Pac-12 postseason awards: Our look at the frontrunners for individual honors

Both Coach and Offensive Player of the Year races are tight with two weeks left

Although the Pac-12’s regular season ends this weekend, coaches have two weeks to decide on individual award winners.

A few years ago, the conference changed the timing of the vote for postseason honors. Rather than choosing the all-conference team and individual winners before the conference championship, the coaches were given until the Pac-12 championship game to make their decision.

As a result, the reveal date has been set for December 5.

Some races stand out more than others.

Here’s our opinion…

Coach of the Year

The frontrunners are Arizona’s Jedd Fisch and Washington’s Kalen DeBoer. Forecast: It is too soon to tell. Comment: Fisch has orchestrated the season’s biggest upside surprise, as his Wildcats, who were picked eighth in the preseason media poll, are now alone in third place with a chance to win the conference championship. (Arizona needs a win over ASU and Oregon to lose in order to play Washington in Las Vegas.) Meanwhile, DeBoer is one win away from becoming the Pac-12’s first perfect season since the conference’s expansion in 2011. DeBoer will be difficult to defeat if UW wins. If Washington falters and Arizona defeats ASU, Fisch should win the award. DeBoer shared the award with Oregon State’s Jonathan Smith last year, which may have influenced how some coaches vote this year.

Offensive Player of the Year

Oregon QB Bo Nix and Washington QB Michael Penix Jr. are the frontrunners. Forecast: It’s too early to tell. Comment: The best guess is that Nix and Penix will play in the conference championship game, with the winner receiving the award. (They are also heavy Heisman Trophy favorites.) We might agree if either player were a conference original, but both are transfers who have only played in the Pac-12 for two seasons. And we don’t see any personality conflicts that might sway the vote away from one of the candidates. Don’t rule out the possibility that Nix and Penix will share the award. There have been several co-Offensive Players of the Year over the years.

Pat Tillman Defensive Player of the Year

Frontrunners include Utah DE Laiatu Latu, Arizona LB, Jonah Ellis, UCLA DL Washington CB Jabbar Muhammad and Jacob Manu Forecast: Latu is the clear favorite. Comment: UCLA’s ferocious edge rusher has been the most dominant player from start to finish, leading the Power Five with 13 sacks. Elliss started quickly but has faded (and is currently injured), while Manu and Muhammad have fueled their teams’ better-than-expected performances but aren’t as disruptive as Latu. Latu’s background will also impress the coaches: he was medically retired at Washington due to a neck injury, but he was eventually cleared to play and transferred to Westwood.

Freshman Offensive Player of the Year

Arizona quarterback Noah Fifita’s Fifita is a sure thing. Comment: The redshirt freshman is eligible for the award, which he received a few weeks ago, according to Pac-12 rules. Fifita took over for injured starter Jayden de Laura in late September and has won five of seven starts while completing 73.6 percent of his passes. His poise and playmaking abilities are exceptional for a freshman, let alone an upperclassman. If someone other than Fifita receives the most votes, the conference should investigate. (It should be noted that the results of the votes are not made public.)

Freshman Defensive Player of the Year

USC LB Tackett Curtis, ASU DL C.J. Fite, and UCLA DB ASU LB Tate Romney, Cal LB Cade Uluave, and Stanford CB Kamari Ramsey Mr. Collin Wright Edge to Uluave forecast Comment: This is an exciting competition, but we believe Uluave is the most deserving due to his significant impact. After a slow start in which he didn’t record a single stat in five games, the rookie from South Jordan, Utah, has produced 46 tackles, 4.5 tackles for loss, two fumble recoveries, and an interception in the last six weeks. The other players have been consistent contributors for their teams, but they lack Uluave’s playmaking ability.