The Pac-12 has become something of an NCAA football afterthought in recent years. Perhaps the talking heads are waiting for USC to waddle their way back to the top of college football. Who knows? What I do know is that while the east coast is tucked in their beds the west is still playing football. Sometimes, unfortunately, the west is still playing football on Sunday morning. Terrific football is played in the Pac-12 and the conference is filled with excellent football players. Many will eventually play on Sundays. Evan Weaver, Michael Pittman, Penei Sewell, Zack Moss, Laviska Shenault, Troy Dye, Bradlee Anae, Paulson Adebo, and Jaylon Johnson are among the best in the nation at the positions they play. The Pac-12 media announced their conference honors this week. Here are the results.
Offensive Player of the Year: Zack Moss, RB, Utah
Pat Tillman Defensive Player of the Year: Evan Weaver, LB, California
Freshman Offensive Player of the Year: Kedon Slovis, QB, USC
Freshman Defensive Player of the Year: Kayvon Thibodeaux, DE, Oregon
Coach of the Year: Kyle Whittingham
From the Pac-12:
Offensive Player of the Year – Zack Moss, RB, Utah: Moss, a senior from Hialeah Gardens, Fla., led the Pac-12 in rushing, averaging 113.3 yards per game (6.2 per carry) and 15 TDs. He rushed for 100 or more yards in eight of 12 games played as Utah posted a league-best 208.8 rushing yards per game. With 1,359 rushing yards, he became the first Utah player to rush for 1,000 of more yards in three seasons. Moss owns the Utah career rushing mark with 4,010 yards and 38 rushing TDs. In addition to his ground totals, Moss tallied 26 receptions for 374 yards and 2 TDs. This marks the first time Utah has claimed the conference offensive player of the year honor.
Pat Tillman Defensive Player of the Year – Evan Weaver, LB, California: Weaver, a senior from Spokane, Wash., led the nation in tackles with a school-record 173 (14.4 per game), breaking Cal's 34-year-old single-season record of 167 set by Hardy Nickerson in 1985. He twice posted 22 tackles in a game this season (at Ole Miss, at Utah). Thanks in large part to Weaver, Cal was fourth in total defense (385.5 ypg) and fourth in rushing defense (122.9 ypg). He’s the first Cal player to garner the Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year honor since Mychal Kendricks in 2011, and the fifth all-time, joining LB Ron Rivera (1983), CB Deltha O'Neal (1999), and CB Daymeion Hughes (2006).
Freshman Offensive Player of the Year – Kedon Slovis, QB, USC: Slovis, a freshman from Scottsdale, Ariz., ranks eighth nationally, and first among all FBS freshman, averaging 294.7 passing yards per game. He threw for 400 or more yards four times during the 2019 season, including a school-record 515 yards in the 52-35 win over UCLA. Slovis finished the regular season having completed 260 of 362 pass attempts for 3,242 yards and 28 TDs. His 71.8 completion percentage ranks fifth nationally and tops among freshmen. Since 2009 when the conference began awarding Freshmen Offensive Player of the Year, Slovis becomes the fourth Trojan to earn the accolade, joining WR Robert Woods (2010), WR Marqise Lee (2011) and QB Sam Darnold (2016). Honorable Mention Freshman Offensive Player of the Year: Jayden Daniels, QB, Arizona State.
Freshman Defensive Player of the Year – Kayvon Thibodeaux, DL, Oregon: Thibodeaux, a freshman from South Central Los Angeles, Calif., had 34 tackles, including 14.0 tackles for loss and 9.0 sacks. In the Pac-12 Championship Game, Thibodeaux posted five tackles, 2.5 sacks and blocked a punt. He ranks second in the Pac-12 in tackles for loss and third in sacks. He’s the first Duck to earn the honor since the conference started awarding Freshman Defensive Player of the Year in 2009. Honorable Mention Freshman Defensive Player of the Year: Omar Speights, LB, Oregon State; Drake Jackson, DL, USC; Trent McDuffie, DB, Washington.
Coach of the Year – Kyle Whittingham, Utah: Guided the Utes to a successful defense of their South Division crown with an 11-2 regular season record, 8-1 in the Pac-12 South Division. It was Utah’s fifth 10-win season in 15 full seasons under Whittingham, and most wins in a season since the perfect 13-0 season in 2008. Under Whittingham, the Utes climbed to No. 5 in the College Football Playoff rankings. The Utes were second in the Pac-12 in scoring (35.9 ppg), first in scoring defense (13.2 ppg), and first in both rushing offense (208.8 avg) and rushing defense (70.3 avg). Whittingham’s record stands at 131-63 in 15-plus seasons. It’s the first time Whittingham has earned Pac-12 Coach of the Year honors.
2019 Pac-12 All-Conference Football Team
First Team Offense
QB Justin Herbert, Oregon
RB Eno Benjamin, Arizona State
RB Zack Moss, Utah
WR Michael Pittman Jr., USC
WR Laviska Shenault Jr., Colorado
TE Colby Parkinson, Stanford
C Nick Harris, Washington
OL Trey Adams, Washington
OL Shane Lemieux, Oregon
OL Walker Little, Stanford
OL Calvin Throckmorton, Oregon
Would it really be an All-Pac 12 Team without a Stanford tight end on it.
First Team Defense
DL Bradlee Anae, Utah
DL Leki Fotu, Utah
DL Mustafa Johnson, Colorado
DL Jay Tufele, USC
LB Troy Dye, Oregon
LB Colin Schooler, Arizona
LB Evan Weaver, California
DB Paulson Adebo, Stanford
DB Julian Blackmon, Utah
DB Myles Bryant, Washington
DB Jaylon Johnson, Utah
First Team Specialists
PK Jet Toner, Stanford
P Oscar Draguicevich III, Washington State
AP J.J. Taylor, Arizona
Second Team Offense
QB K.J. Costello, Stanford
RB Jermar Jefferson, Oregon State
RB J.J. Taylor, Arizona
WR Isaiah Hodgins, Oregon State
WR Amon-Ra St. Brown, USC
TE Hunter Bryant, Washington
C Cohl Cabral, Arizona State
OL Gus Lavaka, Oregon State
OL Abe Lucas, Washington State
OL Darin Paulo, Utah
OL Penei Sewell, Oregon
Second Team Defense
DL Luc Bequette, California
DL John Penisini, Utah
DL Christian Rector
DL Jordon Scott, Oregon
LB Nate Landman, Colorado
LB Merlin Robertson, Arizona State
LB Jahad Woods, Washington State
DB Camryn Bynum, California
DB Ashtyn Davis, California
DB Thomas Graham Jr., Oregon
DB Darnay Holmes, UCLA
Second Team Specialists
PK Brandon Ruiz, Arizona State
P Steven Coutts, California
AP Britain Covey, Utah
All-Pac-12 Honorable Mention (received votes from four or more members of the media)
Running Back: Max Borghi, WSU; Joshua Kelley, UCLA; CJ Verdell, ORE
Wide Receiver: Aaron Fuller, WASH; Theo Howard, UCLA; Dezmon Patmon, WSU
Tight End: Jacob Breeland, ORE; Cole Fotheringham, UTAH
Center: Jake Hanson, ORE
Offensive Line: Zach Robertson, ASU; William Sherman, COLO; Austin Jackson, USC; Jaxson Kirkland, WASH; Dallas Warmack, ORE
Defensive Line: Thomas Booker, STAN; Jovan Swann, STAN; Levi Onwurzurike, WASH
Linebacker: Palaie Gaoteote, USC
Defensive Back: Aashari Crosswell, ASU; Javelin Guidry, UTAH; Jaylinn Hawkins, CAL; Jevon Holland, ORE; Talanoa Hufanga, USC
Place Kicker: JJ Molson, UCLA
Punter: Daniel Rodriguez, OSU; Ben Lennon, UTAH
All-Purpose: Travell Harris, WSU; Elijah Molden, WASH; Brenden Schooler, ORE; Tyler Vaughns, USC
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