Pac-12 Hotline: Our picks for postseason award winners and the all-conference team

The Pac-12 will announce its 2023 all-conference teams and postseason award winners Tuesday. The head coaches were permitted to wait for the result of the conference championship game before casting their ballots.

We see no reason to wait for the official reveal.

The Hotline’s selections ...

Coach of the Year: Washington’s Kalen DeBoerIn the end, it was an easy decision. Arizona’s Jedd Fisch did marvelous work turning the Wildcats into a nine-win team in his third season. But DeBoer did what no head coach has accomplished in the 13 years of the conference’s expansion era: He won every game. And nothing beats 13-0. If DeBoer doesn’t claim the official honor on Tuesday, it’s because the coaches are playing politics.

Offensive Player of the Year: Washington QB Michael Penix Jr.

Loads of terrific candidates for this honor, including two receivers: Oregon’s Troy Franklin and Washington’s Rome Odunze. But Penix led his team through a November gauntlet and emerged with a perfect record and playoff invitation. And along the way, he made all the throws he absolutely had to make, especially on third and fourth down.

Defensive Player of the Year: UCLA Edge Laiatu Latu

Latu entered the season in the spotlight and brought the havoc on a weekly basis. He leads the nation in tackles-for-loss and leads all Power Five players in sacks. The Bruins fielded one of the Pac-12’s best defenses, and it starts with Latu.

Freshman Offensive Player of the Year: Arizona QB Noah Fifita

The easiest call of them all. Fifita replaced injured starter Jayden de Laura in late September and led the Wildcats to a 6-2 record and third-place finish. His production was top-notch; his poise was even better.

Freshman Defensive Player of the Year: Cal LB Cade Uluave

We assessed a bevy of candidates here but selected Uluave for his all-around impact: 6.5 tackles-for-loss, two interceptions, two fumbles forced and a scoop-and-score.

Now, our all-conference selections ...

First-team offense

QB: Washington’s Michael Penix Jr.

TB: Oregon State’s Damien Martinez

TB: Cal’s Jaydn Ott

WR: Oregon’s Troy Franklin

WR: Washington’s Rome Odunze

WR: Arizona’s Tetairoa McMillan

TE: Oregon’s Terrance Ferguson

OL: Washington’s Troy Fautanu

OL: Oregon’s Jackson Powers-Johnson

OL: Oregon State’s Taliese Fuaga

OL: Cal’s Brian Driscoll

OL: Arizona’s Jonah Savaiinaea

First-team defense

DL: Utah’s Jonah Elliss

DL: Oregon’s Taki Taimani

DL: UCLA’s Gabriel Murphy

Edge: UCLA’s Laiatu Latu

LB: Arizona’s Jacob Manu

LB: Oregon State’s Easton Mascarenas-Arnold

DB: Colorado’s Travis Hunter

DB: Washington’s Jabbar Muhammad

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DB: Oregon’s Khyree Jackson

DB: Arizona’s Tacario Davis

DB: Washington State’s Jaden Hicks

First-team specialists

K: Stanford’s Joshua Karty

P: Cal’s Lachlan Wilson

Ret: USC’s Zachariah Branch

Second-team offense

QB: Oregon’s Bo Nix

TB: Washington’s Dillon Johnson

TB: Oregon’s Bucky Irving

WR: Arizona’s Jacob Cowing

WR: Washington State’s Lincoln Victor

WR: Stanford’s Elic Ayomanor

TE: Arizona State’s Jaylin Conyers

OL: Oregon State’s Joshua Gray

OL: Washington’s Roger Rosengarten

OL: Oregon’s Steven Jones

OL: Utah’s Keaton Bills

OL: Arizona’s Jordan Morgan

Second-team defesne

DL: Washington State’s Brennan Jackson

DL: Washington’s Tuli Letuligasenoa

DL: Oregon’s Brandon Dorlus

Edge: Arizona’s Taylor Upshaw

LB: Oregon State’s Andrew Chatfield

LB: UCLA’s Darius Muasau

DB: Utah’s Cole Bishop

DB: Stanford’s Collin Wright

DB: Cal’s Craig Woodson

DB: USC’s Calen Bullock

DB: Colorado’s Shilo Sanders

Second-team specialists

K: Oregon State’s Atticus Sappington

P: Utah’s Jack Bouwmeester

Ret: Arizona State’s Elijhah Badger