Fields Named Big 12 Defensive Freshman of the Year
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FORT WORTH, Texas — Sixteen TCU football players have received All-Big 12 honors, highlighted by the unanimous selection of Devonte Fields as the Defensive Freshman of the Year.
TCU’s 16 players recognized trail only Big 12 champion Kansas State (18).
Fields and fellow defensive end Stansly Maponga as well as cornerback Jason Verrett are first-team selections.
Representing the Horned Frogs on the second team are linebacker Kenny Cain, safety Sam Carter, offensive guard Blaize Foltz and defensive tackle Chucky Hunter.
Honorable-mention accolades went to wide receiver Josh Boyce, return specialist Skye Dawson, center James Fry, placekicker Jaden Oberkrom, safety Elisha Olabode, punter Ethan Perry and tailback Matthew Tucker.
The following Horned Frogs received honorable-mention notice for individual awards: tailback B.J. Catalon (Offensive Freshman of the Year), offensive tackle Tayo Fabuluje (Offensive Newcomer of the Year), Fields (Defensive Lineman of the Year), Foltz (Offensive Lineman of the Year) and
Verrett (Defensive Player of the Year).
Six of the 11 starters on TCU’s Big 12-leading defensive unit were first- or second-team selections. Five of those players will return next season. Cain is the only senior on the depth chart for TCU’s defense.
Fields, who tops the Big 12 in tackles for loss (17 1/2) while placing second in sacks (9), is the only freshman or sophomore to be a first-team All-Big 12 pick this season.
An Arlington, Texas, native, Fields was named the Associated Press Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year.
Maponga, the lone Horned Frog to be a preseason All-Big 12 choice, missed two games and parts of two others due to injury. He still totaled six tackles for loss, including 3 1/2 sacks, with two forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries.
Verrett is the Big 12 leader in interceptions (6) and passes defended (20). He is the only player nationally to rank in the top 10 in both categories.
The San Antonio Express-News tabbed Verrett as its Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year.
