Pooka Williams one of three Jayhawks to earn first-team all-Big 12 football honors
Kansas running back Pooka Williams’ breakout season was not ignored by the Big 12 football coaches.
Williams was chosen as the league’s offensive freshman of the year and also was picked first-team All-Big 12 at running back and kick returner in the conference awards announced Wednesday.
He’s the first KU player to win the conference’s freshman of the year award and first Jayhawks freshman to be selected first-team All-Big 12 at any position.
Two KU captains also earned first-team honors: Daniel Wise as a defensive lineman and Joe Dineen at linebacker.
Wise becomes the first KU player to earn consecutive all-Big 12 first-team distinction since cornerback Aqib Talib in 2006-07. Dineen, meanwhile, led the league in tackles for a second straight season.
KU offensive lineman Hakeem Adeniji and punter Kyle Thompson were second-team selections.
The all-Big 12 team is voted on by the league’s 10 coaches.
All-Big 12 coaches team
OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Kyler Murray, Oklahoma, QB, Jr., Allen, Texas
DEFENSIVE PLAYER: David Long Jr., West Virginia, LB, Jr., Cincinnati, Ohio
OFFENSIVE NEWCOMER: Jalen Hurd, Baylor, WR, Sr., Hendersonville, Tenn.
DEFENSIVE NEWCOMER: Greg Eisworth, Iowa State, DB, So., Grand Prairie, Texas
OFFENSIVE FRESHMAN: Pooka Williams Jr., Kansas, RB, New Orleans, La
DEFENSIVE FRESHMAN: Caden Sterns, Texas, DB, Cibolo, Texas
SPECIAL TEAMS PLAYER: Austin Seibert, Oklahoma, K/P, Sr., Belleville, Ill.
OFFENSIVE LINEMEN: Dalton Risner, K-State, Sr., Wiggins, Colo.; Dru Samia, Oklahoma, Sr., Sacramento, Calif.; Yodny Cajuste, West Virginia, Sr., Miami, Fla.
DEFENSIVE LINEMAN: Charles Omenihu, Texas, Sr., Rowlett, Texas
CHUCK NEINAS COACHES OF THE YEAR: Matt Campbell, Iowa State (3rd Season) Lincoln Riley, Oklahoma (2nd Season)
First-team offense
Pos. Player School Class Hometown/Previous School
QB Kyler Murray Oklahoma Jr. Allen, Texas/Texas A&M
RB Pooka Williams Jr. Kansas Fr. New Orleans, La./Hahnville
RB Justice Hill Oklahoma State Jr. Tulsa, Okla./Booker T. Washington
FB Andrew Beck Texas Sr. Tampa, Fla./Plant
WR Marquise Brown Oklahoma Jr. Hollywood, Fla./College of the Canyons
WR Tylan Wallace Oklahoma State So. Fort Worth, Texas/South Hills
WR David Sills V West Virginia Sr. Wilmington, Del./El Camino College
TE Grant Calcaterra Oklahoma So. Rancho Santa Margarita, Calif./ Santa Margarita Catholic
TE Trevon Wesco West Virginia Sr. Martinsburg, W.Va./Lackawanna College
OL Dalton Risner K-State Sr. Wiggins, Colo./Wiggins
OL Cody Ford Oklahoma Jr. Pineville, La./Pineville
OL Ben Powers Oklahoma Sr. Wichita, Kan./Butler CC
OL Dru Samia Oklahoma Sr. Sacramento, Calif./River City
OL Yodny Cajuste West Virginia Sr. Miami, Fla./Miramar
PK Austin Seibert Oklahoma Sr. Belleville, Ill./Belleville West
PK Clayton Hatfield Texas Tech Sr. Boerne, Texas/Champion
KR/PR Pooka Williams Jr. Kansas Fr. New Orleans, La./Hahnville
First-team defense
DL Daniel Wise Kansas Sr. Lewisville, Texas/Hebron
DL Jordan Brailford Oklahoma State Jr. Tulsa, Okla./Booker T. Washington
DL Ben Banogu TCU Sr. McKinney, Texas/ULM
DL L.J. Collier TCU Sr. Munday, Texas/Munday
DL Charles Omenihu Texas Sr. Rowlett, Texas/Rowlett
LB Joe Dineen Jr. Kansas Sr. Lawrence, Kan./Free State
LB Dakota Allen Texas Tech Sr. Humble, Texas/East Mississippi CC
LB David Long Jr. West Virginia Jr. Cincinnati, Ohio/Winton Woods
DB Greg Eisworth Iowa State So. Grand Prairie, Texas/South
DB Kris Boyd Texas Sr. Gilmer, Texas/Gilmer
DB Caden Sterns Texas Fr. Cibolo, Texas/Steele
DB Adrian Frye Texas Tech Fr. Houston, Texas/Eisenhower
DB Kenny Robinson Jr. West Virginia So. Wilkinsburg, Pa./Imani Christian
P Drew Galitz Baylor Sr. Rowlett, Texas/Rowlett
Second-team offense: QB Will Grier West Virginia Sr.; RB Alex Barnes K-State Jr.; RB David Montgomery Iowa State Jr.; FB Carson Meier Oklahoma Sr.; WR Hakeem Butler Iowa State Jr.; WR Jalen Reagor TCU So.; WR Antoine Wesley Texas Tech Jr.; TE Charlie Kolar Iowa State Fr.; OL Hakeem Adeniji Kansas Jr.; OL Bobby Evans Oklahoma Jr.; OL Lucas Niang TCU Jr.; OL Zach Shackelford Texas Jr.; OL Jack Anderson Texas Tech So.; OL Josh Sills West Virginia So.; PK Cameron Dicker Texas Fr.; KR/PR Kene Nwangwu Iowa State So.; KR/PR Tre Brown Oklahoma So.
Second-team defense: DL James Lynch Baylor So.; DL JaQuan Bailey Iowa State So.; DL Ray Lima Iowa State Jr.; DL Jarrell Owens Oklahoma State Sr.; DL Kenny Bigelow Jr. West Virginia Sr.; LB Clay Johnston Baylor Jr.; LB Kenneth Murray Oklahoma So.; LB Gary Johnson Texas Sr.; DB Brian Peavy Iowa State Sr.; DB Duke Shelley K-State Sr.; DB A.J. Green Oklahoma State Jr.; DB Jeff Gladney TCU Jr.; DB Ridwan Issahaku TCU Sr.; P Kyle Thompson Kansas So.
Honorable mention
Baylor: Blake Blackmar (OL), James Lynch (DLoY), Chris Miller (DB), Matt Rhule (CoY), Greg Roberts (DL), Raleigh Texada (DB), Verkedric Vaughns (DB). Iowa State: Spencer Benton (DL), Willie Harvey (LB), Josh Knipfel (OL & OLoY), Julian Good-Jones (OL), Bryce Meeker (OL), Kene Nwangwu (STPoY), Brock Purdy (OFoY), Mike Rose (LB & DFoY), Sam Seonbuchner (FB), Marcel Spears (LB). Kansas: Hasan Defense (DB), Joe Dineen Jr. (DPoY), Corione Harris (DFoY), Mike Lee (DB), Stephon Robinson Jr. (ONoY), Gabriel Rui (PK), Bryce Torneden (DB), Daniel Wise (DLoY). K-State: Devin Anctil (P), Kyle Ball (DL). Oklahoma: Amani Bledsoe (DL), Curtis Bolton (LB), Kennedy Brooks (RB), Tre Brown (DB), Neville Gallimore (DL), Creed Humphrey (OL), CeeDee Lamb (WR), Kenneth Mann (DL), Parnell Motley (DB), Kenneth Murray (DPoY), Austin Seibert (P), Trey Sermon (RB). Oklahoma State: Britton Abbott (FB), Jordan Brailford (DLoY), Calvin Bundage (LB), Taylor Cornelius (QB), Kenneth Edison-McGruder (DB), Teven Jenkins (OL), Marcus Keyes (OL), Justin Phillips (LB), Malcolm Rodriguez (DB), Jelani Woods (TE). TCU: Ben Banogu (DLoY), Corey Bethley (DL), TY Summers (LB). Texas: Calvin Anderson (OL), Samuel Cosmi (OFoY), Davante Davis (DB), Cameron Dicker (STPoY), Sam Ehlinger (QB), Breckyn Hager (DL), Lil’Jordan Humphrey (WR), Brandon Jones (DB), P.J. Locke III (DB), Chris Nelson (DL), Charles Omenihu (DPoY), Elijah Rodriguez (OL), Patrick Vahe (OL). Texas Tech: Dakota Allen (DPoY), Alan Bowman (OFoY), De’Quan Bowman (KR/PR), Jordyn Brooks (LB), Travis Bruffy (OL), Seth Collins (ONoY), Vaughnte Dorsey (DB), DaMarcus Fields (DB), Adrian Frye (DFoY), Clayton Hatfield (STPoY), Eli Howard (DL), Jah’Shawn Johnson (DB), Dominic Panazzolo (P), Terence Steele (OL), Joseph Wallace (DL), Broderick Washington Jr. (DL). West Virginia: Kenny Bigelow Jr. (DNoY),Will Grier (OPoY),Dravon Askew-Henry (DB), Dana Holgorsen (CoY),Gary Jennings Jr. (WR), Colton McKivitz (OL), Josh Norwood (DB & DNoY), Evan Staley (PK), Keith Washington (DB).
Jesse Newell
Jesse Newell covers University of Kansas athletics for The Star.
This story was originally published November 28, 2018 at 2:41 PM.