Darius Muasau (53) and Laiatu Latu (15)
Photo by: Don Liebig/ASUCLA
Nine Bruins Earn All-Pac-12 Honors
December 05, 2023 | Football
SAN FRANCISCO – Nine UCLA football student-athletes were recognized Tuesday by the Pac-12, which announced its annual All-Conference selections. The results were determined based on a vote by the league's head coaches.
Defensive lineman Laiatu Latu was the lone Bruin selected to the first team and he became the fifth Bruin ever named the Pat Tillman Defensive Player of the Year, presented by Nextiva. He is the first Bruin to be recognized as the league's Defensive Player of the Year since lineman Brian Price in 2009. Latu joins Price in 2009; defensive lineman Dave Ball in 2003; linebacker Robert Thomas in 2001 and defensive lineman Mark Walen in 1985 as conference player of the year award winners on the defensive side of the ball.
Offensive lineman Duke Clemens and linebacker Darius Muasau each made the second team. Receiving honorable mention acclaim were defensive back Kenny Churchwell III, tight end Moliki Matavao, defensive lineman Gabriel Murphy, defensive lineman Grayson Murphy linebacker Kain Medrano and defensive back Alex Johnson.
Latu, who is a finalist for the Bednarik Award, the Lott IMPACT Trophy, the Lombardi Award and the Ted Hendricks Award, finished the regular season leading the nation in tackles for loss per game average (1.8) and was ranked fourth nationally in sacks per game average (1.08). His total of 21.5 tackles for loss leads the nation while his total of 13.0 sacks is tied for the fourth-best mark in the country. He is tied for third on UCLA's single-season sacks list and his 13.0 sacks is the most since Anthony Barr recorded 13.5 in 2012. Latu's total of 23.5 sacks over the last two seasons is the most by a UCLA player since Barr compiled the same total in 2012 and 2013. He has registered at least a half a sack in eight of the 12 games this season.
Clemens helped the Bruins compile the highest rushing yards average of any Pac-12 team this season at 191.1 yards per game. That average rates as the 21st-best mark in the land. The Bruins surpassed the 200-yard rushing standard in five contests and added over 150 rushing yards in four other games. Muasau led the Bruins in tackles in 2023 with 64 stops and in pass break ups with six. He also chipped in with 8.0 tackles for loss and 4.0 sacks on the year while quarterbacking the Bruin defense which finished 11th in the nation in total defense.
Matavao caught 12 passes on the season with eight going for at least 20 yards. He made two scoring catches – 26 yards against Colorado and 20 yards at Stanford. Churchwell was a leader of the Bruin defense which ranked first in the Pac-12 in total defense and rushing defense while rating second in interceptions. Gabriel Murphy finished second on the team with marks of 15.0 tackles for loss and 7.0 sacks this season. His average of 1.2 tackles for loss per game ranked 24th nationally. His twin brother, Grayson Murphy, added 7.5 tackles for loss and 4.0 sacks to go along with a team-high 11 quarterback hits and two forced fumbles. Kain Medrano was second on the team with a career-best total of 52 tackles. Alex Johnson paced the Pac-12 with four interceptions, the most by a Bruin player since 2016. He tied Medrano for the team lead with one blocked kick each.
The Bruins will return to the field to play in the Starco Brands LA Bowl hosted by Gronk on Saturday, Dec. 16 at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood. ABC will televise the game beginning at 4:30 p.m. PT.
Defensive lineman Laiatu Latu was the lone Bruin selected to the first team and he became the fifth Bruin ever named the Pat Tillman Defensive Player of the Year, presented by Nextiva. He is the first Bruin to be recognized as the league's Defensive Player of the Year since lineman Brian Price in 2009. Latu joins Price in 2009; defensive lineman Dave Ball in 2003; linebacker Robert Thomas in 2001 and defensive lineman Mark Walen in 1985 as conference player of the year award winners on the defensive side of the ball.
Offensive lineman Duke Clemens and linebacker Darius Muasau each made the second team. Receiving honorable mention acclaim were defensive back Kenny Churchwell III, tight end Moliki Matavao, defensive lineman Gabriel Murphy, defensive lineman Grayson Murphy linebacker Kain Medrano and defensive back Alex Johnson.
Latu, who is a finalist for the Bednarik Award, the Lott IMPACT Trophy, the Lombardi Award and the Ted Hendricks Award, finished the regular season leading the nation in tackles for loss per game average (1.8) and was ranked fourth nationally in sacks per game average (1.08). His total of 21.5 tackles for loss leads the nation while his total of 13.0 sacks is tied for the fourth-best mark in the country. He is tied for third on UCLA's single-season sacks list and his 13.0 sacks is the most since Anthony Barr recorded 13.5 in 2012. Latu's total of 23.5 sacks over the last two seasons is the most by a UCLA player since Barr compiled the same total in 2012 and 2013. He has registered at least a half a sack in eight of the 12 games this season.
Clemens helped the Bruins compile the highest rushing yards average of any Pac-12 team this season at 191.1 yards per game. That average rates as the 21st-best mark in the land. The Bruins surpassed the 200-yard rushing standard in five contests and added over 150 rushing yards in four other games. Muasau led the Bruins in tackles in 2023 with 64 stops and in pass break ups with six. He also chipped in with 8.0 tackles for loss and 4.0 sacks on the year while quarterbacking the Bruin defense which finished 11th in the nation in total defense.
Matavao caught 12 passes on the season with eight going for at least 20 yards. He made two scoring catches – 26 yards against Colorado and 20 yards at Stanford. Churchwell was a leader of the Bruin defense which ranked first in the Pac-12 in total defense and rushing defense while rating second in interceptions. Gabriel Murphy finished second on the team with marks of 15.0 tackles for loss and 7.0 sacks this season. His average of 1.2 tackles for loss per game ranked 24th nationally. His twin brother, Grayson Murphy, added 7.5 tackles for loss and 4.0 sacks to go along with a team-high 11 quarterback hits and two forced fumbles. Kain Medrano was second on the team with a career-best total of 52 tackles. Alex Johnson paced the Pac-12 with four interceptions, the most by a Bruin player since 2016. He tied Medrano for the team lead with one blocked kick each.
The Bruins will return to the field to play in the Starco Brands LA Bowl hosted by Gronk on Saturday, Dec. 16 at SoFi Stadium in Inglewood. ABC will televise the game beginning at 4:30 p.m. PT.
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