Pac-12 Hotline: Our 2021 all-conference team projections

The Hotline’s preseason all-conference team features two glaring omissions, both related to injury.

We did not select Washington edge rusher Zion Tupuola-Fetui or Colorado linebacker Nate Landman, who were first-team all-conference picks (by the coaches) last season.

Tupuola-Fetui’s exclusion was a fairly easy call, because the Huskies have not indicated when he’ll return from a torn Achilles, only that he is expected to play at some point.

Landman’s case isn’t as clear. He, too, suffered a ruptured Achilles. But unlike Tupuola-Fetui, who was injured in the spring, Landman’s setback occurred in the regular-season finale eight months ago. He’s practicing with the Buffaloes and expected to play in the season opener.

And yet, we remain slightly skeptical of Landman returning to form quickly enough to make an impact great enough to produce an all-conference season.

Also, the competition is fierce: The linebacker position has as much quality depth as any on defense.

Unsure of Landman’s ability to regain his pre-injury form and given the presence of so many established, healthy players, we excluded him.

It’s one of many all-conference decisions we quickly could come to regret.

Notes on the following:

Our picks for the Pac-12 offensive and defensive Players of the Year are USC receiver Drake London and Oregon defensive end Kayvon Thibodeaux.

We selected three receivers, five defensive backs and an edge rusher to reflect the personnel groupings used most often.

One position per player.

We defined the All-Purpose player (AP) narrowly — someone who impacts the offense in a variety of ways. Contributions on special teams were assigned to the Return Specialist (RS) selections.

Offense

First team

QB: Arizona State’s Jayden Daniels

TB: Colorado’s Jarek Broussard

TB: Washington State’s Max Borghi

WR: USC’s Drake London (OPOY)

WR: Utah’s Britain Covey

WR: Oregon’s Johnny Johnson

TE: Washington’s Cade Otton

OL: Washington State’s Abraham Lucas

OL: Utah’s Nick Ford

OL: Washington’s Jaxson Kirkland

OL: Arizona State’s Dohnovan West

OL: Oregon State’s Nathan Eldridge

AP: Arizona State’s Rachaad White

Second team

QB: USC’s Kedon Slovis

TB: Stanford’s Austin Jones

TB: UCLA’s Zach Charbonnet

WR: Arizona State’s Bryan Thompson

WR: Washington State’s Travell Harris

WR: UCLA’s Kyle Phillips

TE: Utah’s Brant Kuithe

OL: Stanford’s Walter Rouse

OL: Washington’s Henry Bainivalu

OL: Arizona State’s Kellen Riesch

OL: Oregon’s Alex Forsyth

OL: Washington’s Luke Wattenberg

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AP: Oregon’s Travis Dye

Defense

First team

DL: Oregon’s Kayvon Thibodeaux (DPOY)

DL: Stanford’s Thomas Booker

DL: Utah’s Mika Tafua

DL: Arizona State’s Jermayne Lole

Edge: USC’s Drake Jackson

LB: Utah’s Devin Lloyd

LB: Oregon State’s Avery Roberts

LB: Cal’s Cameron Goode

DB: Arizona State’s Chase Lucas

DB: Oregon’s Mykeal Wright

DB: Washington’s Trent McDuffie

DB: USC’s Chris Steele

DB: Colorado’s Isaiah Lewis

Second team

DL: USC’s Nick Figueroa

DL: Arizona State’s Tyler Johnson

DL: Cal’s Luc Bequette

DL: Utah’s Viane Moala

Edge: UCLA’s Mitchell Agude

LB: Washington’s Edefuan Ulofoshio

LB: Colorado’s Carson Wells

LB: Cal’s Kuony Deng

DB: Oregon’s Verone McKinley

DB: UCLA’s Quentin Lake

DB: Utah’s Clark Phillips III

DB: Arizona State’s Evan Fields

DB: USC’s Isaiah Pola-Mao

Special Teams

First team

K: Utah’s Jadon Redding

P: USC’s Ben Griffiths

RS: Arizona State’s D.J. Taylor

Second team

K: Arizona’s Lucas Havrisik

P: Stanford’s Ryan Sanborn

RS: Cal’s Nikko Remigio