14 Ducks Earn Pac-12 Honors

SAN FRANCISCO – Five Oregon players were selected first or second-team All-Pac-12 Conference while defensive end Kayvon Thibodeaux was named the Freshman Defensive Player of the Year the conference announced Tuesday following a vote by the league's coaches. The Ducks also had nine players named honorable mention all-conference.

Left tackle Penei Sewell was selected first-team all-conference for the first time in his career and safety Brady Breeze earned first-team recognition as a special teamer. Linebacker Troy Dye, left guard Shane Lemieux and running back CJ Verdell each received second-team honors while nine Ducks were named honorable mention.

Thibodeaux became the first Duck to win Freshman Defensive Player of the Year since the award was established in 2009. He is the first Oregon defensive player to win a conference freshman of the year award since Jairus Byrd in 2006.

FIRST TEAM

OL Penei Sewell
» One of three finalists for the Outland Trophy
» The top-ranked offensive lineman in the nation, according to Pro Football Focus
» Named the Pac-12 Offensive Lineman of the Week four times this year
» A PFF first-team All-American and the PFF Pac-12 Player of the Year
» Top-graded offensive lineman in the country three times and the highest ranked Pac-12 offensive lineman six times
» Selected to the PFF National Team of the Week six times and the Pac-12 Team of the Week nine times

S Brady Breeze
» Standout on four of Oregon's special teams units (punt, punt return, kickoff, kickoff return)
» One of six FBS players with an interception and fumble return touchdown this year
» Named the Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Week after making seven tackles and returning an interception for a touchdown
» Earned a spot on the Pro Football Focus National Team of the Week twice, following the USC and Utah games
» One of five players nationally with three fumble recoveries and two interceptions

SECOND TEAM

ILB Troy Dye
» Leads the team with 75 tackles and is second with 9.5 TFLs
» A first-team All-Pac-12 selection by Pro Football Focus
» Named to the PFF National Team of the Week following the Pac-12 Championship Game
» Ranks fourth all-time at Oregon with 388 career tackles
» Tied for the program career record with 19 games with double digits in tackles

OL Shane Lemieux
» A Pro Football Focus first-team All-Pac-12 selection
» Named the Pac-12 Offensive Lineman of the Week twice, following the Washington State and Arizona games
» Ranked third among Pac-12 guards by PFF
» Has started 51 consecutive games at left guard
» Helped Oregon finish as the second-ranked rushing offense in the conference at 183.2 yards per game

RB CJ Verdell
» Surpassed the 1,000-yard mark for the second straight year, becoming just the third Oregon player to do so as a freshman and sophomore
» Named the Pac-12 Championship Game MVP after rushing for 208 yards and three touchdowns
» Just the ninth Pac-12 player since 2000 and third Oregon player to rush for 200 yards and three touchdowns in multiple games in a season
» Earned Walter Camp National Offensive Player of the Week honors after rushing for 257 yards and three touchdowns with 56 receiving yards against Washington State
» First player in school history and first FBS player since 2016 to have 200 rushing yards and 50 receiving yards in a game

HONORABLE MENTION

CB Thomas Graham Jr.
» Named to the Pro Football Focus All-Pac-12 second team
» Tied for second on the team in tackles with 58
» Earned a spot on the PFF Pac-12 Team of the Week after the USC game
» Has started 38 consecutive games

C Jake Hanson
» Selected to Pro Football Focus' All-Pac-12 third team
» Made the PFF National Team of the Week after the Washington State game and was selected to the Pac-12 Team of the Week three times
» Has started 47 of his 48 career games played

QB Justin Herbert
» Named the CoSIDA Academic All-America Team Member of the Year for the second straight season
» A finalist for the William V. Campbell Trophy
» One of four Power 5 quarterbacks since 2015 with 30-plus touchdown passes and five or fewer interceptions (Justin Fields & Tua Tagovailoa – 2019, Trevor Lawrence – 2018)
» Sixth in conference history with 95 touchdown passes and 16th in passing yards with 10,403
» Has thrown a touchdown pass in 40 of his 41 career starts

S Jevon Holland
» Named first-team All-Pac-12 by Pro Football Focus
» Tied for the team lead with four interceptions and tied for second on the team with 58 tackles
» Earned a spot on the PFF National Team of the Week after the Stanford game and was named to the Pac-12 Team of the Week three time
» Fourth in the nation averaging 16.0 yards per punt return
» A semifinalist for the Jim Thorpe Award

CB Deommodore Lenoir
» A third-team All-Pac-12 selection by Pro Football Focus
» Named a midseason first-team All-American by PFF
» Has started 26 consecutive games

DT Jordon Scott
» Named to the Pro Football Focus Pac-12 Team of the Week following the California game, grading out as the fourth-best defensive lineman nationally
» Has three games with at least four tackles and 0.5 tackles for loss this year
» Started 37 of his 39 career games

DE Kayvon Thibodeaux
» Second among freshmen nationally with 9.0 sacks and third in tackles for loss with 14.0
» Second overall in the conference in tackles for loss and third in sacks
» Named second-team All-Pac-12 by Pro Football Focus
» Earned Pac-12 Defensive Lineman of the Week honors after recording a pair of sacks against California
» Has 6.5 sacks and 10.5 tackles for loss in the last five games

OL Calvin Throckmorton
» Named a second-team CoSIDA Academic All-American
» Earned first-team All-Pac-12 recognition from Pro Football Focus
» A two-time Pac-12 Offensive Lineman of the Week
» Allowed just one sack in the last 44 games and has gone 32 straight starts at right tackle without giving up a sack
» Has started 51 consecutive games (40 at RT, 5 at LT, 3 at RG, 3 at C)

KR/CB Mykael Wright
» One of three players in school history to return two kickoffs for touchdowns in a season (Jonathan Stewart – 2005, De'Anthony Thomas – 2011)
» Named the Pac-12 Special Teams Player of the Week twice, following kickoff return touchdowns against USC and Oregon State
» His 100-yard kickoff return to the house against USC is the second-longest in school history
» Has 21 tackles and an interception at cornerback