vs. Nebraska, the most by a Spartan since Montae Nicholson in 2016. Henderson also ranks second on the team and tied for ninth in the Big Ten with seven tackles for loss, including two sacks, and has one interception (vs. Youngstown State)
A product of Reynoldsburg, Ohio, Henderson has been selected a game captain every week this season. He has also led or shared the team lead in tackles four times. Henderson recorded an acrobatic interception in Week 2 vs. Youngstown State, the third pick of his career. He also leads all active Spartans with 199 career tackles.
DE Jacub Panasiuk
Fifth-year senior Jacub Panasiuk has 37 career starts to his credit, most of any active Spartan, including all seven games this season. He has recorded 5.5 sacks the past four games (two each vs. Nebraska and Western Kentucky; half sack vs. Rutgers; one sack vs. Indiana) and ranks tied for fifth in the Big Ten in tackles for loss with 8.5 TFLs for 49 yards. His team-best 5.5 sacks are tied for first in the league. Overall, he has 23 tackles, six QB hurries, one pass break-up, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery.
Panasiuk was named the Pro Football Focus National Defensive Player of the Week after collecting a career-high two sacks vs. Nebraska; he had seven stops overall against the Huskers.
Panasiuk ranks among the school's all-time leaders in sacks (13th with 14.5) and tackles for loss (16th with 29.5).
No. 9/7 Michigan State (7-0, 4-0 Big Ten) returns to action Saturday, Oct. 30 to host No. 6/6 Michigan in Spartan Stadium at noon. The game will be televised on FOX.
Players Mentioned
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