Texas DT T’Vondre Sweat named AP’s Big 12 top defensive player

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AUSTIN, Texas - Oklahoma State running back Ollie Gordon II is The Associated Press Big 12 offensive player of the year and touchdown-scoring, 362-pound Texas tackle T’Vondre Sweat is the league’s top defensive player.

Third-year Texas coach Steve Sarkisian was voted the league’s top coach after the third-ranked Longhorns (12-1) won the conference title and made the four-team College Football Playoff in their final Big 12 season before moving with Oklahoma to the Southeastern Conference next year.

Texas junior receiver Adonai Mitchell, a transfer from Georgia, is the Big 12 newcomer of the year.

Texas has six first-team selections on the AP All-Big 12 team revealed Friday, as determined by the votes from a panel of 23 sports writers and sportscasters who regularly cover the league that grew from 10 to 14 teams this season. It will be 16 next year with the additions of current Pac-12 teams Arizona, Arizona State, Colorado and Utah.

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Gordon, the Big 12 rushing leader with 124 yards per game and 20 touchdowns, was the only unanimous first-team pick on offense. The sophomore had only 109 yards rushing total in the Cowboys’ three non-conference games, but averaged 163 yards per game in nine regular-season Big 12 games. He was the nation’s leading rusher before being held to 34 yards on 13 carries in the Big 12 championship game that Texas won 49-21.

Sweat, who had a 2-yard TD catch in that title game after lining up as a tight end, has 42 tackles, eight tackles for loss, two sacks and seven quarterback hurries this season.

Oklahoma’s four first-team picks include quarterback Dillon Gabriel, the former UCF transfer who has now gone back into the transfer portal after two seasons with the Sooners. Oklahoma linebacker Danny Stutsman, with 99 tackles and 16 tackles for loss, joined Sweat as the only unanimous picks on the first-team defense.

Mitchell, a second-team pick, has 51 catches for 813 yards. His 10 touchdowns are tied with first-team receiver Drake Stoops from Oklahoma for the league lead.

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The 2023 AP All-Big 12 team, listing name, school, height, weight, class and hometown. ("u-" denotes unanimous selection, bold marks Longhorn players):

FIRST TEAM

OFFENSE

WR — Drake Stoops, Oklahoma, Sr., 5-10, 189, Norman, Oklahoma
WR — Xavier Worthy, Texas, Jr., 6-1, 172, Fresno, California
OT — Dominick Puni, Kansas, Sr., 6-5, 320, St. Charles, Missouri
OT — Patrick Paul, Houston, Jr., 6-7, 315, Houston, Texas
OG — Cooper Beebe, Kansas State, Sr., 6-4, 335, Kansas City, Missouri
OG — Luke Kandra, Cincinnati, Jr., 6-4, 320, Cincinnati, Ohio
Center — Zach Frazier, West Virginia, Jr., 6-3, 310, Fairmont, West Virginia
TE — Ben Sinnott, Kansas State, Jr., 6-4, 245, Waterloo, Iowa
QB — Dillon Gabriel, Oklahoma, Sr., 5-11, 204, Mililana, Hawaii
u-RB — Ollie Gordon II, Oklahoma State, So., 6-1, 211, Fort Worth, Texas
RB — Tahj Brooks, Texas Tech, Sr., 5-10, 230, Manor, Texas
PK — Bert Auburn, Texas, Jr., 6-0, 183, Flower Mound, Texas
All-purpose — Xavier Worthy, Texas, Jr., 6-1, 172, Fresno, California

DEFENSE

DE — Austin Booker, Kansas, So., 6-6, 245, Greenwood, Indiana
DE — Tre’Mon Morris-Brash, UCF, Sr., 6-2, 245, Richmond, Virginia
u-DT — T’Vondre Sweat, Texas, Sr., 6-4, 362, Huntsville, Texas
DT — Byron Murphy, Texas., Jr., 6-1, 308, Desoto, Texas
u-LB — Danny Stutsman, Oklahoma, Jr., 6-4, 236, Windermere, Florida
LB — Nickolas Martin, Oklahoma State, So., 6-0, 215, Texarkana, Texas
LB — Jaylan Ford, Texas, Sr., 6-3, 242, Frisco, Texas
CB — Beanie Bishop Jr., West Virginia, Sr., 5-10, 184, Louisville, Kentucky
CB — T.J. Tampa, Iowa State, Sr., 6-2, 200, St. Petersburg, Florida
S — Billy Bowman, Oklahoma, Jr., 5-10, 192, Denton, Texas
S — Jeremiah Cooper, Iowa State, So., 6-0, 185, El Paso, Texas
Punter — Ryan Rehkow, BYU, Jr., 6-5, 235, Veradale, Washington

SECOND TEAM

OFFENSE

WR — Javon Baker, UCF, Sr., 5-11, 170, Atlanta, Georgia
WR — Adonai Mitchell, Texas, Jr., 6-4, 196, Missouri City, Texas
OT —Kelvin Banks Jr., Texas, So., 6-4, 324, Humble, Texas
OT — Kingsley Suamataia, BYU, So., 6-6, 325, Orem, Utah
OG — Michael Ford, Kansas, Jr., 6-3, 305, Homewood, Illinois
OG — Willis Patrick, TCU, Jr., 6-4, 338, Grand Prairie, Texas
Center — Andrew Raym, Oklahoma, Sr., 6-4, 305, Broken Arrow, Oklahoma
TE — Jared Wiley, TCU, Sr., 6-7, 260, Temple, Texas
QB — Quinn Ewers, Texas, So., 6-2, 195, Southlake, Texas
RB — Devin Neal, Kansas, Jr., 5-11, 215, Lawrence, Kansas
RB —Jonathon Brooks, Texas, So., 6-0, 207, Hallettsville, Texas
PK — Alex Hale, Oklahoma State, Sr., 6-0, 205, Point Frederick, NSW, Australia
All-purpose — Brennan Presley, Oklahoma State, Sr., 5-8, 175, Tulsa, Oklahoma

DEFENSE

DE — Nelson Ceaser, Houston, Jr., 6-3, 250, Missouri City, Texas
DE — Tyler Batty, BYU, Jr., 6-5, 273, Payson, Utah
DT — Dontay Corleone, Cincinnati, So., 6-2, 318, Cincinnati, Ohio
DT —Jamaree Caldwell, Houston, Jr., 6-1, 325, Newberry, South Carolina
LB — Jason Johnson, UCF, Sr., 6-2, 235, Chicago, Illinois
LB —Collin Oliver, Oklahoma State, Jr., 6-2, 235, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
LB — Ben Roberts, Texas Tech, Fr., 6-3, 230, Haslet, Texas
CB — Cobee Bryant, Kansas, Jr., 6-0, 170, Evergreen, Alabama
CB — Josh Newton, TCU, Sr., 6-0, 190, Monroe, Louisiana
S —Dadrion Taylor-Demerson, Texas Tech, Sr., 5-11, 195, Oklahoma City, Oklahoma
S —Beau Freyler, Iowa State, Jr., 6-2, 220, Colorado Springs, Colorado
Punter — Austin McNamara, Texas Tech, 6-4, 210, Gilbert, Arizona

INDIVIDUAL HONORS

Offensive player of the year — Ollie Gordon II, RB, Oklahoma State
Defensive player of the year — T’Vondre Sweat, DT, Texas
Coach of the year — Steve Sarkisian, Texas
Newcomer of the year — Adonai Mitchell, WR, Texas

ALL BIG 12 VOTING PANEL: Ryan Aber, The Oklahoman; Eric Bailey, Tulsa World; Kirk Bohls, Austin American-Statesman; Chris Boyle, Daytona Beach News-Journal; Brice Cherry, Waco Tribune-Herald; Danny Davis, Austin American-Statesman; Darnell Dickson, (Provo) Daily Herald; Arne Green, Topeka Capital-Journal; Henry Greenstein, Lawrence Journal-World; Travis Hines, Des Moines Register; Steven Johnson, Fort Worth Star-Telegram; Eric Kelly, KWKT-TV, Waco, Texas; Blair Kerkhoff, Kansas City Star; Matt Murschel, Orlando Sentinel; Randy Peterson, Des Moines Register; Kellis Robinett, Wichita Eagle; Carlos Silva, Jr., Lubbock Avalanche-Journal; Zach Smith, Waco Tribune-Herald; Scott Springer, Cincinnati Enquirer; Jacob Unruh, The Oklahoman; John Werner, Waco Tribune-Herald; Sean Walker, KSL-TV, Salt Lake City; Don Williams, Lubbock Avalanche-Journal; Scott Wright, The Oklahoman.

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