Three Trojans make All-Pac-12 first team
Pittman, Jackson, Tufele honored and Slovis is offensive freshman of year. Kelley is only UCLA pick.
After a 5-7 campaign in 2018, not one USC football player was selected to the All-Pac-12 Conference first team. The snub, while ultimately insignificant, was a depressing distinction at the end of a dismal season, an uneasy sign of how far a roster filled with five-star talent had fallen.
A year later, after an 8-4 season, there is another bit of progress. Three Trojans made the All-Pac-12 first team that was announced Tuesday, while five were honored on the conference’s second team.
Kedon Slovis, who arrived at USC last spring as an unheralded three-star quarterback, was chosen the Pac-12’s offensive freshman of the year, capping a season in which he set several school records.
His top target, Michael Pittman Jr., was selected to the All-Pac-12 first team, following his own breakout season in which he routinely took over when USC needed him most. The Biletnikoff Award finalist had a conference-leading 95 receptions, 1,222 yards and 11 touchdowns, which ranked second in the conference.
Joining Pittman on the first team are two pillars of USC’s improved fronts, offensive tackle Austin Jackson and defensive tackle Jay Tufele.
UCLA running back Joshua Kelley was chosen for the second team, the only Bruin selected. It’s the second consecutive year that UCLA did not have a first-team selection on defense and the first time since 2011 that the Bruins didn’t have any defensive players on the first or second team.
Two of USC’s best defensive players landed on the second team, presumably because of time missed with injuries. Sophomore safety Talanoa
Hufanga, who ranks fourth nationally among defensive backs in tackles per game (8.44), and freshman defensive end Drake Jackson, who led USC in sacks (61⁄2), were joined by offensive guard Alijah Vera-Tucker and kick returner Velus Jones on the second team. Pittman also was named to the second team as a special teams contributor.
Utah running back Zack Moss was chosen the Pac-12 offensive player of the year and California linebacker Evan Weaver was defensive player of the year. Coach of the year went to Utah’s Kyle Whittingham. Oregon lineman Kayvon Thibodeaux, out of Westake Village Oaks Christian, was selected the top defensive freshman with 34 tackles, nine sacks and a forced fumble.
Etc.
Pittman, a senior, announced on Twitter that he would play in the Trojans’ Holiday Bowl matchup with Iowa on Dec. 27 in San Diego . ... UCLA linebacker Je’Vari Anderson announced on Twitter that he is entering the transfer portal. He is the fifth Bruin to do so, joining receiver Theo Howard, defensive lineman Marcus Moore and linebackers Tyree Thompson and Noah Keeter.