Ott’s First-Team Selection Leads Six On All-Pac-12 Squads

Pac-12 rushing leader Jaydn Ott's first-team selection highlighted six California players who were honored on the 2023 All-Pac-12 Football Team, which was announced by the conference Tuesday along with its annual performance awards and yearly recognition as voted by the league's coaches.

Freshman All-American Cade Uluave was named the Pac-12 Freshman Defensive Player Of The Year while Lachlan Wilson was a second-team pick and David Reese and Craig Woodson were honorable mentions. Fernando Mendoza was selected as a Freshman Offensive Player of the Year honorable mention.

Ott and Woodson were both honorable mentions in 2022 with each of the others honored for the first time Tuesday.

Below are notes on Cal's honorees.

Jaydn Ott, RB, 6-0, 200, So., 2nd Season At Cal (Chino, CA/Norco HS/Bishop Gorman HS)
– Has rushed 229 times for 1,260 yards with 11 touchdowns on the ground (all career highs), while adding 21 receptions for 141 yards and two touchdown catches, as well as one kick return for 100 yards and one touchdown to total career highs of 1,501 all-purpose yards and 1,401 yards from scrimmage, as well as a career-high 14 touchdowns overall
– Ranks among Pac-12 and NCAA leaders in rushing yards per game (114.5, No. 1 Pac-12, No. 7 NCAA), rushing yards (No. 1 Pac-12, No. 13 NCAA), all-purpose yards per game (136.45, No. 1 Pac-12, No. 8 NCAA), total touchdowns (14, No. 2T, No. 22T NCAA), rushing touchdowns (No. 2T Pac-12, No. 35T NCAA), scoring (7.6 ppg, No. 3 Pac-12, No. 46 NCAA) and rush yards per carry (5.50, No. 6 Pac-12, No. 48 NCAA)
– His 1,000-yard rushing season is the 19th in Cal history and first since Patrick Laird in 2017 (17 Cal players have recorded 1,000 rushing yards or more in a season with Marshawn Lynch and Russell White each doing it twice)

Ott’s First-Team Selection Leads Six On All-Pac-12 Squads

Cade Uluave, ILB, 6-1, 230, Fr., 1st Season At Cal (South Jordan, UT/Mountain Ridge HS)
– Has contributed 58 tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss (-42 yards), 2.5 sacks (-26 yards), two forced fumbles, two fumble recoveries that he has returned for 51 yards and one of the team's three fumble returns for a touchdown, two interceptions that he has returned for four yards and three pass breakups, tying for the team lead in tackles for loss, fumble recoveries and interceptions
– Has recorded all of his stats other than participation over the last seven games
– Tied for second in the Pac-12 and tied for 17th nationally in fumbles recovered (tied for first both in the Pac-12 and nationally among freshmen), while he leads Pac-12 freshmen in tackles and tackles per game
 
Fernando Mendoza, QB, 6-5, 220, R-Fr., 2nd Season At Cal (Miami, FL/Columbus HS)
– Has played in eight games including starts in each of Cal's last seven contests
– Has completed 131-of-180 passes (62.2%) for 1,447 yards with 13 touchdown passes and seven interceptions for a 134.0 rating
– Has posted three games with a passer efficiency rating of 157.2 or higher
 
David Reese, OLB, 6-2, 240, R-Sr., 6th Collegiate Season/1st Season At Cal (Fort Pierce, FL/Florida/Vero Beach HS/Fort Pierce Central HS)
– Has contributed a career-high 31 tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss (-58 yards), 6.5 sacks (-58 yards), three forced fumbles, two pass breakups and four quarterback hurries, with his tackles for loss, sacks, yards for both and force fumbles all team highs or tied for the team lead, and all of his stats other than tackles the first of his career
– Tied for third in the Pac-12 and tied for 18th nationally with 0.25 forced fumbles per game, while his -58 sack yards are tied for fifth in the league, his 6.5 sacks tied for seventh, and both his 0.54 sacks per contest and -58 tackle for loss yards tied for eighth
– Recorded 13 tackles 5.5 tackles (-51 yards), 5.5 sacks (-51 yards), three forced fumbles and two pass breakups over the final three games of the regular season
 
Lachlan Wilson, P, 6-3, 195, R-Jr., 5th Season Of Collegiate Football/1st Season At Cal (Eaglemont, Australia/Tulsa/Xavier College)
– Has registered a 45.7 yards per punt average that is currently the best single season in Cal history just ahead of the 45.6 posted by Bryan Anger in 2010, while his mark is also above Cal's career record holder Scott Tabor (44.0)
– Has punted 46 punts for 2,100 yards including 17 that have traveled 50 or more yards, 15 that have pinned opponents inside-the-20 with only two touchbacks, and 12 that have forced opponents into fair catches
– Second in the Pac-12 and 16th nationally in yards per punt average
 
Craig Woodson, DB, 6-0, 210, R-Jr., 5th Season At Cal (Grand Prairie, TX/South Grand Prairie HS)
– One of Cal's four defensive players and one of only eight overall to start each of the first 12 games
– Has contributed 78 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss (-7 yards), a career-high two forced fumbles, one interception and two pass breakups

ALL-PAC-12 HONORABLE MENTION

ARIZONA:  RB Jonah Coleman, So.; WR Jacob Cowing, Sr.; DB Tacario Davis, So.; TE Tanner McLachlan, R-Sr.; DB Ephesians Prysock, So.; OL Jonah Savaiinaea, So.; DB Treydan Stukes, Jr.; DL Taylor Upshaw, Gr.

ARIZONA STATE: RS Elijhah Badger, R-Jr.; OL Leif Fautanu, R-Jr.; DL Dashaun Mallory, Gr.; RB Cam Skattebo, Jr.

CALIFORNIA: LB David Reese, R-Sr.; DB Craig Woodson, R-Jr.

COLORADO:  QB Shedeur Sanders, Jr.; DB Shilo Sanders, Gr.; P Mark Vassett, Jr.

OREGON: DL Jordan Burch, Jr.; OL Josh Conerly Jr., So.; OL Ajani Cornelius, Jr.; DB Tysheem Johnson, Jr.; WR Tez Johnson, Jr.; OL Steven Jones, Sr.; 

OREGON STATE: DB Akili Arnold, R-Jr.; DB Ryan Cooper Jr., Sr.; WR Anthony Gould, R-Jr.; AP/ST Jesiah Irish, R-Sr.; K Atticus Sappington, R-So.

STANFORD: WR Elic Ayomanor, So.; DB Alaka'i Gilman, Sr.; LB Tristan Sinclair, 5th; TE Benjamin Yurosek, Sr.

UCLA:  DB Kenny Churchwell III, R-Sr.; DB Alex Johnson, R-Sr.; TE Moliki Matavao, Jr.; LB Kain Medrano, Sr.; DL Gabriel Murphy, R-Jr.; DL Grayson Murphy, R-Jr.

USC: DL Bear Alexander, So.; AP/ST Zachariah Branch, Fr.; DL Solomon Byrd, R-Sr.; OL Justin Dedich, R-Sr.; RB Marshawn Lloyd, R-Jr.; OL Jonah Monheim, R-Jr.; TE Lake McRee, R-So.; WR Tahj Washington, R-Sr.

UTAH: OL Keaton Bills, Jr.; OL Michael Mokofisi, So.; DB Zemaiah Vaughn, Jr.

WASHINGTON: LB Carson Bruener, Jr.; TE Devin Culp, Sr.; DB Dominique Hampton, Sr.; OL Roger Rosengarten, So.; DL Zion Tupuola-Fetui, Sr.; TE Jack Westover, Sr.

WASHINGTON STATE:  DB Jaden Hicks, R-So.; DL Ron Stone Jr., R-Sr.; WR Lincoln Victor, Sr.; QB Cameron Ward, Jr.