SEATTLE — Washington’s best football season in 16 years resulted in a record number of Huskies players voted first-team All-Pac-12, as announced by the conference Tuesday afternoon.
UW landed nine players on the first team — and had 19 players honored in all — led by sophomore quarterback Jake Browning, who was voted Offensive Player of the Year after completing 65.0 percent of his passes for 3,162 yards with a school-record 40 touchdowns and only seven interceptions. He ranks fourth nationally in passing efficiency at 181.64, which would also be a single-season UW record.
Freshman safety Taylor Rapp, a Bellingham native, was voted the conference’s Defensive Freshman of the Year after totaling 42 tackles and two interceptions as a regular starter in his first year at UW.
Other first-team selections, in addition to Browning: tailback Myles Gaskin (1,180 yards, 10 touchdowns); receiver John Ross (72 catches, 1,071 yards, 16 touchdowns); offensive linemen Trey Adams and Jake Eldrenkamp; linebacker Azeem Victor (67 tackles in 10 games); defensive lineman Elijah Qualls (30 tackles, 5.0 tackles for loss, 3.0 sacks); and defensive backs Budda Baker (61 tackles, 9.0 tackles for loss, two interceptions) and Sidney Jones (34 tackles, three interceptions, six pass breakups).
Postseason awards and all-conference teams are decided by a vote of Pac-12 coaches. USC cornerback Adoree’ Jackson was named Defensive Player of the Year; Colorado’s Mike MacIntyre won Coach of the Year; and USC quarterback Sam Darnold won Offensive Freshman of the Year.
Eldrenkamp and Adams are the first UW offensive linemen to make first-team all-conference since 2001 (Kyle Benn). Ross gives UW a first-team receiver for the first time since 2003 (Reggie Williams), and Browning is the first UW quarterback to earn first-team honors since Marques Tuiasosopo in 2000. Tuiasosopo was also UW’s last conference Offensive Player of the Year.
Jones and Baker, both juniors, are both two-time first-team selections.
UW also had four second-team selections: offensive lineman Coleman Shelton, defensive lineman Vita Vea, linebacker Keishawn Bierria and return specialist Dante Pettis.
Washington State had two first-team picks: senior receiver Gabe Marks (85 catches, 867 yards, 13 touchdowns) and senior safety Shalom Luani (58 tackles, 8.5 tackles for loss, three interceptions).
The Cougars also landed junior quarterback Luke Falk (4,204 yards, 37 touchdowns, 10 interceptions) and defensive end Hercules Mata’afa (12.5 tackles for loss, 4.0 sacks) on the second team.
Marks and Falk were both first-team selections in 2015.
UW had five honorable mention selections: tight end Darrell Daniels; defensive lineman Greg Gaines; defensive back Kevin King; tight end Drew Sample; and linebacker Psalm Wooching.
WSU had six honorable mention selections: receiver River Cracraft; offensive lineman Cody O’Connell; offensive lineman Cole Madison; offensive lineman Riley Sorenson; running back Jamal Morrow; and linebacker Peyton Pelluer.
O’Connell’s omission from the first and second teams raised a few eyebrows, as the Wenatchee native is one of three finalists for the Outland Trophy, awarded annually to college football’s top interior lineman.
Former Lakes High star Zach Banner, now a senior offensive tackle at USC, was voted first-team All-Pac-12 for the second consecutive season.