ALL-OAC TEAMS

WESTERVILLE, Ohio – Three Otterbein University football players landed spots on the 2023 All-Ohio Athletic Conference (OAC) Team in football Monday morning, as voted on by head coaches across the league.

Safety Randy Cochran Jr. led the trio of Cardinals earning recognition on the second team, while defensive end Justin Bartlett and slot receiver Owen Menge took honorable mention status.

Overall, 88 players across the highly-competitive league (including eight special-award winners) garnered status to one of the three squads.

Cochran (Norcross, Ga./Norcross) started all 10 games in the secondary during his first season with Otterbein after transferring in. The versatile defensive back ranked third in the OAC for most solo tackles (45) and 12th overall at 75 total stops. Cochran made six of his tackles for a loss, snagged two interceptions and also returned kickoffs on special teams.

Bartlett (Cambridge/Cambridge) becomes a 2x selection after also making the leaguewide list a year ago, transitioning from linebacker to an edge rusher this time around. He ranked second in the conference with 19.5 tackles for loss, marking the third-most in a single season for Otterbein. "Bart" also finished sixth in the OAC with six sacks and made 77 stops altogether… including 12 against Muskingum where he was later named Defensive Player of the Week.

Menge (Columbia Station/Columbia) enjoyed a breakout sophomore campaign, finishing ninth the league at both 38 catches and 56.1 receiving yards per game. The speedy route runner averaged more than 13 yards per grab and scored twice, both coming in a 172-yard performance at rival Capital. He followed that up with a career-high 14 receptions for 114 yards at national power Mount Union.

OAC Special Award Winners below:

Offensive Back of the Year – Braxton Plunk (MTU)
Offensive Linemen of the Year – Matt Wrather (JCU) and Ben Lilly (MTU)
Wide Receiver of the Year – Wayne Ruby Jr. (MTU)
Defensive Linemen of the Year – Chance Knight (MAR) and Rossy Moore (MTU)
Defensive Back of the Year – Josh Jones (MTU)
Linebacker of the Year – Mason McMillen (MTU)
Coach of the Year – Andy Waddle (MAR)
Asst. Coach of the Year – Hayden Thomas (WILM)