TEMPE – Merlin Robertson has been named the Pac-12 Freshman Defensive Player of the Year, as announced by the league office live on Tuesday night's episode of the Inside Pac-12 Football.
Robertson led the team in tackles (77), tackles for loss (8.5) and sacks (5.0) and Added an interception, two breakups, a fumble forced and a fumble recovered. He was the first freshman to lead the team in tackles since Jason Shivers in 2001 and the first freshman to lead the team in tackles for loss and sacks since Junior Onyeali in 2010.
He led all FBS freshmen (true or redshirt) with 35 defensive "stops" this season – tied for 13thamong all Pac-12 defensive players. He also led Pac-12 freshmen (true or redshirt) with 25 total QB pressures this season – second most among all freshmen in a Power Five conference. It was the 12th-most for any player in the Pac-12, regardless of year and second-most among all linebackers in the Pac-12.
Robertson played more snaps than any true freshman in the Pac-12 (749) and was one of just 7 true freshmen nationally to accomplish the feat (5thnationally). He was tied for 7thamong all linebackers in the Pac-12 with just 8 missed tackles this season.
Robertson becomes the fifth Sun Devil to earn a Pac-12 Freshman of the Year honor and the third to be named the Pac-12 Defensive Freshman of the Year. He joins Vontaze Burfict (2009) and Junior Onyeali (2010) as the third person to be distinguished as the Pac-12 Defensive Freshman of the Year.
Prior to 2009, only one Freshman of the Year honor was awarded by the conference regardless of it being an offensive or defensive player. Terrell Suggs earned the honor in 2000 and Zach Miller did so in 2004.
SUN DEVIL FOOTBALL PAC-12 MAJOR AWARD WINNERS
OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR (Started in 1983)
Jake Plummer, 1996
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR (Started in 1983)
Will Sutton, 2013
Will Sutton, 2012
Dale Robinson, 2005 (co-winner with Oregon's HalotiNgata)
Terrell Suggs, 2002
Adam Archuleta, 2000
Pat Tillman, 1997
FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR (1999-2008)
Zach Miller, 2004
Terrell Suggs, 2000
DEFENSIVE FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR (Started in 2009)
Merlin Robertson, 2018
Junior Onyeali, 2010
VontazeBurfict, 2009
Robertson led the team in tackles (77), tackles for loss (8.5) and sacks (5.0) and Added an interception, two breakups, a fumble forced and a fumble recovered. He was the first freshman to lead the team in tackles since Jason Shivers in 2001 and the first freshman to lead the team in tackles for loss and sacks since Junior Onyeali in 2010.
He led all FBS freshmen (true or redshirt) with 35 defensive "stops" this season – tied for 13thamong all Pac-12 defensive players. He also led Pac-12 freshmen (true or redshirt) with 25 total QB pressures this season – second most among all freshmen in a Power Five conference. It was the 12th-most for any player in the Pac-12, regardless of year and second-most among all linebackers in the Pac-12.
Robertson played more snaps than any true freshman in the Pac-12 (749) and was one of just 7 true freshmen nationally to accomplish the feat (5thnationally). He was tied for 7thamong all linebackers in the Pac-12 with just 8 missed tackles this season.
Robertson becomes the fifth Sun Devil to earn a Pac-12 Freshman of the Year honor and the third to be named the Pac-12 Defensive Freshman of the Year. He joins Vontaze Burfict (2009) and Junior Onyeali (2010) as the third person to be distinguished as the Pac-12 Defensive Freshman of the Year.
Prior to 2009, only one Freshman of the Year honor was awarded by the conference regardless of it being an offensive or defensive player. Terrell Suggs earned the honor in 2000 and Zach Miller did so in 2004.
SUN DEVIL FOOTBALL PAC-12 MAJOR AWARD WINNERS
OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR (Started in 1983)
Jake Plummer, 1996
DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR (Started in 1983)
Will Sutton, 2013
Will Sutton, 2012
Dale Robinson, 2005 (co-winner with Oregon's HalotiNgata)
Terrell Suggs, 2002
Adam Archuleta, 2000
Pat Tillman, 1997
FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR (1999-2008)
Zach Miller, 2004
Terrell Suggs, 2000
DEFENSIVE FRESHMAN OF THE YEAR (Started in 2009)
Merlin Robertson, 2018
Junior Onyeali, 2010
VontazeBurfict, 2009