The PAC-12 regular season is nearing its end, and it is time for us to make our prediction about the major awards.
From Offensive and Defensive player of the year to the freshman of the year and of course the coach of the year, here is a look at who is in the running for each award and our best guess at who will win it.
PAC-12 Offensive Player of the Year
The candidates: Justin Herbert – QB (UO), Anthony Gordon – QB (WSU), Zach Moss – RB (Utah) – Isaiah Hodgins (OSU)
This award actually goes to non-quarterbacks pretty often, but it definitely seems like the 2019 award will be between Justin Herbert of the Ducks and Anthony Gordon of the Cougars.
Herbert’s numbers are unreal this year, with a 69.4 percent completion rate, a 163.5 passer rating and an outstanding 24-to-2 touchdown-to-interception ratio.
Considering Oregon is still in the running for a playoff berth, this award is almost all but locked up. Gordon’s gaudy numbers (32 touchdowns, 70 percent completion rate, 3,387 yards) will make it interesting, but WSU’s losing streak may have killed his chances.
PAC-12 Defensive Player of the Year
The candidates: Evan Weaver – LB (Cal), Troy Dye – LB (UO), Paulson Adebo – DB (Stanford) Nate Landman – LB (COL) – Jaylen Johnson – CB (Utah) – Hamilcar Rasheed – DE (OSU
Evan Weaver is leading the conference in tackles by a wide margin, while also providing leadership to the best defense in the conference, and one of the best in the Nation.
As such, he will be difficult to unseat as the PAC-12 defensive player of the year.
However, Nate Landman of the Buffaloes is also among the conference leaders in nearly every defensive category, and both Troy Dye and Paulson Adebo have been billed as potential first-round picks. Adebo leads the conference in interceptions while Dye is rapidly climbing the leaderboards in PAC-12 history among tackles and tackles for loss. In addition, there is little mentioned, Hamilcar Rashed from Oregon State. He is leading the conference in sacks (12).
Weaver would have to get hurt or Cal would have to get torched for him to not win this award, but this conference does have a lot of successful defensive players to choose from.
PAC-12 Offensive Freshman of the Year
The candidates: Jayden Daniels – QB (ASU), Kedon Slovis – QB (USC), Jaren Mangham – RB (COL)
This award will almost certainly come down to the two quarterbacks, although Mangham’s contributions as both a ball-carrier and a receiver will merit some consideration.
Daniels has thrown for more yards and has a better touchdown-to-interception ratio than Slovis, but the USC star in the making has him beat nearly everywhere else. With a 68.5 percent completion rate, 16 touchdowns and a 149.6 passer rating, I expect this award to go to Slovis.
However, these two are close enough statistically that if Arizona State is able to pull of a few quality wins, thanks to Daniels, he could sneak in and take this award from Slovis.
PAC-12 Defensive Freshman of the Year
The candidates: Mase Funa – LB (UO), Kuony Deng – LB (Cal) Stephan Blaylock – DB (UCLA)
Not a lot of big-time contributors on defense as freshmen this season, but a pair of linebackers lead the pack.
Funa is tied for seventh in the conference in both sacks (4) and tackles for loss (7.5) proving himself an effective weapon off the edge.
Deng is third in the conference in combined tackles with 80, while also racking up a handful of sacks and even a pair of pass breakups. At this point, he’s probably the favorite for this award thanks in part to Cal’s elite defense.
Blaylock is the only non-linebacker on this list, but his 59 tackles and two pass breakouts lead all freshmen defensive backs in the PAC-12.
Coach of the Year – Mario Cristobal (Oregon)
Oregon and Utah are both 8-1 on the season, and every other PAC-12 school has at least four losses. That makes the choice for PAC-12 coach of the year a fairly easy one. Utah was expected to finish first with Oregon second, so Oregon is (technically) overachieving.
Kyle Whittingham at Utah will certainly get some consideration, but outside of those two, there is literally no one else in the conference who deserves this award.