On Thursday afternoon, nine BGSU football players earned All-Mid-American Conference (MAC) honors, with junior tight end Harold Fannin Jr. being named the MAC Offensive Player of the Year and Verne Smith Leadership Award winner (MVP). 

Fannin finished the regular season with 100 receptions for 1,342 yards and nine touchdowns, ranking second in the nation for receptions and receiving yards.

Fannin is only the second player in FBS history to win an offensive player of the year award at the tight end position. The only other player to do so was Rutgers’ Marco Battaglia in 1995 out of the Big East Conference. 

As for the other Falcons, four others received first-team All-MAC honors. On the offensive side of the ball, along with Fannin, senior offensive tackle Alex Wollschlaeger and junior running back Terion Stewart were both named First-Team All-MAC selections. Stewart tallied 890 rushing yards on 160 carries for 6 touchdowns. 

On the defensive side of the ball, linebacker Joseph Sipp Jr. and cornerback Jordan Oladokun both received First-Team All-Defense recognition. Sipp Jr. ranks 13th in the MAC for tackles for loss and seventh overall in sacks. Oladokun was fourth in the MAC for passes deflected and second for interceptions. 

The Second-Team All-MAC only had one player from BG, junior punter John Henderson. Henderson appeared in every game this season and averaged 40.8 yards per punt, with his longest punt, 66 yards, coming against Central Michigan. 

Third-Team All-MAC featured senior quarterback Connor Bazelak on the offensive side of the ball. Bazelak threw for 2,654 yards with 15 touchdowns to just five interceptions, including a stretch from the Old Dominion game (Sept. 28) to the Miami (OH) (Nov. 29), in which Bazelak did not turn the ball over. 

Defensive lineman Anthony Hawkins and cornerback Jacorey Benjamin received Third-Team All-Defense honors. Hawkins tallied up 5 sacks and 1 forced fumble, while Benjamin totaled two interceptions on the year and 16 solo tackles.