Pac-12 Football Awards and All-Conference Team Announced
Offensive Player of the Year: Bryce Love, Stanford
Pat Tillman Defensive Player of the Year: Vita Vea, Washington
Freshman Offensive Co-Players of the Year: J.J. Taylor, Arizona and Walker Little, Stanford
Freshman Defensive Player of the Year: Colin Schooler, Arizona
Coach of the Year: David Shaw, Stanford
SAN FRANCISCO — Running back Bryce Love of STANFORD has been named Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Year, defensive lineman Vita Vea of WASHINGTON the Pat Tillman Defensive Player of the Year and David Shaw of STANFORD the Pac-12 Coach of the Year. In addition, running back J.J. Taylor of ARIZONA and lineman Walker Little of Stanford have been named Freshman Offensive Co-Players of the Year and Arizona linebacker Colin Schooler the Freshman Defensive Player of the Year.
Offensive Player of the Year – Bryce Love, RB, Stanford: Love, a junior from Wake Forest, N.C., led the Pac-12 in rushing and was second in the FBS, averaging 164.4 yards per game. He’s rushed for 100 or more yards in 11 games this season, which ties a school record. His 12 runs of 50 or more yards this year is an FBS record. Love set a school single-season record with 301 rushing yards on 25 carries (12.0 yards/rush) and three touchdowns vs. Arizona State. In the Pac-12 Championship Game, Love surpassed 2009 Heisman finalist Toby Gerhart and moved into second place on the school's single-season rushing list with 1,973 yards this season. With a bowl game remaining, he needs 47 yards to break the school record set by 2015 Heisman finalist Christian McCaffrey. This marks the fifth time in the last nine years that Stanford has claimed the conference offensive player of the year honor.
Pat Tillman Defensive Player of the Year – Vita Vea, DL, Washington: Vea, a junior from Milpitas, Calif., anchored the Husky defense that led the Pac-12 and was third in the nation in rushing defense (92.3 yards allowed), while the team’s total defense (277.4 yards allowed) paced the Pac-12 and was fifth in the FBS. Behind Vea, the Huskies gave up just eight rushing touchdowns on the season. He posted 38 tackles (26 solo, 12 assisted) in 12 starts, collecting 5.5 tackles for loss and 3.5 sacks. Vea is the first Husky to win the award since linebacker Jason Chorak in 1996, and the fifth time overall that a Husky has garnered the honor.
Freshman Offensive Co-Player of the Year – J.J. Taylor, RB, Arizona: Taylor, a redshirt freshman from Corona, Calif., played in all 12 games and was the Pac-12’s top freshman rusher with 828 yards (6.1 yards/carry), averaged 69.0 yards per game, and added five touchdowns. He rushed for a career-best 153 yards on 14 carries (10.9 avg.) with two touchdowns vs. Washington State. Taylor was a major contributor to Arizona’s ground game that averaged 324.4 yards per game (3rd in the FBS) and a school single-season team record 48 rushing touchdowns. Arizona rushed for 300 or more yards seven times, including a pair of 500+ yard games with a UA single-game record 534 yards vs. Oregon State.
Freshman Offensive Co-Player of the Year – Walker Little, OL, Stanford: Little, a freshman from Houston, Texas, earned Stanford’s Outstanding Freshman Award. He’s the first true freshman to start at tackle for Stanford in 17 years. He was part of an offensive line that led the Cardinal to an average of 205.8 rushing yards per game, opening holes for running back Bryce Love, the Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Year. Little and the offensive front allowed just 16 sacks on the season for a league-low 1.23 sacks per game. Little’s the second Cardinal to earn Freshman of the Year honors, joining WR Teyo Johnson (2001).
Freshman Defensive Player of the Year – Colin Schooler, LB, Arizona: Schooler, a freshman from Dana Point, Calif., was 11th in the Pac-12, and second among freshmen with 88 tackles (7.3 per game), trailing only freshman teammate Tony Fields II (91 tackles/7.6 per game). Schooler added 13.5 tackles for loss, most among all FBS freshmen, 3.0 sacks and two interceptions (returned one 66 yards for a touchdown vs. Washington State). In nine Pac-12 games, he posted 81 tackles (9.0 per game) and all 13.5 tackles for loss. Schooler and teammate J.J. Taylor are the second and third Wildcats to earn Freshman of the Year honors, joining WR Mike Thomas (2005).
Coach of the Year – David Shaw, Stanford: After opening the season 1-2, Stanford won eight of its final nine regular season games, including victories over No. 9 Washington and No. 8 Notre Dame over the final three weeks of the season. Stanford clinched the Pac-12 North Division and made its fourth Pac-12 Football Championship Game appearance under Shaw. The Cardinal is currently No. 13 in the CFP rankings and head to the Valero Alamo Bowl with a 9-4 record. Stanford has now posted eight or more wins in nine consecutive seasons. It’s the fourth time Shaw has earned Pac-12 Coach of the Year honors (2011, 2012 and Co-Coach with Washington State’s Mike Leach in 2015). In seven seasons at Stanford, Shaw’s record stands at 73-21. His 73 career wins are the most in Stanford history. Against Cal (Nov. 18), Shaw eclipsed the previous record set by Glenn “Pop” Warner (71 from 1924-32).
The individual awards and the All-Pac-12 Football Team are selected by the Pac-12 head coaches. Below is the 2017 All-Pac-12 Football Team that was announced earlier today.
2017 ALL-PAC-12 CONFERENCE FOOTBALL TEAM
| First Team Offense | Second Team Offense | ||
| QB | Sam Darnold, RSo., USC | QB | Josh Rosen, Jr., UCLA |
| RB | Ronald Jones II, Jr., USC | RB | Royce Freeman, Sr., Oregon |
| RB | Bryce Love, Jr., Stanford | RB | Myles Gaskin, Jr, Washington |
| WR | N’Keal Harry, So., Arizona State | WR | Deontay Burnett, Jr., USC |
| WR | Dante Pettis, Sr., Washington | WR | Darren Carrington II, Sr., Utah |
| TE | Dalton Schultz, Sr., Stanford | TE | Will Dissly, Sr., Washington |
| OL | Tyrell Crosby, Sr., Oregon | OL | David Bright, RSr., Stanford |
| OL | Nate Herbig, So., Stanford | OL | Toa Lobendahn, RJr., USC |
| OL | Kaleb McGary, Jr., Washington | OL | Cole Madison, RSr., Washington State |
| OL | Cody O’Connell, RSr., Washington State | OL | Kolton Miller, RJr., UCLA |
| OL | Coleman Shelton, Sr., Washington | OL | Salesi Uhatafe, Sr., Utah |
| First Team Defense | Second Team Defense | ||
| DL | Rasheem Green, Jr., USC | DL | Greg Gaines, Jr., Washington |
| DL | Hercules Mata’afa, RJr., Washington State | DL | Jalen Jelks, RJr., Oregon |
| DL | Harrison Phillips, Sr., Stanford | DL | Christian Rector, RSo., USC |
| DL | Vita Vea, Jr., Washington | DL | JoJo Wicker, Jr., Arizona State |
| LB | Uchenna Nwosu, Sr., USC | LB | Keishawn Bierria, Sr., Washington |
| LB | Cameron Smith, Jr., USC | LB | Ben Burr-Kirven, Jr., Washington |
| LB | Kenny Young, Sr., UCLA | LB | Troy Dye, So., Oregon |
| DB | Isaiah Oliver, Jr., Colorado | DB | Julian Blackmon, So., Utah |
| DB | Taylor Rapp, So., Washington | DB | Chase Lucas, RFr., Arizona State |
| DB | Justin Reid, Jr., Stanford | DB | Jojo McIntosh, Jr., Washington |
| DB | Marvell Tell, Jr., USC | DB | Quenton Meeks, Jr., Stanford |
| DB | Jalen Thompson, So., Washington State | ||
| DB | Jaleel Wadood, Sr., UCLA |
| First Team Specialists | Second Team Specialists | ||
| PK | Matt Gay, Jr., Utah | PK | Erik Powell, RSr., Washington State |
| P | Mitch Wishnowsky, Jr., Utah (1) | P | Jake Bailey, Jr., Stanford |
| RS | Dante Pettis, Sr., Washington | RS | Boobie Hobbs, Sr., Utah |
| AP/ST | Brenden Schooler, So., Oregon | AP/ST | Matt Lopes, RSr., USC |
| AP/ST | Michael Pittman Jr., So., USC |
RS=return specialist
AP/ST=all-purpose/special teams player (not a kicker or returner)
(1) Two-time first team selection
ALL-PAC-12 HONORABLE MENTION
ARIZONA: OL Jacob Alsadek, RSr.; RS Shun Brown, Jr.; OL Nate Eldridge, So.; LB Colin Schooler, Fr.; QB Khalil Tate, So.; RB Nick Wilson, Sr.
ARIZONA STATE: DB Chad Adams, Sr..; LB DJ Calhoun, Sr.; OL Sam Jones, RJr.; RB Demario Richard, Sr.; LB Christian Sam, Jr.; DL Tashon Smallwood, Sr.; QB Manny Wilkins, Jr.
CALIFORNIA: LB Devante Downs, Sr.; RB Patrick Laird, Jr.; DL James Looney, Sr.; OL Patrick Mekari, Jr.
COLORADO: LB Rick Gamboa, Jr.; OL Jeromy Irwin, Sr.; RB Phillip Lindsay, Sr.; QB Steven Montez, So.; DB Evan Worthington, Jr.;
OREGON: DB Ugo Amadi, Jr.; TE Jake Breeland, RSo.; OL Jake Hanson, RSo.; DB Arrion Springs, Sr.; OL Calvin Throckmorton, So.
OREGON STATE: LB Manase Hungalu, RSr.; DB David Morris, Fr.
STANFORD: OL Jesse Burkett, Sr.; OL A.T. Hall, Sr.; OL Walker Little, Fr.; LB Bobby Okereke, Sr.; RS Cameron Scarlett, Jr.; AP/ST Brandon Simmons, Sr.; PK Jet Toner, So.; WR JJ Arcega-Whiteside, Jr.
UCLA: WR Darren Andrews, RSr.; WR Jordan Lasley, RJr.; OL Scott Quessenberry, RSr.; OL Najee Toran, Sr.; DL Jacob Tuioti-Mariner, Sr.
USC: OL Chris Brown, RJr.; TB Stephen Carr, Fr.; DL Josh Fatu, Sr.; DB Chris Hawkins, RSr.; DB Iman Marshall, Jr.; WR Steven Mitchell Jr., RSr.; TE Tyler Petite, Jr.; DL Brandon Pili, Fr.; TB Tyler Vaughns, RFr.
UTAH: OL Lo Falemaka, Sr.; LB Kavika Luafatasaga, Sr.; DL Lowell Lotulelei, Sr.; DL Filipo Mokofisi, Sr.
WASHINGTON: TB Salvon Ahmed, Fr.; LB Tevis Bartlett, Jr.; QB Jake Browning, Jr.; DB Myles Bryant, So.; OL Nick Harris, So.
WASHINGTON STATE: OL Andre Dillard, RJr.; QB Luke Falk, RSr.; LB Frankie Luvu, Sr.; RB Jamal Morrow, RSr.
NOTES ON THE 2017 ALL-PAC-12 FOOTBALL TEAM
By School: USC placed the most players on the first team with seven selections. WASHINGTON is next with six (counting Pettis twice), STANFORD had five, OREGON, UTAH and WASHINGTON STATE had two each, ARIZONA STATE, COLORADO and UCLA with one each.
By Class: Of the 27 first-team selections, 9 are seniors, 12 are juniors, and six are sophomores.
Two-time Selections: Utah punter Mitch Wishnowksy is the only repeat first-team selections from last year.
Two-timing First-teamer: Washington’s Dante Pettis is a first team selection at both wide receiver and return specialist.
No Tiebreaker: There was a tie for the fourth defensive back for second teams, so that team is represented with six defensive backs. There also was a tie for the all-purpose/special teams spot on first team.