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Oregon Defense Dominates AP All-Pac-12 Team

Dec 10, 2021

EUGENE, Ore. — Oregon occupied nearly half of the Associated Press All-Pac-12 first-team defense released on Friday with an impressive five selections, while two more players earned second-team honors.
 
Popo Aumavae, Brandon Dorlus, Verone McKinley III, Noah Sewell, and Kayvon Thibodeaux were all named to the first team, giving Oregon five of the 11 spots on the first-team defense. Oregon has five first-team selections for the second time in the last three years, and its five defensive first-team honorees are the most in program history.
 
Running back Travis Dye and kicker Camden Lewis earned second-team recognition, giving Oregon seven total AP All-Pac-12 selections.
 
Thibodeaux is an AP All-Pac-12 first-team selection for the third year in a row, becoming the first Oregon player ever to achieve that feat.

Click here to view all of the 2021 AP All-Pac-12 selections.
 
DL Popo Aumavae – AP All-Pac-12 First Team
» Coaches Pac-12 All-Conference honorable mention
» Finished the regular season with 36 tackles and three tackles for loss.
» 81.3 overall grade by PFF, No. 1 among Pac-12 interior defensive linemen and No. 27 in the FBS.
» 82.0 pass-rush grade by PFF, No. 2 among Pac-12 interior defensive linemen.
 
DL Brandon Dorlus – AP All-Pac-12 First Team
» Coaches Pac-12 All-Conference first team
» Finished regular season with 23 tackles, 7.0 tackles for loss, and 2.5 sacks.
» Third on the team in TFLs and fourth in sacks.
» 79.5 overall grade by PFF, second-best among Pac-12 interior defensive linemen.
» Led Pac-12 interior defensive linemen with an 83.0 pass-rushing grade by PFF.
» 41 total QB pressures according to PFF, 17 more than any other Pac-12 interior D-lineman.
» Seven games with a TFL, including two in Oregon's win over Arizona.
 
S Verone McKinley III – AP All-Pac-12 First Team
» Walter Camp All-America first team
» CBS Sports & ESPN All-America first team.
» Paycom Jim Thorpe Award finalist.
» Coaches Pac-12 All-Conference first team.
» Leads the nation with six interceptions this season.
» Second on Oregon with 71 total tackles, third-most among Pac-12 defensive backs.
» Leads the Ducks with six pass breakups.
» Four interceptions in three games against Ohio State, Stony Brook, and Arizona.
» Sealed Oregon's win at then-No. 3 Ohio State with an interception.
» Two interceptions vs. Stony Brook, his second career multi-pick game.
» 11 career interceptions, one away from cracking the UO all-time top 10.
» Six interceptions is one away from the UO single-season top 10. 
 
LB Noah Sewell – AP All-Pac-12 First Team
» Coaches Pac-12 All-Conference first team
» Tied for No. 2 in the Pac-12 with 106 tackles, 35 more than any other Duck.
» First Duck with 100 tackles in a season since Troy Dye in 2018.
» Six double-digit tackle performances, including a career-high 14 vs. Arizona.
» Second among Ducks with 8.0 tackles for loss and four sacks.
» 89.7 pass-rush grade by PFF, tied for 11th-best among FBS linebackers.
» 32 total quarterback pressures according to PFF, tied for No. 5 among FBS linebackers.
» Semifinalist for the Butkus Award, given to the nation's top linebacker.
» Two-time Pac-12 Freshman of the Week.
 
DE Kayvon Thibodeaux – AP All-Pac-12 First Team
» Walter Camp All-America first team
» Bronko Nagurski Trophy finalist.
» Chuck Bednarik Award finalist.
» Coaches Pac-12 All-Conference first team.
» Pro Football Focus Pac-12 Defensive Player of the Year.
» Tied for third in the Pac-12 with seven sacks and fourth with 12.0 tackles for loss.
» 91.5 pass-rush grade by PFF, ninth-best among FBS edge defenders.
» 48 total QB pressures according to PFF, second-most among Pac-12 defenders.
» Multi-sack performances vs. both UCLA and Washington State.
» Career-high 4.5 TFLs in win at UCLA, the most by a Duck since 2017.
» Tied for seventh in Oregon history with 19.0 career sacks.
» Two-time Pac-12 Defensive Player and Defensive Lineman of the Week.
 
RB Travis Dye – AP All-Pac-12 Second Team
» Coaches Pac-12 All-Conference honorable mention
» No. 3 in the Pac-12 with 1,118 rushing yards, his first career 1,000-yard rushing season.
» Second in the Pac-12 with 17 total touchdowns, and tied for second with 15 rushing TDs.
» Also leads Oregon with 41 receptions for 374 yards and two touchdowns.
» No. 2 in the Pac-12 with 114.8 all-purpose yards per game and 1,492 total all-purpose yards.
» One of just four players in the FBS to lead his team in both rushing yards and receptions.
 
K Camden Lewis – AP All-Pac-12 Second Team
» Coaches Pac-12 All-Conference second team
» 12-of-15 on field goals while recording touchbacks on 35 of his 79 kickoff attempts.
» Started the season 10-of-10 on field goals, the longest streak by a UO kicker since 2015.
» 52-of-53 on extra-point attempts this season.
» Made a career-long 49-yard field goal in Oregon's win over California.