Hawk Item – – One of 10 juniors named to 2021 Player Council . . . five interceptions in 2021 leads the nation . . . one of seven sophomores named to 2020 Leadership Group . . . one of eight true freshmen to see action in 2019 . . . earned Dean’s List recognition, spring, 2021.
2021 Honors – – Coaches Appreciation Award, defense . . . Academic All-Big Ten . . . first-team All-Big Ten by league coaches and media . . . second-team All-Big Ten by Associated Press and Phil Steele . . . named Big Ten Defensive Player of the Week vs. Northwestern by CollegeSportsMadness.com . . . 2021 – – Started at outside linebacker in 34-6 win over #17 Indiana as defense allowed just 77 net rushing yards and 233 yards total offense . . . four tackles vs. Indiana, including 1.5 tackles for loss . . . also collected first career interception . . . started at strong safety in 27-17 win at #9 Iowa State as defense allowed just 87 net rushing yards . . . four tackles at ISU, including three solo stops and one assist . . . started at strong safety in 30-7 win over Kent State as defense allowed just 79 net rushing yards and 264 yards total offense . . . three solo tackles vs. Kent State . . . started at strong safety in 24-14 win over Colorado State as defense allowed 95 net rushing yards and 250 yards total offense . . . four tackles vs. CSU, including three solo stops and one assist, with one tackle for loss and one pass break-up . . . started at outside linebacker in 51-14 win at Maryland as defense allowed just 97 net rushing yards and 271 yards total offense . . . one solo tackle vs. Maryland, along with second interception of the season and one pass break-up . . . started at strong safety in 23-20 win over #4 Penn State . . . five tackles vs. PSU, including two solo stops and three assists, along with a shared tackle for loss and two QB pressures . . . started at strong safety in 24-7 loss to Purdue . . . matched career-high with five solo tackles and one pass break-up vs. Purdue . . . started at strong safety in 27-7 loss at Wisconsin . . . recorded four tackles at Wisconsin, including two solo stops and two assists . . . started at strong safety in 17-12 win at Northwestern as defense allowed just 93 net rushing yards . . . two interceptions at Northwestern, including final theft in closing two minutes . . . also recorded two tackles, one pass break-up and one QB pressure . . . started at strong safety in 27-22 win over Minnesota . . . four tackles vs. Minnesota, including two solo stops and two assists, along with one pass break-up . . . started at strong safety in 33-23 win over Illinois as defense allowed just 64 net rushing yards . . . fifth interception of the season vs. Illinois, along with two pass break-ups and one assisted tackle . . . started at outside linebacker in 28-21 win at Nebraska . . . four tackles at Nebraska, including two solo stops and two assists . . . started at outside linebacker in 42-3 loss to #2 Michigan . . . two tackles vs. Michigan, including one solo tackle and one assist . . . started at strong safety in 20-17 Citrus Bowl loss to #22 Kentucky . . . three tackles vs. Kentucky, ihcluding two solo stops and one assist.
2020 Honors – – Honorable mention All-Big Ten by league coaches and media . . . 2020 – – Saw action in all eight games, recording 19 solo tackles and 14 assists, with 1.5 tackles for loss, one sack, five pass break-ups and one forced fumble . . . started at strong safety in 24-20 loss at Purdue . . . four tackles at Purdue, including two solo stops and two assists, to go with one pass break-up . . . started at the outside linebacker/cash position in 21-20 loss to Northwestern . . . four tackles vs. Northwestern, including three solo stops and one assist . . . started at outside linebacker/cash position in 49-7 win over Michigan State as offense allowed 59 rushing yards and 286 yards total offense . . . five tackles vs. MSU, including two solo stops and three assists, along with one pass break-up . . . started at strong safety in 35-7 win at Minnesota . . . three tackles at Minnesota, including one solo stop and two assists, along with career-best two pass break-ups . . . started at linebacker in 41-21 win at Penn State as defense allowed 62 net rushing yards . . . four tackles at Penn State, including three solo stops and one assist . . . also recorded first career QB sack and forced fumble, which led to an Iowa touchdown . . . started at outside linebacker in 26-20 win over Nebraska . . . three tackles vs. Nebraska, including one solo stop and two assists . . . started at outside linebacker in 35-21 win at Illinois . . . four tackles at Illinois, including three solo stops and one assist, with one pass break-up . . . started at strong safety in 28-7 win over #25 Wisconsin as defense allowed 56 net rushing yards and 225 yards total offense . . . matched career-high with six tackles vs. Badgers, including four solo stops and two assists, with a shared tackle for loss .
2019 Honors – – Academic All-Big Ten . . . 2019 – – Saw action in eight games, with four starts . . . recorded 33 tackles, including 20 solo stops and 13 assists . . . saw first action of career in 48-3 win over Middle Tennessee, recording two assisted tackles as defense allowed just 216 yards total offense . . . did not see action in 10-3 loss at #18 Michigan . . . did not see action in 17-12 loss to #9 Penn State . . . saw action in 26-20 win over Purdue as defense allowed just 33 net rushing yards . . . career-best six tackles vs. Purdue, including three solo stops and three assists . . . stasrted at outside linebacker in 20-0 win at Northwestern as defense allowed just 64 net rushing yards and 202 yards total offense . . . recorded five tackles in first career start at Northwestern, including three solo tackles and two assists, along with one tackle for loss . . . saw action in 24-22 loss at #16 Wisconsin, recording three solo tackles . . . started at outside linebacker in 23-19 win over #7 Minnesota ad defense allowed just 63 net rushing yards . . . five tackles vs. Minnesota, including four solo stops and one assist . . . started at outside linebacker in 19-10 win over Illinois, while also seeing action at safety . . . two tackles vs. Illinois, including one solo stop and one assist . . . saw action in 27-24 win at Nebraska . . . four tackles at Nebraska, including one solo stop and three assists . . . started at outside linebacker in 49-24 Holiday Bowl win over #22 USC as defense allowed just 22 net rushing yards . . . matched-career best with six tackles vs. USC, including five solo stops and one assist, with one tackle for loss.
High school honors – – Named second-team all-state as a junior after earning honorable mention recognition as a sophomore . . . first-team all-county as a junior and second team as a sophomore . . . Career – – Four-year football letterman as defensive back, wide receiver and return specialist . . . helped prep team reach state playoffs four straight years . . . four-year record of 43-8, including a 12-1 mark as a senior . . . recorded 67 tackles as a senior, with four interceptions and seven pass break-ups, while scoring four touchdowns . . . as a junior recorded 56 tackles, with four interceptions, five tackles for loss, four pass break-ups and three touchdowns . . . 49 tackles, three interceptions and four pass break-ups as a sophomore . . . one interception as a freshman . . . team captain as a junior and senior . . . also two-year track letterman.
Personal – – Born 12/7/2000 . . . health and human physiology major . . . parents are Deanna and Danny Belton . . . high school coach was Matt Thompson.