Jake Browning wins Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Year

The Huskies haven’t had this much success in any single season since 2000. On Tuesday, the accolades followed.

QB Jake Browning and S Taylor Rapp were honored with individual honors just as a school record nine players were bestowed “first team” status in the 2016 Pac-12 awards announced on Tuesday.

Browning was recognized as the Pac-12 Offensive Player of the Year following a season in which he shattered records and made himself a household name with a darkhorse Heisman campaign. Efficiency was the name of Browning’s game all season as he set a Pac-12 record with a TD-to-completion ratio of 1:12. His 40 TDs put him just three behind Pac-12 season record holder Jared Goff while his 44 total TDs are second all time in conference history (Mariota holds the record of 57—wow!).

This season was a breakout for Browning as he led the Huskies to a top ten ranking and their first ever appearance in a Pac-12 conference championship game. His efforts led to the setting of a new program record for average points per game (44), well eclipsing the 1991 team’s mark of 41 ppg. In addition, his teammates WR John Ross and Dante Pettis set a conference record with a combined 30 TD receptions, most ever by a pair of receivers in the PAC.

Taylor Rapp broke out as a true freshman phenom early in the season. He surprised everybody, especially the pundits who had him ranked as a 3* recruit coming out of high school, with both his physical readiness and his football smarts from Day 1 in camp. His capabilities allowed UW to enhance the overall effectiveness of their defense by moving fellow safety Budda Baker around into various roles as centerfielder, slot corner, and blitzer. Rapp finished the season with 42 tackles and 2 INTs while starting all 12 regular season games.

The Husky first teamers were:

QB Jake Browning, So

RB Myles Gaskin, So

LT Trey Adams, So

OG Jake Eldrenkamp, Sr

WR John Ross, Jr

CB Sidney Jones, Jr

S Budda Baker, Jr

LB Azeem Victor, Jr

DT Elijah Qualls, Jr

Second team and honorable mention selections included:

DT Vita Vea, So (2nd)

LB Kieshawn Bierria, Jr (2nd)

C Coleman Shelton, Sr (2nd)

PR Dante Pettis, Jr (2nd)

CB Kevin King, Sr (Hon)

DT Greg Freakin’ Gaines, So (Hon)

TE Drew Sample, So (Hon)

TE Darrell Daniels, Sr (Hon)

LB Psalm Wooching, Sr (Hon)

Some dots for your pleasure:

• This is the fifth time in UW history a Husky has won Offensive Player of the Year and the first since Marques Tuiasosopo did it in 2000. The others where WR Mario Bailey, QB Steve Pelluer, and RB Greg Lewis.
• Browning already owns the program record for TDs in a season and is a legitimate threat to the break the Pac-12 record. Should he do so, look for an invite to NY for the Heisman Awards ceremony.
• No Husky has ever before won Freshman DPOY of the honors. Congrats to Taylor Rapp.
• The selection of both Eldrenkamp and Adams as first-team offensive linemen breaks a streak that dates back 15 years. Kyle Benn was the last UW player so honored from the Dawgs’ offensive line. This was the longest active drought by any team from the traditional Pac-10.
• The selections of Baker and Jones as first-teamers is the first time a pair of UW DBs won back to back honors in consecutive seasons.