USC Trojans Lead Conference in Preseason All-Pac-12 Selections
Posted by Ryan Wright
Twitter: @RyanWrightRNG
The college football season is finally underway in the Pac-12 uniting the west coast with the rest of the Power 5 Conferences nationwide. The preseason All-Pac-12 team has a lot of familiar faces and names from standout seasons a year ago, but will look different by season’s end with a few players having opted out.
USC topped their peers on the preseason list with six selections, four on offense and two on defense. There was no surprise seeing quarterback Kendon Slovis first team QB. Slovis was second in-conference passing for 3,502 yards with 30 touchdowns completing attempts at a 71.8 rate. With Michael Pittman Jr. off to the NFL, Amon-Ra St. Brown takes over as the go-to guy with USC on the outside. St. Brown ended the 2019 season with 77 receptions for 1,042 yards with six scores. Tyler Vaughns nearly gave the Trojans three 1,000-yard receivers last year falling just shy at 912 yards with six touchdowns off 74 receptions. One selection who will not be there at the end is offensive tackle Alijah Vera-Tucker (opted back in).
The Trojans begin the seven-game 2020 schedule ranked No. 20 in the AP Poll, yet Oregon has more of the voters’ attention slotted No. 12. The Ducks have four selections, one on offense and three on defense, but defensive back Deommodore Lenoir has opted out. Thanks to multiple selections of running back/return specialist Max Borghi, Washington State also has four selections.
First Team Offense
QB: Kedon Slovis, USC
RB: CJ Verdell, Oregon
RB: Max Borghi, Washington State
WR: Amon-Ra St. Brown, USC
WR: Tyler Vaughns, USC
TE: Brant Kuithe, Utah
C: Drew Stalman, Stanford
OL: Alijah Vera-Tucker, USC
OL: Abraham Lucas, Washington State
OL: Jaxson Kirkland, Washington
OL: Nick Ford, Utah
First Team Defense
DL: Kayvon Thibodeaux, Oregon
DL: Mustafa Johnson, Colorado
DL: Jordon Scott, Oregon
DL: Jermayne Lole, Arizona State
LB: Hamilcar Rashed Jr., Oregon State
LB: Nate Landman, Colorado
LB: Drake Jackson, USC
DB: Elijah Molden, Washington
DB: Camryn Bynum, California
DB: Talanoa Hufanga, USC
DB: Deommodore Lenoir, Oregon
First Team Specialists
PK: Blake Mazza, Washington State
P: Michael Turk, Arizona State
AP: Max Borghi, Washington State
*Click link for Pac-12 opt-out list
Pac-12 Week 1 Schedule
Arizona State at No. 20 USC
Arizona at Utah
UCLA at Colorado
Stanford at No. 12 Oregon
Washington State at Oregon State
Washington at California – cancelled (COVID)
Photo credit: CBS Sports; Kendon Slovis (USC)