SAN FRANCISCO – A school-record nine Utes were selected to the 2018 All-Pac-12 Conference football first team by the league’s head coaches. The nine first-team picks by Utah led all Pac-12 teams. Senior punter Mitch Wishnowsky was the only three-time first-team honoree, while senior kicker Matt Gay repeated as a first-team selection.
Including first team, second team and honorable mention, 10 of Utah’s 11 defensive starters earned all-conference honors. The Utes also captured three of the four first-team specialist awards with sophomore returner Britain Covey joining Wishnowsky and Gay. Four Utah players made a team on offense, led by first-team senior offensive linemenJackson Barton and Jordan Agasiva.
Utes filled more than a third of the first-team defense with senior linebacker Chase Hansen, junior defensive end Bradlee Anae, junior defensive tackle Leki Fotu and sophomore defensive back Jaylon Johnson filling four of the 11 positions.
Three more Ute defenders made the second team—junior defensive tackle John Penisini, junior defensive back Julian Blackmon and senior defensive back Marquise Blair—while junior running back Zack Moss represented the offense on the second team.
Earning honorable mention honors were senor linebacker Cody Barton, senior defensive back Corrion Ballard, sophomore defensive back Javelin Guidry and senior offensive lineman Lo Falemaka.
In addition to multi-year selections Wishnowsky and Gay, four other Utes are making a second appearance on the all-league teams. Blackmon repeats as a second-team pick, while Covey (2015), Hansen (as a defensive back in 2016) and Falemaka (2017) previously earned honorable mention honors.
Utah’s 13 combined first and second team selections is its most since joining the league, as is 17 total players named to the team.
Wishnowsky is a three-time Ray Guy Award finalist who plans to attend the Home Depot College Football Awards on Dec. 6. He won the 2016 Ray Guy Award and was a unanimous consensus All-American. Wishnowsky ranks second in the Pac-12 and ninth in the nation in punt average (45.1).
Gay, the 2017 Lou Groza Award winner and All-American, leads the Pac-12 and ranks third nationally in field goals made (24) and is fourth in the nation in field goals per game (1.85). He leads the nation in field goals made (10) and attempted (15) beyond 40 yards and leads the league in scoring (8.8 ppg).
Covey ranks second in the Pac-12 in both punt returns (25) and yards (221). He is third in the league in punt return average (8.8).
Anae leads the Pac-12 with 8.0 sacks while his 14.5 tackles for loss ranks fifth. He leads the defensive line with 48 tackles. Hansen leads the Pac-12 in total TFL (22.0) and ranks fifth in the nation. He is second in the Pac-12 in tackles for loss per game (1.7) and is tied for fourth nationally. Hansen leads Utah with 114 tackles. Johnson is tied for the Pac-12 lead with four interceptions. He leads the Pac-12 and ranks sixth in the nation with 126 interception return yards. Fotu has 29 tackles with 5.5 tackles for loss and 3.0 sacks.
Barton and Agasiva are Utah’s total play leaders on the offensive line and have started in all 13 games. Barton has a team-high nine cuts.
Moss, who started the first nine games before a season-ending injury, rushed for 1,092 yards with 11 touchdowns, ranking third in the conference and seventh in the nation in rushing yards per game (121.3) at the time of the injury. Penisini is second on the defensive line with 36 tackles and has 7.0 tackles for loss (2.0 sacks). Blackmon leads Utah and is fifth in the Pac-12 with 10 pass breakups. Blair has 50 tackles (1.5 TFL) with two pass breakups, an interception and a forced fumble.
Including first team, second team and honorable mention, 10 of Utah’s 11 defensive starters earned all-conference honors. The Utes also captured three of the four first-team specialist awards with sophomore returner Britain Covey joining Wishnowsky and Gay. Four Utah players made a team on offense, led by first-team senior offensive linemenJackson Barton and Jordan Agasiva.
Utes filled more than a third of the first-team defense with senior linebacker Chase Hansen, junior defensive end Bradlee Anae, junior defensive tackle Leki Fotu and sophomore defensive back Jaylon Johnson filling four of the 11 positions.
Three more Ute defenders made the second team—junior defensive tackle John Penisini, junior defensive back Julian Blackmon and senior defensive back Marquise Blair—while junior running back Zack Moss represented the offense on the second team.
Earning honorable mention honors were senor linebacker Cody Barton, senior defensive back Corrion Ballard, sophomore defensive back Javelin Guidry and senior offensive lineman Lo Falemaka.
In addition to multi-year selections Wishnowsky and Gay, four other Utes are making a second appearance on the all-league teams. Blackmon repeats as a second-team pick, while Covey (2015), Hansen (as a defensive back in 2016) and Falemaka (2017) previously earned honorable mention honors.
Utah’s 13 combined first and second team selections is its most since joining the league, as is 17 total players named to the team.
Wishnowsky is a three-time Ray Guy Award finalist who plans to attend the Home Depot College Football Awards on Dec. 6. He won the 2016 Ray Guy Award and was a unanimous consensus All-American. Wishnowsky ranks second in the Pac-12 and ninth in the nation in punt average (45.1).
Gay, the 2017 Lou Groza Award winner and All-American, leads the Pac-12 and ranks third nationally in field goals made (24) and is fourth in the nation in field goals per game (1.85). He leads the nation in field goals made (10) and attempted (15) beyond 40 yards and leads the league in scoring (8.8 ppg).
Covey ranks second in the Pac-12 in both punt returns (25) and yards (221). He is third in the league in punt return average (8.8).
Anae leads the Pac-12 with 8.0 sacks while his 14.5 tackles for loss ranks fifth. He leads the defensive line with 48 tackles. Hansen leads the Pac-12 in total TFL (22.0) and ranks fifth in the nation. He is second in the Pac-12 in tackles for loss per game (1.7) and is tied for fourth nationally. Hansen leads Utah with 114 tackles. Johnson is tied for the Pac-12 lead with four interceptions. He leads the Pac-12 and ranks sixth in the nation with 126 interception return yards. Fotu has 29 tackles with 5.5 tackles for loss and 3.0 sacks.
Barton and Agasiva are Utah’s total play leaders on the offensive line and have started in all 13 games. Barton has a team-high nine cuts.
Moss, who started the first nine games before a season-ending injury, rushed for 1,092 yards with 11 touchdowns, ranking third in the conference and seventh in the nation in rushing yards per game (121.3) at the time of the injury. Penisini is second on the defensive line with 36 tackles and has 7.0 tackles for loss (2.0 sacks). Blackmon leads Utah and is fifth in the Pac-12 with 10 pass breakups. Blair has 50 tackles (1.5 TFL) with two pass breakups, an interception and a forced fumble.
