BYU Players Receive All-Independent Honors

BYU Players Receive All-Independent HonorsBYU Players Receive All-Independent Honors

Several BYU players were named to two different All-Independent Teams following the Cougars' 9-3 regular season campaign. Seventeen different players have been honored, including freshman wide receiver Ross Apo who was named a 2011 College Football News Freshman All-America honorable mention and the Yahoo! Sports Independent Freshman of the Year.

Head coach Bronco Mendenhall also received Coach of the Year honors from Yahoo! Sports.

Phil Steele and Yahoo! Sports both released their All-Independent Teams recently, with BYU well represented. The Cougars had eight players named to the Yahoo! Sports All-Independent Team and 16 players with 17 total selections on the Phil Steele All-Independent First and Second Teams. BYU had nine selections on the first team and eight on the second team.

Apo started the season strong and finished even stronger. The freshman from Texas caught a touchdown pass in each of the first three games and closed the season with two touchdowns in each of the last two contests. Apo finished the season with 34 receptions, 453 yards and a team-leading nine touchdowns.

Despite limited action to start the season, quarterback Riley Nelson was named to both teams, including a first-team selection from Phil Steele. Nelson emerged as BYU's starter following the Utah State game where he led the Cougars to a come-from-behind victory with two late touchdown drives. The junior from Logan finished the season 5-1 as a starter, including recently defeating Hawaii with a career-high 363 passing yards and three touchdown passes. Nelson finished the regular season completing 99 of 162 passes for 1,467 yards and 16 touchdowns with 376 rushing yards and one touchdown on 75 attempts.

OFFENSE
QBRiley NelsonBYU
RBCierre WoodNotre Dame
RBJonas GrayNotre Dame
WRMichael FloydNotre Dame
WRCody HoffmanBYU
TETyler EifertNotre Dame
CBrady DeMellNavy
OLTrevor RobinsonNotre Dame
OLBraden HansenBYU
OLZack MartinNotre Dame
OLMatt ReynoldsBYU
   
DEFENSE
DLAaron LynchNotre Dame
DLLouis NixNotre Dame
DLJabaree TuaniNavy
LBManti Te'oNotre Dame
LBSteven ErzingerArmy
LBKyle Van NoyBYU
LBMatt WarrickNavy
DBHarrison SmithNotre Dame
DBRobert BlantonNotre Dame
DBTra'ves BushNavy
DBCorby EasonBYU
   
SPECIAL TEAMS
KJustin SorensenBYU
PRiley StephensonBYU
KRGeorge Atkinson IIINotre Dame
PRJD FalslevBYU
OFFENSE
QBTommy ReesNotre Dame
RBAlexander TeichNavy
RBRaymond MaplArmy
WRRoss ApoBYU
WRTheo RiddickNotre Dame
TEAustin HoltBYU
CBraxston CaveNotre Dame
OLJohn DowdNavy
OLFrank AllenArmy
OLBraden BrownBYU
OLRyan BasfordNavy
   
DEFENSE
DLAJ MackeyArmy
DLStephon TuittNotre Dame
DLHebron FangupoBYU
LBBrandon OgletreeBYU
LBDarius FlemingNotre Dame
LBAndrew RodriguezArmy
LBUona KaveingaBYU
DBTravis UaleBYU
DBJosh JacksonArmy
DBGary GrayNotre Dame
DBKwesi MitchellNavy
   
SPECIAL TEAMS
KJon TeagueNavy
PBen TurkNotre Dame
KRCody HoffmanBYU
PRMarcus ThomasNavy
OFFENSE
QBRiley NelsonBYU
RBJonas GrayNotre Dame
RBCierre WoodNotre Dame
WRMichael FloydNotre Dame
WRCody HoffmanBYU
TETyler EifertNotre Dame
TZack MartinNotre Dame
TMatt ReynoldsBYU
GJohn DowdNavy
GBraden HansenBYU
CBraxston CaveNotre Dame
   
DEFENSE
EAaron LyncNotre Dame
TLouis NixNotre Dame
EJabaree TuaniNavy
LBSteve ErzingerArmy
LBManti Te'oNotre Dame
LBKyle Van NoyBYU
LBMatt WarrichNavy
CBRobert BlantonNotre Dame
CBPreston HadleyBYU
SJamoris SlaughterNotre Dame
SHarrison SmithNotre Dame
   
SPECIAL TEAMS
KDavid RufferNotre Dame
PRiley StephensonBYU
KRGeorgie Atkinson IIINotre Dame
PRJD FalslevBYU