Zach Charbonnet, Laiatu Latu Rep UCLA Football on All-Pac-12 Team
A pair of Bruins have bee heralded among the conference's top players.
The Pac-12 announced its year-end awards for the 2022 season on Tuesday, and UCLA football had representatives throughout. Running back Zach Charbonnet and edge rusher Laiatu Latu made the All-Pac-12 First Team, while left guard Atonio Mafi and linebacker Darius Muasau made the All-Pac-12 Second Team.
Quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson, right guard Jon Gaines II, wide receiver Jake Bobo and safety Stephan Blaylock were all All-Pac-12 honorable mentions.
USC had twice as many all-conference team members all their crosstown rivals with eight, tying them with Oregon State and Washington for most representatives. Oregon and Utah had the next most with six apiece, while UCLA was tied with Washington State in sixth with four each.
Charbonnet, despite missing two games due to injury, led the Pac-12 in rushing yards and yards from scrimmage with 1,359 and 1,680, respectively. The former Michigan transfer topped the conference with 7.0 yards per carry, and he ranked second with 14 touchdowns.
Latu ranked second in the Pac-12 with 9.5 sacks on the season, and he was tied for fifth with 11.0 tackles for loss. The former Washington transfer also led the conference with three forced fumbles, and his 21 solo tackles were the most by a Bruin defensive lineman.
Mafi started all 12 games for UCLA, extending his streak to 55 consecutive appearances dating back to the season opener of his freshman campaign in 2018. Muasau, in his first year since transferring from Hawaii, ranked second on the Bruins with 77 tackles, also adding 2.5 tackles for loss, 1.0 sack, two interceptions, three passes defended, one forced fumble and one fumble recovery.
Thompson-Robinson, after making the All-Pac-12 Second Team in both 2020 and 2021, was bumped down a peg despite putting up career numbers across the board thanks to the influx of star transfers who entered the fray. Caleb Williams joined USC, Michael Penix Jr. went to Washington and Bo Nix went to Oregon, with each of them taking votes away from UCLA's fifth-year man.
While those three signal-callers are all expected back next season, Thompson-Robinson has exhausted all of his eligibility and will attempt to turn pro in the spring.
Of the eight Bruins who were recognized as part of the year-end awards, five are out of collegiate eligibility. Charbonnet, meanwhile, is widely expected to make the jump to the NFL this offseason, and Latu and Muasau are also eligible to do so themselves.
The full list of award-winners and all-conference honorees is listed below:
CONFERENCE AWARDS
Offensive Player of the Year: QB Caleb Williams, So., USC
Defensive Player of the Year: DL Tuli Tuipulotu, Jr., USC
Freshman Offensive Player of the Year: RB Damien Martinez, Fr., Oregon State
Freshman Defensive Player of the Year: LB Lander Barton, Fr., Utah
Co-Coaches of the Year: Kalen DeBoer, Washington and Jonathan Smith, Oregon State
ALL-PAC-12 FIRST TEAM
OFFENSE
QB Caleb Williams, So., USC
RB Zach Charbonnet, Sr., UCLA
RB Damien Martinez, Fr. Oregon State
WR Rome Odunze, So., Washington
WR Jordan Addison, Jr., USC
TE Dalton Kincaid, Sr., Utah
OL T.J. Bass, Sr., Oregon*
OL Braeden Daniels, Jr., Utah
OL Alex Forsyth, Sr., Oregon
OL Andrew Vorhees, R-Sr., USC
OL Jaxson Kirkland, Sr., Washington**
OL Sataoa Laumea, So., Utah
DEFENSE
DL Tuli Tuipulotu, Jr., USC*
DL Laiatu Latu, R-Jr., UCLA
DL Bralen Trice, So., Washington
DL Jeremiah Martin, Sr., Washington
LB Daiyan Henley, R-Sr., Washington State
LB Jackson Sirmon, R-Sr., California
LB Omar Speights, Jr., Oregon State
DB Clark Phillips III, So., Utah
DB Christian Gonzalez, So., Oregon
DB Mekhi Blackmon, R-Sr., USC
DB Rejzohn Wright, Sr., Oregon State
SPECIALISTS
PK Joshua Karty, Jr., Stanford
P Eddie Czaplicki, So., Arizona State
RS Anthony Gould, R-So., Oregon State
AP/ST Jack Colletto, R-Sr., Oregon State
ALL-PAC-12 FIRST TEAM
OFFENSE
QB Michael Penix Jr., Jr., Washington
RB X Valladay, Gr., Arizona State
RB Travis Dye, R-Sr., USC
WR Dorian Singer, So., Arizona
WR Troy Franklin, So., Oregon
TE Benjamin Yurosek, Jr., Stanford
OL Troy Fautanu, So., Washington
OL Taliese Fuaga, So., Oregon State
OL Brett Neilon, R-Sr., USC
OL Joshua Gray, R-So., Oregon State
OL Atonio Mafi, R-Sr., UCLA
DEFENSE
DL Brandon Dorlus, Jr., Oregon
DL Ron Stone Jr., R-Jr., Washington State
DL Brennan Jackson, R-Jr., Washington State
DL Junior Tafuna, So., Utah
LB Noah Sewell, So., Oregon
LB Karene Reid, So., Utah
LB Darius Muasau, Sr., UCLA
DB Jaydon Grant, R-Sr., Oregon State
DB Kyu Blu Kelly, Sr., Stanford
DB Calen Bullock, So., USC
DB Alex Cook, Sr., Washington
SPECIALISTS
PK Peyton Henry, Sr., Washington
P Jamieson Sheahan, Sr., California
RS Silas Bolden, So., Oregon State
AP/ST Daiyan Henley, R-Sr., Washington State
ALL-PAC-12 HONORABLE MENTIONS
ARIZONA: WR Jacob Cowing, Jr.; QB Jayden de Laura, So.; K Tyler Loop, So.; OL Jordan Morgan, Jr.; OL Jonah Savaiinaea, Fr.; RB Michael Wiley, Jr.
ARIZONA STATE: WR Elijhah Badger, R-So.; DB Jordan Clark, R-Jr.; TE Jalin Conyers, R-So.; RS Daniyel Ngata, R-So.; LB Merlin Robertson, 5th; DL Nesta Jade Slivera, Gr; LB Kyle Soelle, R-5th; DB Ro Torrance, R-So.
CALIFORNIA: DB Jeremiah Earby, Fr.; WR/RS Jeremiah Hunter, Jr.; RB Jaydn Ott, Fr.; DB Daniel Scott, R-Sr.; WR J. Michael Sturdivant, R-Fr.; DB Craig Woodson, R-Jr.
COLORADO: ILB Josh Chandler-Semedo, Gr.; DB/RS Nikko Reed, So.; OL Casey Roddick, Jr.; TE Brady Russell, Sr.; DL Jalen Sami, Jr.
OREGON: OL Malaesala Aumavae-Laulu, Sr.; WR Chase Cota, Sr.; TE Terrance Ferguson, So.; RB Bucky Irving, So.; OLB DJ Johnson, Sr.; K Camden Lewis, Jr.; QB Bo Nix, Sr.; OL Ryan Walk, Sr.; DB Bennett Williams, Sr.
OREGON STATE: DB Alex Austin, R-So.; DB Ryan Cooper Jr., Jr.; LB Kyrei Fisher-Morris, R-Sr.; WR Tre'Shaun Harrison, Sr.; OL Brandon Kipper, R-Sr.; OL Jake Levengood, R-Jr.; P Luke Loecher, R-Sr.; DL Sione Lolohea, So.; DB Kitan Oladapo, R-Jr.; DL James Rawls, R-Jr.
STANFORD: LB Levani Dumani, Sr.; DL Stephen Herron, Sr.; WR Elijah Higgins, Sr.; LB Ricky Miezan, 5th, OL Drake Nugent, Sr.; OL Walter Rouse, Sr.; P Ryan Sanborn, Sr.; AP/ST Brycen Tremayne, 5th; WR Michael Wilson, 5th
UCLA: DB Stephan Blaylock, R-Sr.; WR Jake Bobo, R-Sr.; OL Jon Gaines II, Sr.; QB Dorian Thompson-Robinson, R-Sr.
USC: OL Justin Dedich, R-Sr.; OL Jonah Monheim, R-So.; LB Shane Lee, Sr.; WR Tahj Washington, R-Jr.; DB Max Williams, R-Jr.
UTAH: OL Keaton Bills, So.; S Cole Bishop, So.; DL Jonah Elliss, So.; DB R.J. Hubert, Sr.; QB Cameron Rising, Jr.; WR Devaughn Vele, So.
WASHINGTON: OL Henry Bainivalu, Sr.; LB Cam Bright, Sr.; OL Corey Luciano, Sr.; WR Jalen McMillan, So.; RB Wayne Taulapapa, Gr.; DL Zion Tupuola-Fetui, Jr.; LB Alphonzo Tuputala, So.; DB Asa Turner, Jr.
WASHINGTON STATE: RS Robert Ferrel, 5th; P Nick Haberer, So.; OL Jarrett Kingston, R-Jr.; DB Armani Marsh, R-Sr.; DB Chau Smith-Wade, So.; QB Cam Ward, So.; RB Nakia Watson, R-Jr.
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