Zach Charbonnet Represents UCLA Football on Preseason All-Pac-12 First Team
The 2022 college football season is a month away from kicking off, and the media has officially tabbed the top players in the Pac-12.
The conference announced the preseason All-Pac-12 Teams on Tuesday, a few days ahead of Pac-12 Football Media Day in Los Angeles on Friday. UCLA football had several players earn nods, but far fewer than their crosstown rivals and other top conference foes.
Running back Zach Charbonnet was the Bruins' lone representative on the First Team, while receiver Jake Bobo and linebacker Darius Muasau made the Second Team. Quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson, offensive lineman Jon Gaines II and safety Stephan Blaylock were honorable mentions, which meant they each earned four or more votes from members of the media.
The six total Bruins who were honored was tied for eighth-most in the conference with Washington. USC led the way with 16 players, while Oregon and Utah had 13 apiece.
Notable outlets that cover UCLA, including the Los Angeles Times and our team at All Bruins, did not participate in the voting process.
Charbonnet is less than a week removed from earning a spot on the Doak Walker Award preseason watch list, entering him into the race for the nation's top running back honor. The former Michigan transfer, heading into his second season at UCLA, rushed for 1,137 yards and 13 touchdowns in 2021 en route to a spot on the All-Pac-12 Second Team.
Bobo transferred to Westwood from Duke in December, and he was named to the Biletnikoff Award preseason watch list on July 21. In his senior season with the Blue Devils, Bobo made the All-ACC Third Team after racking up 794 yards on 74 receptions.
Muasau also joined the Bruins via the transfer portal this offseason, coming over from Hawaii after making back-to-back All-Mountain West First Teams. Muasau totaled 109 tackles, 14.0 tackles for loss, 7.0 sacks, five forced fumbles, five passes defended and an interception in 2021, and he also made the Butkus Award preseason watch list Monday.
Thompson-Robinson has made the All-Pac-12 Second Team each of the past two years, and he led the entire conference in total touchdowns, total yards per game, total yards per play, passing yards per attempt, adjusted passing yards per attempt, touchdown-to-turnover ratio and passer rating in 2021. The fifth-year signal-caller was named to the Maxwell Award and Davey O'Brien Award preseason watch lists earlier in July.
Gaines and Blaylock, who are both entering their fifth years with the program, will represent UCLA at Pac-12 Football Media Day on Friday.
The full preseason All-Pac-12 Teams are listed below:
2022 PRESEASON ALL-PAC-12 CONFERENCE FOOTBALL TEAM
First Team Offense
QB: Caleb Williams, USC
RB: Zach Charbonnet, UCLA
RB: Tavion Thomas, Utah
WR: Jordan Addison, USC
WR: Mario Williams, USC
TE: Brant Kuithe, Utah
OL: Jaxson Kirkland, Washington
OL: Braeden Daniels, Utah
OL: Alex Forsyth, Oregon
OL: TJ Bass, Oregon
OL: Andrew Vorhees, USC
First Team Defense
DL: Tuli Tuipulotu, USC
DL: Brandon Dorlus, Oregon
DL: Ron Stone Jr., Washington State
DL: Van Fillinger, Utah
LB: Noah Sewell, Oregon
LB: Omar Speights, Oregon State
LB: Jackson Sirmon, California
DB: Clark Phillips III, Utah
DB: Kyu Blu Kelly, Stanford
DB: Cole Bishop, Utah
DB: Daniel Scott, California
First Team Specialists
PK: Dean Janikowski, Washington State
P: Kyle Ostendorp, Arizona
AP/ST: Travis Dye, USC
RS: DJ Taylor, Arizona State
Second Team Offense
QB: Cameron Rising, Utah
RB: Travis Dye, USC
RB: Byron Cardwell, Oregon
WR: Jacob Cowing, Arizona
WR: Jake Bobo, UCLA
TE: Benjamin Yurosek, Stanford
OL: Joshua Gray, Oregon State
OL: Brett Neilon, USC
OL: Sataoa Laumea, Utah
OL: Brandon Kipper, Oregon State
OL: LaDarius Henderson, Arizona State
Second Team Defense
DL: Zion Tupuola-Fetui, Washington
DL: Junior Tafuna, Utah
DL: Kyon Barrs, Arizona
DL:Brett Johnson, California
LB: Merlin Robertson, Arizona State
LB: Justin Flowe, Oregon
LB: Darius Muasau, UCLA
DB: Christian Gonzalez, Oregon
DB:Jaydon Grant, Oregon State
DB: Rejzhon Wright, Oregon State
DB: Mekhi Blackmon, USC
Second Team Specialists
PK: Camden Lewis, Oregon
P: Luke Loecher, Oregon State
AP/ST: Jack Colletto, Oregon State
RS: Gary Bryant Jr., USC
Honorable Mentions
QB: Dorian Thompson-Robinson, UCLA, Tanner McKee, Stanford
RB: Xazavian Valladay, Arizona State; Damien Moore, California; E.J. Smith, Stanford
WR: Gary Bryant, Jr., USC; De'Zhaun Stribling, Washington State; Jalen McMillan, Washington; Elijah Higgins, Stanford; Devaughn Vele, Utah
TE: Dalton Kincaid, Utah
OL: Branson Bragg, Stanford; Jake Levengood, Oregon State; Ryan Walk, Oregon; Matthew Cindric, California; Ben Coleman, California; Walter Rouse, Stanford; Jon Gaines II, UCLA; Frank Filip, Colorado
DL: Brennan Jackson, Washington State; Popo Aumavae, Oregon; Nick Figueroa, USC; Solomon Byrd, USC; Terrance Lang, Colorado; Jalen Sami, Colorado
LB: Mohamoud Diabate, Utah; Korey Foreman, USC; Kyle Soelle, Arizona State; Levani Damuni, Stanford; Edefuan Olofoshio, Washington; Daiyan Henley, Washington State; Oluwafemi Oladejo, California; Carson Bruener, Washington
DB: Armani Marsh, Washington State; Lu-Magia Hearns III, California; JaTravis Broughton, Utah; Bennett Williams, Oregon; Xavion Alford, USC; Stephan Blaylock, UCLA; Isaiah Lewis, Colorado; Derrick Langford, Washington State, Christian Roland-Wallace, Arizona; Jamal Hill, Oregon
PK: Everett Hayes, Oregon State; Dario Longhetto, California
P: Nick Haberer, Washington State; Ryan Sanborn, Stanford
AP/ST: Seven McGee, Oregon; Nick Alftin, California; Giles Jackson, Washington
RS: Brenden Rice, USC; Casey Filkins, Stanford; Nikko Reed, Colorado
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