UCLA Football Earns 7 Spots on Athlon's Preseason All-Pac-12 Teams
With three months to go until the 2022 campaign kicks off, certain Bruins are picking up some steam with some preseason recognition.
UCLA football had seven representatives across Athlon Sports' Preseason All-Pac-12 Teams released Thursday. That figure was tied for the fewest in the conference alongside Arizona and Colorado, although a few of the team's offensive playmakers were projected to be among the best in the conference.
Running back Zach Charobonnet made the First Team, as did kick returner Kazmeir Allen. Wide receiver Jake Bobo made the Second Team, quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson made the Third Team and center Sam Marrazzo made the Fourth Team.
On the other side of the ball, linebacker Darius Muasau made the Second Team and cornerback Devin Kirkwood made the Fourth Team.
Thompson-Robinson made the All-Pac-12 Second Team in 2021, only finishing behind Utah's Cameron Rising. The Utes' signal-caller is on Athlon's preseason Second Team, with Oklahoma transfer Caleb Williams making the First Team for USC.
Charbonnet also made the All-Pac-12 Second Team in 2021, but with backfield mate Brittain Brown joining the Las Vegas Raiders, the Bruins' workhorse is expected to get even more carries in 2022.
Bobo played the last four seasons at Duke, capping off his career in Durham by making the All-ACC Third Team after placing in the top-10 in the conference in receptions and receiving yards.
Marrazzo is coming off back-to-back serious injuries – the first of which he suffered in the 2020 season finale that cost him the entire offseason and the second of which he suffered just two games after his return in September 2021. Should he be healthy by the time the season starts, he is expected to be the Bruins' starting center in a deep, veteran interior line group.
Muasau is transferring to UCLA from Hawaii, where he was named to back-to-back All-Mountain West First Teams. Kirkwood did not earn much national or conference recognition as a freshman last season, but the former top recruit is stepping into a far larger role with Obi Eboh, Cameron Johnson and Jay Shaw all gone and Mo Osling III moving back to safety.
Allen had a 100-yard kickoff return for a touchdown against USC in 2021, and he emerged as a do-it-all option on offense as well. While he only returned four kickoffs, he managed to pick up 163 yards on those four returns.
Two of the Bruins' prospective all-conference honorees are new transfers – Bobo and Muasau – while Charbonnet is now a year-and-a-half removed from transferring from Michigan.
The entire Athlon Sports Preseason All-Pac-12 teams, featuring 16 USC Trojans compared to seven UCLA Bruins, are listed below:
Pac-12 Football 2022 All-Conference Team
First-Team Offense
QB Caleb Williams, USC
RB Zach Charbonnet, UCLA
RB Tavion Thomas, Utah
RB/AP Travis Dye, USC
WR Jordan Addison, USC
WR Jacob Cowing, Arizona
TE Brant Kuithe, Utah
C Alex Forsyth, Oregon
OL T.J. Bass, Oregon
OL Jaxson Kirkland, Washington
OL Braeden Daniels, Utah
OL Andrew Vorhees, USC
First-Team Defense
DL Tuli Tuipulotu, USC
DL Brandon Dorlus, Oregon
DL Ron Stone, Washington State
DL Tuli Letuligasenoa, Washington
LB Zion Tupuola-Fetui, Washington
LB Noah Sewell, Oregon
LB Jackson Sirmon, California
LB Omar Speights, Oregon State
CB Clark Phillips, Utah
CB Kyu Blu Kelly, Stanford
S Cole Bishop, Utah
S Daniel Scott, California
First-Team Specialists
K Dean Janikowski, Washington State
P Kyle Ostendorp, Arizona
KR Kazmeir Allen, UCLA
PR D.J. Taylor, Arizona State
Second-Team Offense
QB Cameron Rising, Utah
RB Xazavian Valladay, Arizona State
RB Byron Cardwell, Oregon
WR Jake Bobo, UCLA
WR De'Zhaun Stribling, Washington State
WR Jalen McMillan, Washington
WR Mario Williams, USC
TE Benjamin Yurosek, Stanford
C Brett Neilon, USC
OL Joshua Gray, Oregon State
OL Jake Levengood, Oregon State
OL LaDarius Henderson, Arizona State
OL Brandon Kipper, Oregon State
Second-Team Defense
DL Van Fillinger, Utah
DL Brennan Jackson, Washington State
DL Kyon Barrs, Arizona
LB Edefuan Ulofoshio, Washington
LB Daiyan Henley, Washington State
LB Darius Muasau, UCLA
LB Merlin Robertson, Arizona State
LB Carson Bruener, Washington
CB Rejzohn Wright, Oregon State
CB Armani Marsh, Washington State
S Jaydon Grant, Oregon State
S Isaiah Lewis, Colorado
Second-Team Specialists
K Camden Lewis, Oregon
P Luke Loecher, Oregon State
KR D.J. Taylor, Arizona State
PR Casey Filkins, Stanford
Third-Team Offense
QB Dorian Thompson-Robinson, UCLA
RB Damien Martinez, Oregon State
RB Damien Moore, California
WR Renard Bell, Washington State
WR Michael Wilson, Stanford
WR Gary Bryant, USC
TE Dalton Kincaid, Utah
C Matthew Cindric, California
OL Branson Bragg, Stanford
OL Ben Scott, Arizona State
OL Ben Coleman, California
OL Henry Bainivalu, Washington
Third-Team Defense
DL Jalen Sami, Colorado
DL Popo Aumavae, Oregon
DL Junior Tafuna, Utah
DL Nick Figueroa, USC
DL Brett Johnson, California
LB Karene Reid, Utah
LB Eric Gentry, USC
LB Justin Flowe, Oregon
LB Quinn Perry, Colorado
LB Kyle Soelle, Arizona State
CB Christian Roland-Wallace, Arizona
CB Mekhi Blackmon, USC
S Calen Bullock, USC
S Kendall Williamson, Stanford
Third-Team Specialists
K Cole Becker, Colorado
P Nick Haberer, Washington State
KR Giles Jackson, Washington
PR Giles Jackson, Washington
Fourth-Team Offense
QB Cameron Ward, Washington State
RB Sean Dollars, Oregon
WR Rome Odunze, Washington
WR Brycen Tremayne, Stanford
WR Dont'e Thornton, Oregon
WR Jeremiah Hunter, California
WR Tre'Shaun Harrison, Oregon State
TE Brady Russell, Colorado
TE Luke Musgrave, Oregon State
C Drake Nugent, Stanford
OL Jordan Morgan, Arizona
OL Casey Roddick, Colorado
OL Ryan Walk, Oregon
OL Walter Rouse, Stanford
OL Sam Marrazzo, UCLA
OL Jarrett Kingston, Washington State
OL Keaton Bills, Utah
Fourth-Team Defense
DL Jalen Harris, Arizona
DL Korey Foreman, USC
DL Gabe Reid, Utah
DL Nesta Jade Silvera, Arizona State
LB Shane Lee, USC
LB Ricky Miezan, Stanford
LB Josh Chandler-Semedo, Colorado
LB Bralen Trice, Washington
CB Christian Gonzalez, Oregon
CB Lu-Magia Hearns III, California
CB Devin Kirkwood, UCLA
S Christian Young, Arizona
S Khoury Bethley, Arizona State
S Asa Turner, Washington
Fourth-Team Specialists
K Everett Hayes, Oregon State
P Ryan Sanborn, Stanford
KR Brenden Rice, USC
PR Gary Bryant, USC
Follow Connon on Twitter at @SamConnon
Follow All Bruins on Twitter at @SI_AllBruins
Like All Bruins on Facebook at @SI.AllBruins
Subscribe to All Bruins on YouTube
Read more UCLA stories: UCLA Bruins on Sports Illustrated
Read more UCLA football stories: UCLA Football on Sports Illustrated
