#8 Matt Hankins Season 2017-18

Hawk Item – – One of six seniors named to 2021 Player Council . . . started 37 straight games prior to missing final four games due to injury . . . one of nine seniors named to 2020 Leadership Group . . . one of 10 true freshmen to see action in 2017 . . . first career start came in win at Nebraska in 2017 . . . has totaled 212 career tackles.

2021 Honors – – Permanent Team Captain, defense . . . Hayden Fry Award, defense . . . second-team All-American by Walter Camp Foundation and AFCA . . . third-team All-America by Phil Steele . . . first-team All-Big Ten by Phil Steele . . . second-team All-Big Ten by league coaches and media and Associated Press . . . semifinalist for Jim Thorpe Award . . . named first-team midseason All-America by CBSSports.com and Associated Press . . . named second-team midseason All-America by The Athletic . . . named Nagurski Award National Defensive Player of the Week vs. Penn State . . . Big Ten Conference Co-Defensive Player of the Week and Rose Bowl Game Big Ten Player of the Week vs. Penn State . . . named Jim Thorpe Award National Player of the Week vs. Iowa State and Penn State. . . named to Bednarik Award Watch List . . . preseason second-team All-Big Ten by Athlon Sports . . . 2021 – – Started at cornerback in 34-6 win over #17 Indiana as defense allowed just 77 net rushing yards and 233 yards total offense, recording one assisted tackle . . . started at cornerback in 27-17 win at #9 Iowa State as defense allowed just 87 net rushing yards . . . two interceptions at ISU, including a 41-yard return . . . first theft led to Iowa’s first touchdown and second led to final field goal . . . also collected four solo tackles and a pass break-up . . . started at cornerback in 30-7 win over Kent State as defense allowed just 79 net rushing yards and 264 yards total offense, but had no statistics . . . started at cornerback in 24-14 win over Colorado State as defense allowed 95 net rushing yards and 250 yards total offense . . . eight tackles vs. CSU, including four solo stops and four assists, with one tackle for loss . . . started at cornerback in 51-14 win at Maryland as defense allowed just 97 net rushing yards and 271 yards total offense . . . recorded two solo tackles at Maryland . . . started at cornerback in 23-20 win over #4 Penn State . . . five tackles vs. PSU, including three solo tackles and two assists, along with one interception . . . solo tackle late in the game stopped PSU drive on fourth down attempt . . . third interception of the season came in final minutes . . . started at cornerback in 24-7 loss to Purdue . . . five tackles vs. Purdue, including four solo stops and one assist . . . started at cornerback in 27-7 loss at Wisconsin . . . four tackles at Wisconsin, including three solo stops and one assist, along with one pass break-up . . . started at cornerback in 17-12 win at Northwestern as defense allowed just 93 net rushing yards . . . five solo tackles and one pass break-up at Northwestern . . . started at cornerback in 27-22 win over Minnesota . . . 10 tackles vs. Minnesota, including seven solo tackles and three assists, to go with two pass break-ups . . . did not see action in 33-23 win over Illinois due to injury . . . did not see action in 28-21 win at Nebraska due to injury . . . did not see action in 42-3 loss to #2 Michigan due to injury.

2020 Honors – – Honorable mention All-Big Ten by league media . . . preseason third-team All-Big Ten by Phil Steele . . . preseason fourth-team All-Big Ten by Athlon Sports . . . 2020 – – Started at cornerback in all eight games, recording 28 solo tackles and 13 assists . . . also collected five pass break-ups and one interception . . . started at cornerback in 24-20 loss at Purdue . . . four solo tackles at Purdue, along with third career interception that led to Iowa field goal . . . started at cornerback in 21-20 loss to Northwestern . . . four tackles vs. Northwestern, including three solo stops and one assist . . . started at cornerback in 49-7 win over Michigan State as defense allowed 59 rushing yards and 286 yards total offense . . . four tackles vs. MSU, including three solo stops and one assist, to go with one pass break-up . . . started at cornerback in 35-7 win at Minnesota . . . five tackles at Minnesota, including three solo stops and two assists . . . started at cornerback in 41-21 win at Penn State as defense allowed just 62 net rushing yards . . . five tackles at PSU, including three solo stops and two assists . . . started at cornerback in 26-20 win over Nebraska . . . nine tackles vs. Nebraska, including six solo stops and three assists, to go with one pass break-up . . . started at cornerback in 35-21 win at Illinois . . . three tackles at Illinois, including two solo tackles and one assist, along with two pass break-ups . . . started at cornerback in 28-7 win over #25 Wisconsin as defense allowed 56 net rushing yards and 225 yards total offense . . . seven tackles vs. the Badgers, including four solo stops and three assists, along with one pass break-up.

2019 Honors – – Team Hustle Award, defense . . . preseason third-team All-Big Ten by Athlon Sports . . . 2019 – – Started all 10 games in which he played,missing three games due to injury . . . collected 58 tackles, including 37 solo stops and 21 assists . . . also had two interceptions and seven pass break-ups . . . started at cornerback in 38-14 win over Miami as defense allowed just 59 net rushing yards . . . two solo tackles and one assist vs. Miami, along with career-best two pass break-ups . . . started at cornerback in 30-0 win over Rutgers, recording one assisted tackle as defense allowed just 125 yards total offense . . . did not see action in 18-17 win at Iowa State due to injury . . . did not see action in 48-3 win over Middle Tennessee due to injury . . . did not see action in 10-3 loss at #18 Michigan due to injury . . . started at cornerback in 17-12 loss to #9 Penn State . . . seven tackles vs. PSU, including four solo tackles and three assists, with a shared tackle for loss . . . started at cornerback in 26-20 win over Purdue as offense allowed just 33 net rushing yards . . . career-best11 tackles vs. Purdue, including eight solo stops and three assists, to go with one pass break-up . . . started at cornerback in 20-0 win at Northwestern, recording two solo tackles and one assist as defense allowed just 64 net rushing yards and 202 yards total offense . . . started at cornerback in 24-22 loss at #16 Wisconsin . . . led team with eight tackles at Wisconsin, including five solo stops and three assists . . . first career pass interception at Wisconsin . . . started at cornerback in 23-19 win over #7 Minnesota as defense allowed just 63 net rushing yards . . . eight tackles vs. Minnesota, including six solo stops and two assists . . . started at cornerback in 19-10 win over Illinois . . . five tackles vs. Illinois, including two solo stops and three assists . . . second interception of the season vs. Illinois, to go with three pass break-ups . . . started at cornerback in 27-24 win at Nebraska . . . five tackles at Nebraska, including two solo stops and three assists . . . one tackle for loss and one QB pressure at Nebraska . . . started at cornerback in 49-24 Holiday Bowl win over #22 USC as defense allowed just 22 net rushing yards . . . seven tackles vs. USC, including six solo stops and one assist, along with one pass break-up.

2018 – – Started at cornerback in all eight games in which he played, missing five games due to injury . . . recorded 48 tackles and three pass break-ups . . . started at cornerback in 33-7 win over Northern Illinois as defense allowed just 211 yards total offense . . . recorded one solo tackle and one assist vs. NIU, with one pass break-up . . . started at cornerback in 13-3 win over Iowa State as defense allowed just 19 net rushing yards and 188 yards total offense . . . career-best eight tackles vs. ISU, including five solo tackles and three assists . . . started at cornerback in 38-14 win over Northern iowa as defense allowed just six net rushing yards and 222 yards total offense . . . six tackles vs. UNI, including three solo stops and three assists . . . started at cornerback in 28-17 loss to #18 Wisconsin, recording one solo tackle and one assist . . . started at cornerback in 14-10 loss to Northwestern after missing six straight games . . . matched career best with eight tackles vs. Northwestern, including five solo stops and three assists, along with one pass break-up . . . started at cornerback in 63-0 win at Illinois, recording three assisted tackles as defense allowed just 216 yards total offense . . . started at cornerback in 31-28 win over Nebraska . . . career-best 10 tackles vs. Nebraska, including seven solo stops and three assists . . . started at cornerback in 27-22 Outback Bowl win over #18 Mississippi State . . . led team with nine tackles in bowl win, including seven solo stops, two assists and one pass break-up.

2017 – – Recorded 21 tackles, including 10 solo stops and 11 assists, along with two pass break-ups . . . saw action in 24-3 opening win over Wyoming, recording one solo tackle . . . saw action in 44-41 OT win at Iowa State, recording one assisted tackle . . . saw action in 31-14 win over North Texas, recording one solo tackle . . . saw action in 17-10 loss at Michigan State, recording one solo tackle . . . saw action in 45-16 win over Illinois, recording one solo tackle . . . saw action in 17-10 win over Minnesota, recording one assisted tackle as defense allowed just 281 yards total offense . . . career-best three tackles in 24-15 loss to Purdue, with one solo stop and two assists . . . started at cornerback in 56-14 win at Nebraska as defense allowed 67 rushing yards and just 267 yards total offense . . . career-best five tackles vs. Nebraska, including two solo stops and three assists, to go with one pass break-up . . . started at cornerback in 27-20 Pinstripe Bowl win over Boston College as defense allowed just 21 net rushing yards and 102 yards total offense in second half . . . career-best seven tackles vs. Boston College, including three solo stops and four assists, to go with one pass break-up.

High school honors – – Selected to participate in All-America Bowl following prep career . . . unanimous first-team all-district selection as a senior . . . first-team all-district as a junior . . . Career – – Three-year letterman . . . helped prep team advance to state playoffs as a junior . . . 27 solo tackles and six assists as a senior, with six pass break-ups . . . 34 solo tackles and 18 assists as a junior, with 13 pass break-ups, five tackles for loss, and two interceptions . . . recorded 20 solo stops and four assists as a sophomore, with nine pass break-ups . . . team captain as a senior.

Personal – – Born 2/22/99 . . . enterprise leadership major . . . parents are Glennis and Darryl Hankins . . . high school coach was Gerry Stanford.