Oregon’s Bo Nix, UCLA’s Laiatu Latu headline AP All-Pac-12 honors
By JOHN MARSHALL
AP Sports Writer
Oregon quarterback Bo Nix is The Associated Press Pac-12 offensive player of the year and UCLA’s Laiatu Latu is the defensive player of the year.
Washington’s Kalen DeBoer earned Pac-12 coach of the year honors and Colorado quarterback Shedeur Sanders is the newcomer of the year in the team released Thursday.
Nix has had a stellar two-year run since transferring from Auburn, capped by earning a spot in New York as a Heisman Trophy finalist.
Nix led the nation with 40 touchdown passes and a completion percentage of 77.2%, slightly below the major college football record. He was second nationally with 318.8 yards passing per game and threw for 4,145 yards to become the second Oregon quarterback to throw for more than 4,000 yards in a season, joining Heisman Trophy winner Marcus Mariota, who threw for 4,454 yards in 2014.
Nix had No. 8 Oregon within reach of a possible College Football Playoff spot, but the Ducks lost to Washington for the second time this season in the Pac-12 championship.
Latu led the nation in tackles for loss per game at 1.8 and was fourth in sacks at 1.08 per game, with 13 total. The 6-foot-5, 265-pound senior also had 10 quarterback hits and was third on UCLA’s defense with 49 tackles despite being the focus for opposing offenses.
DeBoer has quickly returned No. 2 Washington to prominence since taking over the job two years ago, leading the Huskies to the Alamo Bowl last year and a spot in the CFP this year. Washington finished first nationally in passing yards behind Michael Penix Jr., averaging 343.8 per game, and will face No. 3 Texas in the Sugar Bowl in the national semifinals.
Sanders had a stellar first season after transferring from Jackson State.
Coach Deion Sanders’ son led Colorado to three eye-opening wins to start the season and continued to produce after Buffaloes fell off. Sanders threw for 3,230 yards and 27 touchdowns with three interceptions while completing 69% of his passes.
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The 2023 Associated Press All-Pac-12 Conference team, as selected by a panel of seven sports writers who regularly cover the league. Players at all positions are listed alphabetically with name, school, height, weight, class and hometown; “u-” denotes unanimous selections:
FIRST TEAM OFFENSE
u-WR – Rome Odunze, Washington, 6-3, 215, Jr, Las Vegas
WR – Troy Franklin, Oregon, 6-3, 187, Jr, East Palo Alto, California
T – Taliese Fuaga, Oregon St, 6-6, 330, Jr, Tacoma, Washington
T – Jordan Morgan, Arizona, 6-5, 325, Sr, Marana, Arizona
G – Steven Jones, Oregon, 6-5, 340, Sr, Temecula, California
G – Tanner Miller, Oregon St, 6-1, 287, Jr, Valencia, California
u-C – Jackson Powers-Johnson, Oregon, 6-3, 320, Jr, Draper, Utah
TE – Jack Velling, Oregon St, 6-4, 241, Jr, Seattle
QB – Bo Nix, Oregon, 6-2, 217, Sr, Pinson, Alabama
RB – Jaydn Ott, California, 6-0, 200, So, Chino, California
RB – Damien Martinez, Oregon St, 6-0, 232, So, Lewisville, Texas
PK – Joshua Karty, Stanford, 6-2, 208, Sr, Burlington, North Carolina
All-Purpose – Travis Hunter, Colorado, 6-1, 185, So, Suwanee, Georgia
FIRST TEAM DEFENSE
u-DE – Laiatu Latu, UCLA, 6-5, 265, Sr, Sacramento, California
DE – Brandon Dorlus, Oregon, 6-3, 290, Sr, Fort Lauderdale, Florida
DT – Jonah Elliss, Utah, 6-2, 246, Jr, Moscow, Idaho
DT – Gabriel Murphy, UCLA, 6-3, 260, Jr, Dallas
LB – Edefuan Ulofoshio, Washington, 6-1, 236, Sr, Anchorage
LB – Easton Mascarenas-Arnold, Oregon St, 5-11, 228, Jr, Mission Viejo, California
LB – Jacob Manu, Arizona, 5-11, 225, So, Santa Ana, California
CB – Jabbar Muhammad, Washington, 5-10, 183, Jr, DeSoto, Texas
CB – Khyree Jackson, Oregon, 6-3, 195, Sr, Upper Marlboro, Maryland
S – Calen Bullock, USC, 6-3, 190, Jr, Pasadena, California
S – Kitan Oladapo, Oregon St, 6-1, 217, Sr, Happy Valley, Oregon
P – Jack Bouwmeester, Utah, 6-2, 202, So, Bendigo, Australia
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SECOND TEAM OFFENSE
WR – Tetairoa McMillan, Arizona, 6-5, 210, So, Waimanalo, Hawaii
WR – Tez Johnson, Oregon, 5-10, 160, Jr, Pinson, Alabama
T – Troy Fautanu, Washington, 6-4, 317, Jr, Henderson, Nevada
T – Jonah Monheim, USC, 6-5, 300, Jr, Moorpark, California
G – Parker Brailsford, Washington, 6-2, 275, Fr, Mesa, Arizona
G – Wendell Moe, Arizona, 6-2, 340, Fr, Long Beach, California
C – Jake Levengood, Oregon St, 6-4, 294, Sr, Vacaville, California
TE – Tanner McLachlan, Arizona, 6-5, 235, Sr, Lethbridge, British Columbia
QB – Michael Penix Jr., Washington, 6-3, 213, Sr, Tampa, Florida
RB – Dillon Johnson, Washington, 6-0, 218, Jr, Greenville, Mississippi
RB – Bucky Irving, Oregon, 5-10, 195, Jr, Chicago
PK – Atticus Sappington, Oregon St, 5-10, 188, So, Portland, Oregon
All-Purpose – Zachariah Branch, USC, 5-10, 175, Fr, Las Vegas
SECOND TEAM DEFENSE
DE – Bralen Trice, Washington, 6-4, 274, Jr, Phoenix
DE – Brennan Jackson, Washington St, 6-4, 264, Sr, Temecula, California
DT – B.J. Green II, Arizona State, 6-1, 270, Jr, Atlanta
DT – Tuli Letuligasenoa, Washington, 6-1, 292, Sr, Concord, California
LB – Darius Muasau, UCLA, 6-1, 230, Sr, Ewa Beach, Hawaii
LB – Jeffrey Bassa, Oregon, 6-2, 230, Jr, Salt Lake City
LB – Kaleb Elarms-Orr, California, 6-2, 230. So, Hayward, California
CB – Travis Hunter, Colorado, 6-1, 185, So, Suwanee, Georgia
CB – Tacario Davis, Arizona, 6-4, 195, So, Long Beach, California
S – Sione Vaki, Utah, 6-0, 208, So, Antioch, California
S – Shilo Sanders, Colorado, 6-0, 195, Sr, Canton, Texas
P – Mark Vassett, Colorado, 6-4, 225, Jr, Melbourne, Australia
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Offensive Player of the Year – Bo Nix, Oregon
Defensive Player of the Year – Laiatu Latu, UCLA
Coach of the Year – Kalen DeBoer, Washington
Newcomer of the Year – Shedeur Sanders, Colorado
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ALL-PAC-12 VOTING PANEL
Michelle Gardner, Arizona Republic; Michael Lev, Arizona Daily Star; Brian Howell, Bouler Daily Camera; Mike Vorel, Seattle Times; James Crepea, The Oregonian; Mark Whicker, Southern California News Group; Josh Furlong, KSL.com Sports.
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