Skip to content

Ad Disclosure

Former Buckeyes Nick Bosa, Garrett Wilson take home NFL Player of the Year awards

Derek Peterson

By Derek Peterson

Published:

Two of the first three awards handed out at the 2023 NFL Honors awards show on Thursday went to former Buckeyes.

Nick Bosa was named the AP NFL Defensive Player of the Year, the first such honor for the standout defensive end for the San Francisco 49ers. Shortly after, New York Jets wideout Garrett Wilson was named the AP Offensive Rookie of the Year.

Bosa is the second Buckeye to claim the AP NFL Defensive Player of the Year award, joining former Ohio State and Denver Broncos linebacker Randy Gradishar (1978).

He had a remarkable year this season, when he led the NFL with 18.5 sacks. Bosa took 46 of 50 first-place votes.

Wilson is the third former Buckeye to win Offensive Rookie of the Year, and the first since Eddie George in 1996. But he’s also the fifth Buckeye in the last seven years to win a Rookie of the Year award on either side of the ball. Ohio State had a run of four AP NFL Defensive Rookies of the Year in five years when Joey Bosa won the award in 2016, Marshon Lattimore claimed it in 2017, Nick Bosa won it in 2019 and Chase Young won it in 2020.

The former No. 10 overall pick caught 83 balls for 1,103 yards — both of which were franchise rookie records — and four touchdowns in his NFL debut.

Derek Peterson

Derek Peterson does a bit of everything, not unlike Taysom Hill. He has covered Oklahoma, Nebraska, the Pac-12, and now delivers CFB-wide content.