Five defensive ISU players have earned All-Big 12 honors, as was announced on Wednesday morning.

Nose tackle Jake McDonough and linebackers Jake Knott and A.J. Klein earned first-team All-Big 12 honors, while safety Durrell Givens and punter Kirby Van Der Kamp earned second-team All-Big 12 honors.

Klein, who was named Big 12 Co-Defensive Player of the Year last season, was named an honorable mention for this year’s Defensive Player of the Year award. The award went to Kansas State’s Arthur Brown, who was a unanimous All-Big 12 first-team selection.

Klein led the team in total tackles this season with 98 and also tied the NCAA record for most career interceptions returned for a touchdown by a linebacker (four) this season.

Knott’s first-team selection comes from a season in which he only started eight games (67 percent of the season thus far) before being sidelined for a severe shoulder injury that was rooted from last season. Knott finished his career as the seventh all-time leading tackler (recently passed by Klein) with 347 career tackles.

McDonough came on strong this season as a destructive force from the 1-technique. The Valley High School alumnus recorded 31 total tackles, 5.5 tackles for loss and two sacks on the season.

In his first year as a full-time starter, Givens led the nation in total takeaways with nine (six fumble recoveries and three interceptions).

Van Der Kamp had a breakout year, nailing 28 of his 69 punts (40.6 percent) inside the 20-yard line.

Iowa State faces Tulsa in the 2012 Liberty Bowl in Memphis, Tenn., on Dec. 31. Kickoff is scheduled for 2:30 p.m. CST and the game will be shown on ESPN.