Browning Named Pac-12 Offensive POY; UW Places Nine On First Team

Browning Named Pac-12 Offensive POY; UW Places Nine On First Team

November 29, 2016 | Football

By: Brian Tom

SAN FRANCISCO – Jake Browning was named Offensive Player of the Year and nine Huskies were named to the All-Pac-12 first team to highlight a record-setting number of post-season accolades bestowed on Washington football players.

Browning is the first Husky to earn Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Year honors since Marques Tuiasosopo (2000) and is the fifth overall (Mario Bailey, 1991; Greg Lewis, 1990; Steve Pelluer, 1983) in school history.

Joining the nine first-team honorees – which is one more than the previous UW high of eight in 1990 – are four Huskies that earned second team recognition, five honorable mention selections and Taylor Rapp, who was selected as the Freshman Defensive Player of the Year.

Browning has guided the Huskies' offense to a record-setting year in which they lead the Conference in points per game (44.8) and are on pace to shatter the all-time UW scoring record. The sophomore quarterback is just the third Pac-12 player to throw 40 touchdowns in a single season.

Browning has thrown for 3,162 yards (214-of-329 attempts) and been intercepted just seven times in 12 starts for the 11-1 Huskies. He enters the Pac-12 title game fourth in the nation in passing TDs, third in passing efficiency (181.64) and sixth in yards per attempt.

Other offensive players joining Browning on the first team are junior wide receiver John Ross, sophomore running back Myles Gaskin and a pair of offensive linemen: sophomore Trey Adams and senior Jake Eldrenkamp.

One year after red-shirting the 2015 season, Ross ranks second nationally and is tied for third in Pac-12 single-season history with 16 touchdown receptions. He has caught 72 passes for 1,071 yards and averages 89.2 yards per game.

Gaskin rushed for 1,180 yards on 198 attempts and has scored 10 times. He ranks second in the Pac-12 with 98.3 yards rushing per game.

Adams and Eldrenkamp are the first Huskies to earn first-team honors on the offensive line since Kyle Benn in 2001. Junior center Coleman Shelton earned second-team honors to give the Huskies a trio of offensive linemen recognized for an outstanding season.

Tight ends senior Darrell Daniels and sophomore Drew Sample earned honorable mention.

The Huskies' vaunted defense, which leads the Pac-12 in points allowed (17.8 ppg) and ranks 10^th nationally, placed four players on the All-Pac-12 first team, two on the second team and three earned honorable mention.

Junior defensive backs Budda Baker and Sidney Jones earned first team recognition for a second consecutive year. They are the first Husky defensive backs to earn first-team honors in back-to-back years since Nesby Glasgow in 1977 and 1978.

Junior lineman Elijah Qualls and junior linebacker Azeem Victor were also named to the first team. It is the first selection for both players.

Junior linebacker Keishawn Bierria and sophomore defensive lineman Vita Vea were named to the Pac-12's second team, while senior defensive back Kevin King, senior linebacker Psalm Wooching and sophomore defensive lineman Greg Gaines earned honorable mention.

Junior Dante Pettis earned second-team honors as a return specialist. He's returned to punts for touchdowns this year, in addition to his 14 touchdown receptions.

Rapp, a true freshman from Bellingham, Wash., beat out several other talented first-year players to be named Freshman Defensive Player of the Year. Rapp is the first Husky defensive player to be tabbed the conference's top newcomer. He joins Reggie Williams (2001) and Jake Locker (2007) as the only Huskies to earn Freshman Player of the Year recognition.

Defensive back Adoree' Jackson of USC was named Pat Tillman Defensive Player of the Year, quarterback Sam Darnold of USC was Freshman Offensive Player of the Year and Colorado's Mike MacIntyre was named Coach of the Year.