Eleven Sun Devils Named to Pac-12 All-Conference Team

TEMPE – Sun Devil Football placed 11 student-athletes on the Pac-12 All-Conference Team, as announced by the league office on Tuesday.  The individual awards and the All-Pac-12 Football Team are selected by the Pac-12 head coaches.
 
The All-Conference selections were paced by a pair of First Team selections on offense in running back Eno Benjamin and wide receiver/return specialist Brandon Aiyuk. For Benjamin, it was the second-consecutive season in which he has earned a First Team nod. Aiyuk was tabbed a First Team choice at receiver in one of the elite conferences in the nation at the position. He was additionally selected as a First Team choice return specialist.
 
Junior Michael Turk was named as the league's First Team punter while freshman Case Hatch earned a spot as a First Team special teams specialist. Senior center Cohl Cabral also earned a spot on the Second Team at offensive line. 
 
ASU's five first team selections were tied for second in the league behind Pac-12 South Champion Utah. 
 
Additionally, six more Sun Devils earned honorable mention nods toward the All-Conference team, including wide receiver Frank Darby, defensive back Jack Jones, linebacker Khaylan Kearse-Thomas, defensive lineman Jermayne Lole, offensive lineman Dohnovan West and defensive back Kobe Williams.
 
While not included on the All-Conference Teams, freshman quarterback Jayden Daniels was selected as the league's honorable mention for the Pac-12 Freshman Offensive Player of the Year behind USC's Kedon Slovis.
 
The 11 Sun Devils on this year's list bring ASU to 440 all-time Pac-12 All-Conference selections in history.
 
For notes on ASU's All-Conference choices, see below:
 
Brandon Aiyuk – First Team Wide Receiver/First Team Return Specialist 

• Recorded 1,192 receiving yards this season, the fifth-most in ASU single season history and he is within 18 of fourth and 56 of third. 
• Second in the FBS in yards after the catch with 710 while his 10.9 yards after the catch per reception are the 12th-most nationally. He was first in the Pac-12 with 3.04 yards per route run on the season. 
• Currently 8th nationally and 2nd in the Pac-12 with 1,192 receiving yards on the year while his 99.3 receiving yards per game are also 13th in the FBS and second in the league. 
• Six of his eight touchdown receptions in 2019 have been for more than 30 yards (77 yards vs. Kent State, 53 yards vs. Colorado, 40 yards vs. WSU, 86 yards vs. WSU, 33 yards vs. WSU, 81 vs. ORE). 
• One of just three receivers with two 80+ yard receiving touchdowns this year (Arkansas State's Omar Baylesss and Louisville's Chatarius Atwell). His six catches over 50 yards are second in nation while his nine 40+ yard catches are third and three 70+ grabs are second. His 12 catches over 30 yards are good for sixth. 
• His 196 total receiving yards in the Washington State contest with the 11th-most in Sun Devil history.
• When quarterbacks targeted him, they recorded a 133.9 NFL QB Rating this season, which was good for 10th in the country.
• Currently 6th nationally and first in the Pac-12 in all-purpose yards at 155.83 per game – the most for any wide receiver in the country. 
• Went over 2,000 all-purpose yards (2,725) in his career at ASU despite being in Tempe for less than two full seasons. Should he reach the 3,000 all-purpose yard milestone, he would join Marion Grice as the only two-year players in ASU history to accomplish the feat.
• Racked up 1,870 all-purpose yards this season (sixth nationally) on just 94 total plays (19.9 yards per touch, which is fourth nationally). The five players ahead of Aiyuk are all running backs and each has at least 245 total touches this season. 
• Among the Top-15 players nationally in total yards, no other player is within 8 yards per touch of Aiyuk's 19.9 tally (Maryland's Javon Leake at 11.3, all others below 10.0).
• The only player in the country to record at least 200 yards on both punt (226) and kick (446) returns.  His 226 punt return yards are 11th in the country.
• At 1,870 all-purpose yards this season, he is fourth in ASU history and within 195 yards of Wilford White's long-standing school record of 2,065 set back in 1950.

Eno Benjamin – First Team Running Back

• For the second consecutive season, Eno Benjamin was a key part of the Sun Devil offense and takes home the Wilford White Outstanding Running Back Award.
• The junior is 4th in the Pac-12 with 10 rushing touchdowns this season. His 12 total touchdowns are fifth in the league and 37th nationally. He is 4th in the league with 119.17 all-purpose yards per game. 
• Benjamin has continued to do his part to make people miss this year, forcing 72 missed tackles this season - a total tied for 10th nationally among running backs. He is 22nd nationally with 739 yards after contact this season (68.2 percent of his 1,083 rushing yards).
• He has rushed for 19 first downs this season when the team is facing third down - tied for 12th nationally among FBS running backs. 
• Benjamin has helped rally the offense when attempting to come back, recording 22 rushing first downs when the team is trailing by 7 or fewer points - the second-highest total nationally - while his seven rushing touchdowns while trailing by a touchdown or less are first in the FBS and his 354 yards in the situation are 8th nationally. 
• He has played 341 snaps in passing routes this season, the second-highest total among FBS running backs while his 56 targets are fourth. He has been targetted on 21.6 percent of ASU aimed passes (balls not thrown away, spiked or batted) - the 15th-highest percentage of running backs nationally.
• His 347 receiving yards this season are sixth among all FBS running backs and his 42 receptions are tied for fifth in the nation. 
• The junior running back was voted an offensive captain by his teammates.
• Benjamin became the 20th Sun Devil in program history to reach 2,000 rushing yards with his effort against Colorado. The junior has 2,867 rushing yards in his career and is one of just five three-year players to find themselves in the 2,000-yard club (Mario Bates, Ben Malone, Art Malone and Woody Green). 
• Benjamin also joined the all-purpose 3,000-yard club this year (3,620) as he eclipsed the 3K all-purpose yards mark for his career against Utah.
• He has 2,867 rushing yards in his career and now sits in seventh-place on the school's all-time rushing list. His 576 rushing attempts are the sixth-most in school history.
• He carried the ball a school-record 300 times in 2018 and has already compiled 253 rushing attempts this season, the third-highest total in program history.
• Benjamin has recorded 15 career games (six in 2019) with at least 100 rushing yards - good for 4th in program history. He also has 18 career games in which he reached century mark in total all-purpose yards.
• He has at least one touchdown (rushing or receiving) in 18 games in his career. He has 27 career rushing touchdowns, only one shy of cracking the Top-5 in program history despite receiving the majority of his snaps in just two seasons. The junior has 32 total touchdowns (27 rushing, 4 receiving, and 1 blocked return) in his career.

Michael Turk – First Team Punter 

• A semifinalist for the Ray Guy Award, Michael Turk's 46.0 yards per punt average on 59 punts was 11th in the FBS and led the Pac-12. 
• He pinned 32 of those 59 punts inside the opponent 20-yard line (54.2 percent), a total that was secondin the nation. 
• Turk has 21 punts out of 59 (35.6 percent) punts over 50 yards this season, six more than any other player in the Pac-12.
• Turk holds the top mark in the FBS this season for max hang time on a punt with a mark of 5.51 seconds in generally unfavorable conditions in Week 8 against Utah. Pro Football Focus has given Turk the 10th-highest grade among FBS punters this season that played at least 10 games.
• The 63.0 yards per punt mark by Turk on Aug. 29 vs. Kent State broke an NCAA record. The previous record for highest average yards per punt in a game with minimum five attempts was Braden Mann of Texas A&M on Sept. 22, 2018, as he had a 60.8 yards per punt average vs. Alabama on punts of 56, 65, 62, 61 and 60 for 304 yards. Turks punted five times for 315 yards with boots of 64, 62, 65, 49 and 75 in his Sun Devil debut.
• Turk crushed Sun Devils school records for punting average, breaking the previous school record for average on five punts of 55.0 by Danny White in 1972. Turk's 63.0 yards per punt would have set records for every minimum number of punts in a game with the closest being Tony Lorick's 59.3 yards per punt on three punts in 1962.

Case Hatch – First Team Special Teams Specialist  

• Recorded 11 total tackles on the season, a majority of which came on special teams while also serving a role as the team's fullback in the latter stages of the season
• Forced a fumble on special teams 
• Played 201 snaps on special teams – the 18th-highest total in the conference – and appeared in all phases of the game, including kickoff and punt coverage, kickoff and punt return and on several two-point conversion attempts throughout the season

Cohl Cabral – Second Team Offensive Lineman 

• The senior was voted as a captain by his teammates for the second consecutive year.
• Started all 38 games of his career consecutively, starting every game from the beginning of his sophomore season.
• Anchor of an offensive line that paved the way for running back Eno Benjamin's second consecutive 1,000-yard season, the first time a Sun Devil running back had accomplished the feat since the 1970s
• A key reason for the immediate success of freshman quarterback Jayden Daniels, helping call the protections and organize the rest of the offensive line.
• Showed his versatility and selflessness by briefly moving to left tackle, before finishing the year as one of the top centers in the conference.
• Credited with just one sack allowed this season, tied for 29th among FBS centers and second in the Pac-12.
• The sack excluded, Cabral did not allow a QB hit this season – one of just 17th centers in the FBS to lay the claim.
• His 10 total QB pressures allowed this season were the 25th-lowest among FBS centers and third-fewest in the Pac-12.
• Finished with the 14th-best run-blocking efficiency score among FBS centers with a positive impact on 13.6 percent of ASU's run snaps – 4.5 points higher than the national average.
• Received Pac-12 Offensive Lineman of the Week recognition on September 30th.

Kobe Williams – Honorable Mention Defensive Back

• Graded as the 8th-highest defender in the league, regardless of position with a score of 82.2. He is the 30th highest graded corner overall in the country and the 27th-highest graded corner in coverage specifically (82.3)
• Has only been thrown at just 34 times this season – the 18th-lowest total among corners in the country. He has been targeted just once every 9.1 snaps in coverage this season, 11th-lowest among the nation's corners. 
• Has allowed just 198 yards in coverage thus far, the 16th-lowest total among the nation's corners. His 0.64 yards allowed per coverage snap is also 16th
• He has allowed just 18 receptions this season, which is the fewest in the Pac-12 and 24th-fewest nationally. Williams' one reception allowed for every 17.1 snaps played in coverage is second in the Pac-12 and 27th nationally. 
• Forced 10 incompletions on the season, fifth among the league's cornerbacks while his 15 defensive stops are eighth among the league's CBs.
• One of the leaders of the defense, providing a veteran presence in the young Sun Devil secondary.
• Reliable and consistent competitor, earning the start in 11 games this season, finishing his career with 38 starts.
• Recorded 51 tackles in addition to forcing and recovering a fumble during a standout senior season.
• Ended the regular season second on the team with 10 pass breakups.
• Played his best when his team needed him the most, breaking up three passes while also collecting six tackles, including a critical fourth-down stop in the upset win over No. 6 Oregon.
• Finished the season strong, compiling 31 tackles over the final five games. 
• The senior was selected as a captain by his teammates.

Jermayne Lole – Honorable Mention Defensive Lineman

• Thrived in an increased role on the defensive line, earning 11 starts at defensive end
• Recorded 68 tackles this season, the second most for a Sun Devil defensive lineman since 1990 behind only Shante Carver (79 in 1993). 
• His 37 defensive stops this season are lead the nation's defensive interior linemen – two more than any other lineman in the nation. 
• Lole has been credited with just a single missed tackle this season, tied for fourth among FBS defensive linemen. 
• Checks in as the 16th-highest graded player in the Pac-12 with a score of 75.4 – the second-highest score among edge defenders in the league. His 81.5 score on running plays this season is 39th among edge defenders nationally.
• The sophomore has the 12th-highest positive run impact score in the country at 23.6 percent among players graded as interior linemen (percentage of run defense snaps where player earned a positive grade from Pro Football Focus).
• Led the team with five sacks and finished second on the team with 8.5 tackles for loss.
• Controlled the line of scrimmage in the Sun Devils upset road win over No. 18 Michigan State, collecting eight tackles, a tackle for loss, and a sack. 
• Consistent performer who showed up in every game, as he was credited with at least a half a tackle for loss in 10 of 12 games this season.
• Recorded a career-high two tackles for loss and also recovered a fumble at No. 13 Utah.
• Came on strong as the season went on, making 20 tackles over the final three games.
• Earned Pac-12 Defensive Lineman of the Week honors on September 16th.

Khaylan Kearse-Thomas – Honorable Mention Linebacker

• Enjoyed a breakout senior season, wreaking havoc in opposing backfields. 
• Led the team in tackles for loss with 11 – the most among non-edge rushing linebackers in the Pac-12 – and finished with 57 total tackles.
• Finished eighth among Pac-12 linebackers with 36 defensive stops this season.
• Part of five sacks this season, tied for first among Pac-12 linebackers.
• In coverage, opponents had the fifth-lowest NFL QB rating against Kearse-Thomas out of all linebackers in the league and the 10th-lowest complete percentage in the league.
• Among all linebackers and edge defenders in the Pac-12, he has recorded the 16th-best positive run impact percentage at 13.6%.
• Dominated in the season opener against Kent State, compiling a career-high 3.5 tackles for loss and 1.5 sacks while also forcing a fumble in the 30-7 victory. 
• Recorded a sack while also securing his first-career interception at a crucial time, picking-off Justin Herbert in the fourth quarter of the Arizona State's upset victory over No. 6 Oregon. 
• Posted a career-high 11 total tackles against Colorado and Oregon State. 
• Collected at least one tackle for loss in four of his last five games.

Frank Darby – Honorable Mention Wide Receiver 

• Big-play threat that developed into one of the most dangerous offensive weapons in the conference.
• Made a jump from his sophomore to junior year thanks to hard work in the weight room and in practice.
• Hauled in a touchdown pass in four straight games in the back half of the season and accounted for two touchdowns in three of those outings. He had seven touchdowns over the four-game span (UCLA-USC-Oregon State-Oregon). Prior to the UCLA game, he had five total receiving touchdowns in his previous 30 career games to that current four-game stretch. 
• In those four games, he has made 16 catches for 387 yards (24.2 yards per catch) and seven touchdowns.
• His 125-yard performance in the upset victory over No. 6 Oregon was the fifth 100+ yard game of his career.
• The epitome of a deep threat, 24 of Darby's 58 career catches (41%) have gone for 20 or more yards.
• Darby's 21.32 yards per reception this season is third in the country and second among Pac-12 receivers. 
• Frank Darby has continued to climb the Pac-12's offensive grading chart, check in as the Pac-12's ninth-highest graded wide receiver (72.0) while also doing his part off the ball in recording the 12th-highest score in the FBS among receivers as a run blocker (82.3).
• When targeted this season, Darby posted a 143.4 NFL quarterback rating (28-47 catches for 597 yards with eight touchdowns and no interceptions) – good for the 12th-highest total among all wide receivers nationally. 

Dohnovan West – Honorable Mention Offenslive Lineman

• Made an impressive transition from high school to first-year starter at the Power 5 level.
• One of less than 20 true freshmen in the FBS to start at offensive line in the 2019 season opener and started every game on the season.
• Helped pave the way for Eno Benjamin's second consecutive 1,000-yard rushing season, the first time an ASU running back has accomplished the feat in back-to-back seasons since the 1970's
• Has the 24th-best impact run block percentage among right guards in the country with a 13.0 percent positive impact – nearly three points higher than the national average. It was the eighth-highest mark among any offensive guard in the Pac-12 this season.
• The sixth-highest graded offensive guard in the Pac-12 this season, according to Pro Football Focus (68.4).

Jack Jones – Honorable Mention Defensive Back

• Tied for ninth nationally with 16 passes defended on the season and his 1.33 passes defended per game were 12th in the country.
• Recorded three total interceptions in ASU's two-game winning streak to end the season
• Named the Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Week following the team's win over Arizona in the Territorial Cup. Jones had six combined tackles (five solos) and two interceptions, becoming the first Sun Devil with multiple interceptions in a game since Gump Hayes picked off Patrick Mahomes (Texas Tech) twice in 2016. Jones was one of just four players in nation to record two interceptions on the weekend. He allowed just two catches on five targets for only 25 yards and had a 16.7 NFL QB rating when targeted, the 20th-lowest tally of any CB in the FBS for the weekend.

Jayden Daniels – Honorable Mention Freshman Offensive Player of the Year

• Nationally recognized as one of the top freshmen in the country, regardless of position.
• Became the first true freshman quarterback in program history to start the first game of the season.
• At 2,748 passing yards, he has easily surpassed Rudy Carpenter's previous freshman school record of 2,273 yards. Daniels total is 13th in school history with the bowl game remaining.
• Became just the third freshman in ASU history to win his first career start, joining John Walker (1984) and Dennis Sproul (1974) as the only other QB's to win their first career starts as freshmen.
• Only 12 times in ASU history has a freshman quarterback recorded a 300+ yard passing performance, of which Daniels now has five. His five 300+ yard performances are tied with Andrew Walter (2004) and Rudy Carpenter (2005) for the most in a single season in ASU history.
• Among FBS players, he sits in the Top-30 in passing efficiency (19th, 153.5), passing yards per game (28th, 249.8), and total offense (24th, 278.1)
• Currently 15th nationally and second in the Pac-12 in pass yards per completion (14.24) while his 8.86 yards per pass attempt are 13th in the FBS and third in the league.
• He has a 106.2 NFL quarterback rating, good for 22nd nationally, while his 153.5 NCAA passing efficiency is 19th.
• Among quarterbacks with at least 200 attempts, he is tied for the second-fewest interceptions nationally behind Ohio State's Justin Fields with just two – one of which coming on a half-ending Hail Mary attempt against Utah. 
• Hasn't thrown an interception in 129 consecutive pass attempts, tied for the fifth-longest active streak in the nation.
• Currently 8th in the country with 15 pass completions over 40 yards this season and 12th in the FBS with 24 passes over 30 yards. His eight completions over 50 yards are 10th.
• 11 of his 17 touchdowns passes this season have gone for at least 25 yards (64.7 percent).  
• Has been exceptional on third downs this season, with his 744 passing yards on third downs good for 17th in the country (despite missing a game). His 160.13 passer rating on third down is 25th nationally.
• Despite missing a game, he has accounted for 784 passing yards in the fourth quarter of games, good for 10th nationally while his 34 passing first downs are also 10th. He has recorded 9 fourth quarter passing touchdowns (fourth nationally) to one interception. His 183.84 QB efficiency rating in the fourth quarter is 12th in the country. 
• Completed 11 passes of 25+ yards in the fourth quarter of games (tied for 2nd nationally) and his 19 pass completions over 15 yards in the frame is tied for 11th. 
• While under pressure this season, he has posted the 6th-highest NFL passer rating of any quarterback in the FBS at 97.2. For reference, the national average is 68.6.