Cyclones RB Hall, Bears’ Aranda, Pitre win AP Big 12 honors
Dec 8, 2021, 6:51 PM | Updated: Dec 9, 2021, 4:55 pm
FILE - Texas' Xavier Worthy (8) runs with ball against Kansas State during the first half of an NCAA college football game in Austin, Texas, Nov. 26, 2021. Worthy, who had 62 catches and leads the Big 12 with 981 yards and 12 TDs receiving, was voted newcomer of the year in The Associated Press voting for the All-Big 12 team and awards. He is also a first-team All-Big 12 pick at receiver. (AP Photo/Chuck Burton, File)
(AP Photo/Chuck Burton, File)
Iowa State running back Breece Hall is The Associated Press Big 12 offensive player of the year for the second season in a row, while conference champion Baylor has the league’s top defender and coach.
Baylor senior safety Jalen Pitre was named defensive player of the year and second-year Bears coach Dave Aranda was also honored in the AP All-Big 12 team and awards released Thursday, as determined by the vote of a panel of 20 sports writers and sportscasters who regularly cover the league.
Hall is the Big 12 rushing leader with 1,464 yards and 20 touchdowns this season, and has an active FBS record of 24 consecutive games with a rushing touchdown. The junior, who got 16 of the 20 votes for top offensive player, has 3,941 career rushing yards.
Texas freshman receiver Xavier Worthy, who had 62 catches and leads the Big 12 with 981 yards and 12 TDs receiving, was voted newcomer of the year. He is also a first-team All-Big 12 pick at receiver.
Aranda got 15 of the 20 votes for coach of the year. Oklahoma State’s Mike Gundy, whose team lost to Baylor in the Big 12 championship game, got the other five.
Pitre, a first-team safety for the second year in a row, has 17 ½ tackles for loss and was the only player in the nation during the regular season with at least three forced fumbles, three fumble recoveries and two interceptions. Pitre got 12 of 20 votes for top defensive player while Oklahoma State linebacker Malcolm Rodriguez, with a league-high 119 tackles overall, got five votes.
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The 2021 AP All-Big 12 team, as selected by a panel of 20 sports writers and sportscasters who regularly cover the league, with players listed alphabetically with name, school, height, weight, class and hometown. (“u-” denotes unanimous selection):
FIRST TEAM
Offense
QB — Brock Purdy, Iowa State, 6-1, 220, Sr., Gilbert, Arizona.
RB — Breece Hall, Iowa State, 6-1, 220, Jr., Wichita, Kansas.
RB — Bijan Robinson, Texas, 6-0, 214, So., Tucson, Arizona.
T — Cooper Beebe, Kansas State, 6-3, 320, So., Kansas City, Kansas.
T — Connor Galvin, Baylor, 6-7, 310, Sr., Katy, Texas.
G — Josh Sills, Oklahoma State, 6-6, 325, Sr., Sarahville, Ohio.
G — Trevor Downing, Iowa State, 6-4, 310, Jr., Creston, Iowa.
C — Steve Avila, TCU, 6-4, 334, Jr., Arlington, Texas.
TE — u-Charlie Kolar, Iowa State, 6-6, 260, Sr., Norman, Oklahoma.
WR — Xavier Worthy, Texas, 6-1, 160, Fr., Fresno, California.
WR — Xavier Hutchinson, Iowa State, 6-3, 230, Sr., Jacksonville, Florida.
All-Purpose — Trestan Ebner, Baylor, 5-11, 215., Sr., Henderson, Texas.
K — Jonathan Garibay, Texas Tech, 6-1, 215, Sr., Rubidoux, California.
Defense
DE — Felix Anudike-Uzomah, Kansas State., 6-3, 255, So., Kansas City, Missouri.
DE –Will McDonald IV, Iowa State, 6-4, 245, Jr., Pewaukee, Wisconsin.
DT — Siaki Ika, Baylor, 6-4, 350, So., Salt Lake City, Utah.
DT — Dante Stills, West Virginia, 6-4, 280, Sr., Fairmont, West Virginia.
LB — Terrel Bernard, Baylor, 6-1, 222, Sr., La Porte, Texas.
LB — Malcolm Rodriguez, Oklahoma State, 5-11, 225, Sr., Wagoner, Oklahoma.
LB– Mike Rose, Iowa State, 6-4, 250, Sr., Brecksville, Ohio.
CB — Jarrick Bernard-Converse, Oklahoma State, 6-1, 200, Sr., Shreveport, Louisiana.
CB — Tre’Vius Hodges-Tomlinson, TCU, 5-9, 177, Jr., Waco, Texas.
S — Kolby Harvell-Peel, Oklahoma State., 6-0, 207, Sr., College Station, Texas.
S — Jalen Pitre, Baylor, 6-0, 197, Sr., Stafford, Texas.
P — Michael Turk, Oklahoma, 6-0, 230, Sr., Dallas.
SECOND TEAM
Offense
QB — Caleb Williams, Oklahoma, 6-1, 218, Fr., Washington D.C.
RB — Abram Smith, Baylor, 5-11, 221, Sr., Abilene, Texas.
RB — Deuce Vaughn, Kansas State, 5-6, 173, So., Round Rock, Texas.
T — Derek Kerstetter, Texas, 6-5, 310, Sr., San Antonio.
T — Tyrese Robinson, Oklahoma, 6-3, 324, Sr., McKinney, Texas.
G — Marquis Hayes, Oklahoma, 6-5, 325, Sr., St. Louis.
G — Chris Murray, Oklahoma 6-1, 301, Sr., Palmdale, California.
C — Jacob Gall, Baylor, 6-2, 305, Sr., Cincinnati.
TE — Jeremiah Hall, Oklahoma, 6-2, 248, Sr., Charlotte, North Carolina.
WR — Tay Martin, Oklahoma State, 6-3, 186, Sr., Houma, Louisiana.
WR — Tyquan Thornton, Baylor, 6-3, 182, Sr., Miami.
All-Purpose — Malik Knowles, Kansas State 6-3, 195, Mansfield, Texas.
K — Gabe Brkic, Oklahoma, 6-3, 201, Jr., Chardon, Ohio.
Defense
DE — Brock Martin, Oklahoma State, 6-3, 250, Sr., Oologah, Oklahoma.
DE — Collin Oliver, Oklahoma State, 6-2, 225, Fr., Oklahoma City.
DT — Eyioma Uwazurike, Iowa State, 6-6, 320, Sr., Detroit.
DT — Perrion Winfrey, Oklahoma., 6-4, 292, Sr., Maywood, Illinois.
LB — Brian Asamoah, Oklahoma, 6-1, 228, Jr., Columbus, Ohio.
LB — Nik Bonitto, Oklahoma, 6-3, 240, Jr., Fort Lauderdale, Florida.
LB — Colin Schooler, Texas Tech, 6-2, 230, Sr., Dana Point, California.
CB — DaMarcus Fields, Texas Tech, 6-0, 200, Sr., Taylor, Texas.
CB — Christian Holmes, Oklahoma State, 6-1, 205, Sr., Leland, Mississippi.
S — Kenny Logan, Jr., Kansas, 6-0, 205, Jr., St. Augustine, Florida.
S — Russ Yeast, Kansas State, 5-10, 195, Sr., Danville, Kentucky.
P — Austin McNamara, Texas Tech, 6-4, 195, Jr., Gilbert, Arizona.
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Coach of the year — Dave Aranda, Baylor.
Offensive player of the year — Breece Hall, RB, Iowa State.
Defensive player of the year — Jalen Pitre, S, Baylor.
Newcomer of the year — Xavier Worthy, WR, Texas.
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AP All-Big 12 Voting Panel: Ryan Aber, The Oklahoman; Eric Bailey, Tulsa World; Kirk Bohls, Austin American-Statesman; Chuck Carlton, Dallas Morning News; Brian Davis, Austin American-Statesman; Drew Davison, Fort Worth Star-Telegram; Arne Green, Salina Journal; Travis Hines, Des Moines Register; Eric Kelly, KWKT-TV, Waco, Texas; Eli Lederman, Tulsa World; Sean Manning, The Dominion Post; Jesse Newell, Kansas City Star; Randy Peterson, Des Moines Register; Ryan Pritt, Charleston Gazette-Mail; Kellis Robinett, Wichita Eagle; Carlos Silva, Jr., Lubbock Avalanche-Journal; Matt Tait, Lawrence Journal World; John Werner, Waco Tribune-Herald; Don Williams, Lubbock Avalanche-Journal; Scott Wright, The Oklahoman.
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