The University of Texas at Austin Athletics
Sweat, Football lead AP All-Big 12 honors
12.08.2023 | Football
DT T’Vondre Sweat was named the AP Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year and Steve Sarkisian was selected Coach of the Year, while WR Adonai Mitchell earned Newcomer of the Year.
AUSTIN, Texas – No. 3 Texas Football dominated the Associated Press All-Big 12 awards claiming three of four individual awards with nine players selected to All-Big 12 Teams, the organization announced on Friday. Senior defensive tackle T'Vondre Sweat was tabbed the AP Big 12 Defensive Player of the Year and head coach Steve Sarkisian was recognized as the conference's coach of the year, while junior wide receiver Adonai Mitchell was selected as the league's newcomer of the year.
Sweat was also selected to the AP All-Big 12 First Team along with junior defensive tackle Byron Murphy II, senior linebacker Jaylan Ford, junior place-kicker Bert Auburn and junior wide receiver Xavier Worthy, who was also named first team as an all-purpose player. The second team featured Mitchell as well as sophomores quarterback Quinn Ewers, running back Jonathon Brooks and offensive tackle Kelvin Banks Jr..
Sweat, a finalist for the Outland Trophy, has had a breakout season, establishing career highs with 42 tackles, 17 solo tackles, eight tackles for loss, two sacks and four pass breakups, while adding a blocked kick on an Iowa State point after attempt that was scooped up by Austin Jordan and returned 82 yards for a two-point score for Texas. Sweat also caught a two-yard touchdown pass in the Longhorns' Big 12 Championship Game victory over Oklahoma State. The Huntsville, Texas was also named a semifinalist for the Chuck Bednarik Award and the Walter Camp Player of the Year. He was one of three unanimous selections for the All-Big 12 First Team and is the first Longhorn to earn the AP's Big 12 defensive player of the year award since Jackson Jeffcoat in 2013.
Sarkisian has led the Longhorns to a 12-1 record, the first Big 12 Championship since 2009 and selection to the College Football Playoff for the first time in program history. The 12 wins are the most for the Longhorns since the 2009 season and mark the fourth season with 12-plus wins in program history (2005, 2008, 2009). Texas currently holds a seven-game winning streak, the longest since 2008-09 (17 games). Texas features a balanced attack that is averaging 36.0 points per game (16th NCAA) and allowing just 17.5 points per game (13th NCAA), outscoring opponents 470 to 228 on the year, while ranking ninth in total offense (475.9) and 23rd in total defense (321.7). He is the first Texas head coach to earn the AP's top Big 12 coaching honor since Mack Brown in 2009.
Mitchell, a native of Missouri City, Texas, has been an integral member of the Longhorn offense since transferring from Georgia. The wide receiver has established career highs with 51 receptions, 813 receiving yards and Big 12-leading 10 touchdowns. He has two games of multiple touchdown receptions and had a string of four consecutive games with a TD catch, tied for the sixth-longest streak in program history. Mitchell earned the conference's offensive newcomer of the week honor three times this season, following wins at Alabama (3 receptions, 78 yards, 2 TDs), versus Kansas (10 receptions, 141 yards, 1 TD) and against Kansas State (8 receptions, 149 yards 1 TD). Mitchell is the first Longhorn to earn AP Big 12 top newcomer accolades since Worthy earned the honor in 2021.
Murphy, a junior from DeSoto, Texas, has registered 26 tackles and established career highs with 12 solo tackles, eight tackles for loss and five sacks. He has registered at least two tackles in seven games and recorded a tackle for loss in six of 13 games this season, including a four tackle, three tackle for loss and two sack performance at Baylor. In the victory over Wyoming, Murphy caught hauled in a 1-yard touchdown reception, becoming just the fourth Texas lineman to score an offensive touchdown.
Ford, from Frisco, Texas, leads the Longhorns with 91 tackles (40 solo) and 10.5 tackles for loss, including one sack, while hauling in two interceptions, breaking up two passes, forcing a fumble and recovering a fumble. He has registered five or more tackles in all 13 games this season with six games of at least eight tackles. His three takeaways this season have led to two Longhorn touchdowns and a field goal, while his forced fumble led to a Texas field goal. Dating back to last season, he has takeaways in nine of his last 19 games, while his six career interceptions are fourth all-time among Texas linebackers.
Auburn, from Flower Mound Texas, has put together one of the finest seasons for a placekicker in program history. He currently leads the Big 12 in field goal percentage (82.4 percent), field goals made (28), field goals attempted (34), total points scored (136), scoring (10.5 ppg), while his 52 extra points made are second in the conference and his season-long field goal of 54 yards is tied for the fifth-longest of the season. Nationally, the junior leads the nation in field goals made and field goals attempted, while ranking second in field goals per game (2.15), total points scored and third in scoring. He has established program records for field goals in a season and is two shy of the conference record, while a streak of 19 successful field goals is the longest in program and Big 12 history. He had a record-setting day against Texas Tech, establishing a program best with 21 points scored for a placekicker, equaling the program record with five made field goals in a game, including a career-long 54-yarder, while adding six successful point after tries.
Worthy, a native of Fresno, Calif., has caught a career-high 73 passes for 969 yards and five touchdowns and returned 20 punts for 358 yards, including a 74-yard punt return for a touchdown against BYU. He leads the Big 12 and ranks second in the nation averaging 17.9 yards per punt return, while leading in the conference in receiving yards, ranking second in receiving yards per game (74.5) and third in receptions and receptions per game (5.6). He is just the second Longhorn to have three seasons of 60-plus receptions (Roy Williams), his punt return average ranks second in program history (Bobby Dillon – 22.3, 1950) and his 358 punt return yards this season are the seventh-most all time for a Longhorn.
Among the AP All-Big 12 teams, Texas led the conference in first-team members (5), second-team honorees (4) and total selections.
