Zach Charbonnet Represents UCLA Football on Preseason All-Pac-12 First Team

Linebacker Darius Muasau and receiver Jake Bobo made the second team, while Dorian Thompson-Robinson was one of three Bruins to be honorably mentioned.
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The 2022 college football season is a month away from kicking off, and the media has officially tabbed the top players in the Pac-12.

The conference announced the preseason All-Pac-12 Teams on Tuesday, a few days ahead of Pac-12 Football Media Day in Los Angeles on Friday. UCLA football had several players earn nods, but far fewer than their crosstown rivals and other top conference foes.

Running back Zach Charbonnet was the Bruins' lone representative on the First Team, while receiver Jake Bobo and linebacker Darius Muasau made the Second Team. Quarterback Dorian Thompson-Robinson, offensive lineman Jon Gaines II and safety Stephan Blaylock were honorable mentions, which meant they each earned four or more votes from members of the media.

The six total Bruins who were honored was tied for eighth-most in the conference with Washington. USC led the way with 16 players, while Oregon and Utah had 13 apiece.

Notable outlets that cover UCLA, including the Los Angeles Times and our team at All Bruins, did not participate in the voting process.

Charbonnet is less than a week removed from earning a spot on the Doak Walker Award preseason watch list, entering him into the race for the nation's top running back honor. The former Michigan transfer, heading into his second season at UCLA, rushed for 1,137 yards and 13 touchdowns in 2021 en route to a spot on the All-Pac-12 Second Team.

Bobo transferred to Westwood from Duke in December, and he was named to the Biletnikoff Award preseason watch list on July 21. In his senior season with the Blue Devils, Bobo made the All-ACC Third Team after racking up 794 yards on 74 receptions.

Muasau also joined the Bruins via the transfer portal this offseason, coming over from Hawaii after making back-to-back All-Mountain West First Teams. Muasau totaled 109 tackles, 14.0 tackles for loss, 7.0 sacks, five forced fumbles, five passes defended and an interception in 2021, and he also made the Butkus Award preseason watch list Monday.

Thompson-Robinson has made the All-Pac-12 Second Team each of the past two years, and he led the entire conference in total touchdowns, total yards per game, total yards per play, passing yards per attempt, adjusted passing yards per attempt, touchdown-to-turnover ratio and passer rating in 2021. The fifth-year signal-caller was named to the Maxwell Award and Davey O'Brien Award preseason watch lists earlier in July.

Gaines and Blaylock, who are both entering their fifth years with the program, will represent UCLA at Pac-12 Football Media Day on Friday.

The full preseason All-Pac-12 Teams are listed below:

2022 PRESEASON ALL-PAC-12 CONFERENCE FOOTBALL TEAM

First Team Offense

QB: Caleb Williams, USC
RB: Zach Charbonnet, UCLA
RB: Tavion Thomas, Utah
WR: Jordan Addison, USC
WR: Mario Williams, USC
TE: Brant Kuithe, Utah
OL: Jaxson Kirkland, Washington
OL: Braeden Daniels, Utah
OL: Alex Forsyth, Oregon
OL: TJ Bass, Oregon
OL: Andrew Vorhees, USC

First Team Defense

DL: Tuli Tuipulotu, USC
DL: Brandon Dorlus, Oregon
DL: Ron Stone Jr., Washington State
DL: Van Fillinger, Utah
LB: Noah Sewell, Oregon
LB: Omar Speights, Oregon State
LB: Jackson Sirmon, California
DB: Clark Phillips III, Utah
DB: Kyu Blu Kelly, Stanford
DB: Cole Bishop, Utah
DB: Daniel Scott, California

First Team Specialists

PK: Dean Janikowski, Washington State
P: Kyle Ostendorp, Arizona
AP/ST: Travis Dye, USC
RS: DJ Taylor, Arizona State

Second Team Offense

QB: Cameron Rising, Utah
RB: Travis Dye, USC
RB: Byron Cardwell, Oregon
WR: Jacob Cowing, Arizona
WR: Jake Bobo, UCLA
TE: Benjamin Yurosek, Stanford
OL: Joshua Gray, Oregon State
OL: Brett Neilon, USC
OL: Sataoa Laumea, Utah
OL: Brandon Kipper, Oregon State
OL: LaDarius Henderson, Arizona State

Second Team Defense

DL: Zion Tupuola-Fetui, Washington
DL: Junior Tafuna, Utah
DL: Kyon Barrs, Arizona
DL:Brett Johnson, California
LB: Merlin Robertson, Arizona State
LB: Justin Flowe, Oregon
LB: Darius Muasau, UCLA
DB: Christian Gonzalez, Oregon
DB:Jaydon Grant, Oregon State
DB: Rejzhon Wright, Oregon State
DB: Mekhi Blackmon, USC

Second Team Specialists

PK: Camden Lewis, Oregon
P: Luke Loecher, Oregon State
AP/ST: Jack Colletto, Oregon State
RS: Gary Bryant Jr., USC

Honorable Mentions

QB: Dorian Thompson-Robinson, UCLA, Tanner McKee, Stanford

RB: Xazavian Valladay, Arizona State; Damien Moore, California; E.J. Smith, Stanford

WR: Gary Bryant, Jr., USC; De'Zhaun Stribling, Washington State; Jalen McMillan, Washington; Elijah Higgins, Stanford; Devaughn Vele, Utah

TE: Dalton Kincaid, Utah

OL: Branson Bragg, Stanford; Jake Levengood, Oregon State; Ryan Walk, Oregon; Matthew Cindric, California; Ben Coleman, California; Walter Rouse, Stanford; Jon Gaines II, UCLA; Frank Filip, Colorado

DL: Brennan Jackson, Washington State; Popo Aumavae, Oregon; Nick Figueroa, USC; Solomon Byrd, USC; Terrance Lang, Colorado; Jalen Sami, Colorado

LB: Mohamoud Diabate, Utah; Korey Foreman, USC; Kyle Soelle, Arizona State; Levani Damuni, Stanford; Edefuan Olofoshio, Washington; Daiyan Henley, Washington State; Oluwafemi Oladejo, California; Carson Bruener, Washington

DB: Armani Marsh, Washington State; Lu-Magia Hearns III, California; JaTravis Broughton, Utah; Bennett Williams, Oregon; Xavion Alford, USC; Stephan Blaylock, UCLA; Isaiah Lewis, Colorado; Derrick Langford, Washington State, Christian Roland-Wallace, Arizona; Jamal Hill, Oregon

PK: Everett Hayes, Oregon State; Dario Longhetto, California

P: Nick Haberer, Washington State; Ryan Sanborn, Stanford

AP/ST: Seven McGee, Oregon; Nick Alftin, California; Giles Jackson, Washington

RS: Brenden Rice, USC; Casey Filkins, Stanford; Nikko Reed, Colorado

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Sam Connon
SAM CONNON

Sam Connon was the Publisher and Managing Editor at Sports Illustrated and FanNation’s All Bruins from 2021 to 2023. He is now a staff writer at Sports Illustrated and FanNation’s Fastball. He previously covered UCLA football, men's basketball, women's basketball, baseball, men's soccer, cross country and golf for The Daily Bruin from 2017 to 2021, serving as the paper's Sports Editor from 2019 to 2020. Connon has also been a contributor for 247Sports' Bruin Report Online, Rivals' BruinBlitz, Dash Sports TV, SuperWestSports, Prime Time Sports Talk, The Sports Life Blog and Patriots Country, Sports Illustrated and FanNation’s New England Patriots site. His work as a sports columnist has been awarded by the College Media Association and Society of Professional Journalists. Connon graduated from UCLA in June 2021 and is originally from Winchester, Massachusetts.