Huskies notes: Nine UW football players receive All-Pac-12 honors
The Pac-12 announced its all-conference football selections Tuesday, which included nine Washington Huskies.
Three UW players were named to the All-Pac-12 first team, one was named to the second team and five earned honorable mention nods.
Left tackle Jaxson Kirkland and cornerbacks Trent McDuffie and Kyler Gordon were each selected to the first team.
Kirkland is a two-time first-team All-Pac-12 selection. The fifth-year senior anchored the Huskies’ offensive line this season, starting the 10 games he played in at left tackle.
McDuffie and Gordon, both sophomores, led a Huskies secondary that finished atop the FBS this season in passing yards per game allowed (143.3), passing yards per completion allowed (8.87) and passing touchdowns allowed (six).
McDuffie started each of the 11 games he played in this season, finished with six passes defended and added 35 tackles including two for losses and one sack.
Gordon started each of UW’s 12 games, led the Huskies with seven passes defended and finished tied for the team lead with two interceptions. The Archbishop Murphy product also tallied 45 tackles, including two for losses and forced a fumble.
Huskies punter Race Porter, an O’Dea product, was named to the second team. The sixth-year senior broke UW’s single-season punting average this fall, finishing with 48.5 yards per punt on 53 attempts, while also ranking second in the Pac-12 in the category and fifth among all FBS punters.
Three offensive players and two defensive players received honorable mention, including sixth-year senior running back Sean McGrew, junior wide receiver Terrell Bynum, sixth-year senior center Luke Wattenberg, sophomore defensive tackle Tuli Letuligasenoa and sophomore inside linebacker Jackson Sirmon.
McGrew led UW in rushing this season, finishing with 434 yards and eight touchdowns on 110 carries in eight games played.
Bynum finished with 26 catches for 436 yards and four touchdowns in the eight games he played in, and led the Huskies in yards per reception (16.8) among receivers with more than five catches.
For the fourth consecutive season, Wattenberg started every game for the Huskies this fall, pushing his number of consecutive games started to 48.
Latuligasenoa led the Huskies with 6 1/2 tackles for losses, including one sack, and finished with 36 total tackles. He also added two passes defended and an interception in 12 games, including 11 starts.
Sirmon started all 12 games, and led UW with 91 total tackles, including four for losses. He also added one interception, one pass defended, a forced fumble and a fumble recovery.
Elsewhere in the conference, USC wide receiver Drake London was named the offensive player of the year, while Utah linebacker Devin Lloyd was named the defensive player of the year.
WSU quarterback Jayden de Laura was selected as the freshman offensive player of the year, and Utah defensive tackle Junior Tafuna the freshman defensive player of the year.
Utah coach Kyle Whittingham, who guided the Utes to a Pac-12 championship win over Oregon, was named the coach of the year.
MORGAN NAMED DIRECTOR OF PLAYER PERSONNEL
Courtney Morgan has been named the Huskies’ director of player personnel, the program announced Tuesday.
Before joining new coach Kalen DeBoer and his staff at UW, Morgan previously held the same role at Michigan during the 2021 season, for a Wolverines program that is now headed to the College Football Playoff.
Per the release, Morgan will “oversee all aspects of recruiting and scouting operations for DeBoer and his staff.”
“Courtney is an elite recruiter with a lot of strong, West Coast connections,” DeBoer said in a statement. “He’s been an integral part of building great recruiting classes everywhere he’s been. He has built his success on his dynamic personality. He builds strong relationships, and we’re very fortunate to be able to bring him to Washington.”
Morgan also worked alongside DeBoer as the director of player personnel at Fresno State during the 2020 season.
“I am excited to work with Coach DeBoer again,” Morgan said in a statement. “He has a track record of success and is always looking for new ideas. Husky Football is well respected, and I look forward to helping carry on that tradition.”
RECRUITING UPDATES
La Jolla High School (La Jolla, Califorinia) quarterback Jackson Stratton, a three-star recruit, announced his decommitment from UW on his Twitter account Tuesday morning.
Per 247Sports.com rankings, Stratton is considered the No. 63 passer in the 2022 class and No. 101 player in California.
“I want to thank UW and Husky fans for making me feel a part of the Dawg family,” Stratton wrote on Twitter. “Relationships are important to me and due to the recent coaching changes, I am de-committing from Washington and opening my recruitment and take the time to build new relationships. Thank you.”
Stratton is the sixth recruit to decommit from UW’s 2022 class since February. The class currently ranks eighth in the Pac-12 and 59th nationally, per 247Sports.
With early signing day approaching on Dec. 15, the Huskies have eight remaining recruits in this class, including four-star recruits in wide receiver Germie Bernard (named the Nevada Gatorade Player of the Year on Tuesday), tight end Ryan Otton (who posted photos of a visit with DeBoer and new offensive coordinator Ryan Grubb to his Twitter account Tuesday) and running back Emeka Megwa (who enrolled this fall), and three-star recruits in offensive lineman Parker Bailsford, offensive lineman Vega Ioane, outside linebacker Lance Holtzclaw, tight end Chance Bogan and wide receiver Denzel Boston.
This story was originally published December 7, 2021 at 3:30 PM with the headline "Huskies notes: Nine UW football players receive All-Pac-12 honors."
