ASU LB Robertson receives Pac-12 honor
The ASU football team has had a lot of freshmen emerge as impact players this season but none more than linebacker Merlin Robertson.
The 6-foot-3, 235-pounder was rewarded for his showing this season, being named Pac-12 Defensive Freshman of the Year. All-Conference accolades and major awards were announced on Tuesday. Despite being a true freshman, Robertson emerged as the leader of the Sun Devils’ young defense both from a playing and leadership standpoint.
He recorded 77 tackles, 8.5 of those for a loss. He also had five sacks, an interception, a fumble recovery and a forced fumble.
“His ability to make plays, some announced plays you can’t coach,” ASU coach Herm Edwards said. “He’s a smart guy too. He gets everyone to line up, and he’s a freshman. That’s pretty impressive to a defense that’s not easy. There’s some complication in it because we switch things. We come in and out of certain fronts and coverages. It speaks to his ability to make plays in big moments.”
Edwards also praised Robertson’s composure and the effect he had on the other young players in the Sun Devils’ starting lineup.
“It’s almost like a pro football player. Certain rookies come in the league and you watch them and you go it’s not too big, he’ll be fine. You just felt that with Merlin,” he said. ‘That kind of rubbed off on (Darien) Butler then that rubbed off on Aashari (Crosswell) then (Jermayne) Lole was the last one to join in.
“I talked to him and Butler today. I had a nice conversation with four of the young guys and told them where we’re headed and what we want to try to build. They understand, but they understood that when I walked in their homes to be quite honest and I conversation I had with them in front of their parents. It held up, and I’m glad they had success.”
Other Sun Devils were also honored. Sophomore running back Eno Benjamin and junior wide receiver N’Keal Harry represented ASU on the Pac-12 first team, while junior offensive lineman Cohl Cabral was named to the second team.
Benjamin finished as the leading rusher in the conference with 277 carries for 1,524 yards and 15 touchdowns, ranking him third nationally. Benjamin rushed for 100 yards or more in eight of 12 games with a school-record singlegame best of 312 against Oregon State.
He needs 42 yards to break the school’s single-season rushing record and will have a chance to get that in the Sun Devils’ Dec. 15 showdown against Fresno State in the Las Vegas Bowl.
Harry, also named a second-team return specialist, had 73 catches for 1,088 yards and nine touchdowns. He finishes third in school history in receiving yards and touchdown catches after declaring for the NFL draft last week. He is a repeat first-team selection.
Cabral has been the anchor of the offensive line paving the way for Benjamin after moving from tackle to center. He has not allowed a sack this season.
Honorable-mention selections included senior offensive linemen Quinn Bailey and Casey Tucker, senior defensive lineman Renell Wren and freshman safety Aashari Crosswell.
Offensive Player of the Year honors went to Washington State quarterback Gardner Minshew, while Washington linebacker Ben Burr-Kirvin took home Defensive Player of the Year. The Cougars also had Mike Leach selected Coach of the Year. Oregon State running back Jermar Jefferson was named Offensive Freshman of the Year.
UA’s Taylor earns first-team spot
Arizona Wildcats tailback J.J. Taylor capped a prolific season by landing one of two backfield spots on the all-conference team, joining ASU’s Benjamin.
Taylor, a 5-foot-6, 184-pound redshirt sophomore, rushed for 1,434 yards, the fourth-highest total in school history, and six touchdowns. He ranks sixth nationally in rushing and second in allpurpose yards, trailing only Memphis’ Darrell Henderson. Taylor gained 133 yards as a receiver and 540 as a kick returner, giving him 2,107 for the season.
Ka’Deem Carey has the two highest totals, in 2012 and ’13, and made firstteam all-league both years — the last UA offensive player to do so. The last Wildcat on either side of the ball to make the first team was linebacker Scooby Wright in 2014.
2019 ASU schedule
❚ Aug. 29 – Kent State (Thursday)
❚ Sept. 6 – Sacramento State (Friday)
❚ Sept. 14 – at Michigan State
❚ Sept. 21 – Colorado
❚ Sept. 27 – at California (Friday)
❚ Oct. 5 – Bye week
❚ Oct. 12 – Washington State
❚ Oct. 19 – at Utah
❚ Oct. 26 – at UCLA
❚ Nov. 2 – Bye week
❚ Nov. 9 – USC
❚ Nov. 16 – at Oregon State
❚ Nov. 23 – Oregon
❚ Nov. 29 – Arizona (Friday) 2019 UA schedule
❚ Aug. 24 – at Hawaii
❚ Sept. 7 – NAU
❚ Sept. 14 – Texas Tech
❚ Sept. 21 – Bye week
❚ Sept. 28 – UCLA
❚ Oct. 5 – at Colorado
❚ Oct. 12 – Washington (Family Weekend)
❚ Oct. 19 – at USC
❚ Oct. 26 – at Stanford
❚ Nov. 2 – Oregon State (Homecoming)
❚ Nov. 9 – Bye week
❚ Nov. 16 – at Oregon
❚ Nov. 23 – Utah
❚ Nov. 29 – at Arizona State (Friday)