Pac-12 football early look: Our projections for the 2021 all-conference teams
We spent hours sifting through rosters to compile the Hotline’s early all-conference selections, and it’s clear: The number of returning starters suggests high-level play across the Pac-12 next fall.
Then again, that’s the case in every conference.
The free year of eligibility granted by the NCAA in 2020 means many senior starters are returning.
In the Pac-12 and elsewhere, depth charts will be stocked with fifth- and sixth-year seniors.
There will be some seventh-year seniors, too.
The deep well of returning starters made the all-conference selections exceedingly difficult, to the point that we considered three teams of 30 players, instead of the two laid out below.
Notes on the lineups:
— We created teams that represent the alignments typically seen on the field: Each team has three receivers, an edge rusher and five defensive backs (although we did not specifically select a nickel back/slot corner).
— Incoming transfers and freshmen were not selected, but we’ll revisit the teams in the spring — once the rate of player movement has subsided — and possibly add some newcomers.
(For the first installment of our 2021 early-look series, the projections for the division races, go here.)
*** OFFENSE
First team
QB: Arizona State’s Jayden Daniels
TB: Colorado’s Jarek Broussard
TB: Oregon’s Travis Dye
WR: USC’s Drake London
WR: UCLA’s Kyle Phillips
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: Washington State’s Travell Harris
Second team
QB: USC’s Kedon Slovis
TB: Stanford’s Austin Jones
TB: Washington State’s Max Borghi
WR: Utah’s Britain Covey
WR: USC’s Bru McCoy
WR: Washington State’s Renard Bell
TE: Utah’s Brant Kuithe
OL: Stanford’s Walter Rouse
OL: Oregon State’s Nous Keobounnam
OL: UCLA’s Sam Marrazzo
OL: Oregon’s Alex Forsyth
OL: Cal’s Michael Saffell
AP: Stanford’s Nathaniel Peat
*** DEFENSE
First team
DL: Oregon’s Kayvon Thibodeaux
DL: Arizona State’s Tyler Johnson
DL: Stanford’s Thomas Booker
Edge: Washington’s Zion Tupuola-Fetui
LB: Utah’s Devin Lloyd
LB: Colorado’s Nate Landman
LB: Cal’s Cameron Goode
LB: Oregon State’s Avery Roberts
LB: Washington’s Edefuan Ulofoshio
DB: Arizona State’s Chase Lucas
DB: Oregon’s Mykeal Wright
DB: Washington’s Trent McDuffie
DB: USC’s Chris Steele
DB: Arizona State’s Evan Fields
Second team
DL: Utah’s Mika Tafua
DL: USC’s Nick Figueroa
DL: Arizona State’s Jermayne Lole
Edge: USC’s Drake Jackson
LB: Colorado’s Carson Wells
LB: Oregon State’s Omar Speights
LB: Cal’s Kuony Deng
LB: UCLA’s Caleb Johnson
DB: Cal’s Josh Drayden
DB: UCLA’s Qwuantrezz Knight
DB: Colorado’s Isaiah Lewis
DB: Arizona’s Christian Roland-Wallace
DB: USC’s Isaiah Pola-Mao
*** SPECIALISTS
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
Support the Hotline: Several Hotline articles will remain free each month (as will the newsletter), but for access to all content, you’ll need to subscribe. I’ve secured a rate of $1 per week for a full year or just 99 cents for the first month, with the option to cancel anytime. Click here. And thanks for your loyalty.
*** Send suggestions, comments and tips (confidentiality guaranteed) to pac12hotline@bayareanewsgroup.com or call 408-920-5716
*** Follow me on Twitter: @WilnerHotline
*** Pac-12 Hotline is not endorsed or sponsored by the Pac-12 Conference, and the views expressed herein do not necessarily reflect the views of the Conference.