Pac-12 football preview: Our 2021 all-conference team projections
The Pac-12 Hotline’s preseason all-conference team features two glaring omissions, both related to injury.
We did not select Washington edge rusher Zion Tupuola-Fetui or Colorado linebacker Nate Landman, who were first-team all-conference picks (by the coaches) last season.
Tupuola-Fetui’s exclusion was a fairly easy call, because the Huskies have not indicated when he’ll return from a torn Achilles, only that he is expected to play at some point.
Landman’s case isn’t as clear. He, too, suffered a ruptured Achilles. But unlike Tupuola-Fetui, who was injured in the spring, Landman’s setback occurred in the regular-season finale eight months ago. He’s practicing with the Buffaloes and expected to play in the season opener.
And yet, we remain slightly skeptical of Landman returning to form quickly enough to make an impact great enough to produce an all-conference season.
Also, the competition is fierce: The linebacker position has as much quality depth as any on defense.
Unsure of Landman’s ability to regain his pre-injury form and given the presence of so many established, healthy players, we excluded him.
It’s one of many all-conference decisions we quickly could come to regret.
Notes on the following:
— Our picks for the Pac-12 offensive and defensive Players of the Year are USC receiver Drake London and Oregon defensive end Kayvon Thibodeaux.
— We selected three receivers, five defensive backs and an edge rusher to reflect the personnel groupings used most often.
— One position per player.
— We defined the All-Purpose player (AP) narrowly — someone who impacts the offense in a variety of ways. Contributions on special teams were assigned to the Return Specialist (RS) selections.
Offense
First team
QB: Arizona State’s Jayden Daniels
TB: Colorado’s Jarek Broussard
TB: Washington State’s Max Borghi
WR: USC’s Drake London (OPOY)
WR: Utah’s Britain Covey
WR: Oregon’s Johnny Johnson
TE: Washington’s Cade Otton
OL: Washington State’s Abraham Lucas
OL: Utah’s Nick Ford
OL: Washington’s Jaxson Kirkland
OL: Arizona State’s Dohnovan West
OL: Oregon State’s Nathan Eldridge
AP: Arizona State’s Rachaad White
Second team
QB: USC’s Kedon Slovis
TB: Stanford’s Austin Jones
TB: UCLA’s Zach Charbonnet
WR: Arizona State’s Bryan Thompson
WR: Washington State’s Travell Harris
WR: UCLA’s Kyle Phillips
TE: Utah’s Brant Kuithe
OL: Stanford’s Walter Rouse
OL: Washington’s Henry Bainivalu
OL: Arizona State’s Kellen Riesch
OL: Oregon’s Alex Forsyth
OL: Washington’s Luke Wattenberg
AP: Oregon’s Travis Dye
DEFENSE
First team
DL: Oregon’s Kayvon Thibodeaux (DPOY)
DL: Stanford’s Thomas Booker
DL: Utah’s Mika Tafua
DL: Arizona State’s Jermayne Lole
Edge: USC’s Drake Jackson
LB: Utah’s Devin Lloyd
LB: Oregon State’s Avery Roberts
LB: Cal’s Cameron Goode
DB: Arizona State’s Chase Lucas
DB: Oregon’s Mykeal Wright
DB: Washington’s Trent McDuffie
DB: USC’s Chris Steele
DB: Colorado’s Isaiah Lewis
Second team
DL: USC’s Nick Figueroa
DL: Arizona State’s Tyler Johnson
DL: Cal’s Luc Bequette
DL: Utah’s Viane Moala
Edge: UCLA’s Mitchell Agude
LB: Washington’s Edefuan Ulofoshio
LB: Colorado’s Carson Wells
LB: Cal’s Kuony Deng
DB: Oregon’s Verone McKinley
DB: UCLA’s Quentin Lake
DB: Utah’s Clark Phillips III
DB: Arizona State’s Evan Fields
DB: USC’s Isaiah Pola-Mao
Special Teams
First team
K: Utah’s Jadon Redding
P: USC’s Ben Griffiths
RS: Arizona State’s D.J. Taylor
Second team
K: Arizona’s Lucas Havrisik
P: Stanford’s Ryan Sanborn
RS: Cal’s Nikko Remigio