LAS VEGAS — The Pac-12 will announce its postseason award winners and the all-conference team on Tuesday, following voting that will take place over the weekend.
Our selections will be published in this space on Monday. But before we offer a list of 40-something names, here’s a more select group:
The Hotline’s picks for the top-10 players in the Pac-12 this season, regardless of position, statistics, team success, draft stock, games played, etc.
The best of the best, in our opinion.
1. Utah linebacker Devin Lloyd: Fitting that he made the biggest play in the championship game (a Pick Six that gave Utah a 14-0 lead) because Lloyd made big plays — small ones, too — throughout the season. Always around the ball. Always a physical presence. Played the position as well as anyone has played it in years in this conference.
2. USC receiver Drake London: Was the best player in the Pac-12, and perhaps the country, while healthy. But he missed the final four games and has been downgraded on our list as a result — all the way to No. 2. Despite missing November, London remains in the top-10 nationally in receptions. That’s insane.
3. Oregon edge rusher Kayvon Thibodeaux: He’s the best pro prospect in the conference and can be unstoppable under the right circumstances. But the likely No. 1 pick in the NFL Draft hasn’t been as consistently dominant as Lloyd, who has twice as many tackles for loss (22 to 11). The Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year voting should not be close.
4. Washington cornerback Trent McDuffie: He’s doesn’t have many interceptions or passes defended and is easy to overlook. Which is exactly why he’s No. 4 on our list. McDuffie is the best cover corner in the league — so good that he doesn’t get much action or opportunity.
5. UCLA tight end Greg Dulcich: The conference was loaded with quality tight ends this season — it was arguably the single best position group, in fact. In our view, Dulcich was the best of the best. His 17.3 yards-per-catch average was better than most receivers. Opportunities were limited because of UCLA’s run-heavy offense. That doesn’t take away from his level of play.
6. Oregon State center Nathan Eldridge: That’s right. We picked a center … a center … as one of the conference’ s top players. Eldridge doesn’t get much fanfare outside of Corvallis, and isn’t a top-tier pro prospect. But he was the piston that drove OSU’s running game. Always in the right spot. Always fun to watch.
7. Arizona State tailback Rachaad White: Another loaded position group that featured B.J. Baylor, Tavion Thomas, Zach Charbonnet and Max Borghi. We’re not sure White is the best pure runner. But his pass-catching skills are superb (43 catches, 10.6 ypc average) and what set him apart from the pack.
8. Washington State edge rusher Ron Stone: It only seemed like Stone was in the opponent’s backfield on every play. Certainly, he was the most disruptive force on a better-than-expected Cougar defense and thrived in Jake Dickert’s system. Feels like he has been causing havoc for five years but still has two seasons remaining.
9. UCLA offensive tackle Sean Rhyan: Was a major recruit for the Bruins in 2019, started as a true freshman and has lived up to the hype. Might be the best offensive line prospect in the conference — there are several good ones — and was the key to the Bruins’ high-powered running game.
10. Utah defensive end Mika Tafua: Like so many Utah defensive ends of years past (think: Kyle Fitts, Bradlee Anae), Tafua was simply too strong, too fast and too relentless for offensive linemen to handle on a regular basis. Combine Tafua with Lloyd, and the Utes had a two-man, front-seven tandem unmatched in the conference.
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