Yahoo Movies K-State’s Anudike-Uzomah selected Big 12 preseason football defensive player of year
Kansas State football defensive end Felix Anudike-Uzomah has been selected the Big 12’s preseason defensive player of the year in a vote of media representatives who cover the league.
Anudike-Uzomah is a 6-foot-4, 255-pound junior out of Lee’s Summit High School.
Texas running back Bijan Robinson is the offensive player of the year and Oklahoma quarterback Dillon Gabriel is the newcomer of the year.
Kansas State had six players selected preseason all-league. Kansas had one, in senior defensive back Kenny Logan.
Other Wildcats joining Anudike-Uzomah as preseason all-league picks: running back Deuce Vaughn, offensive lineman Cooper Beebe, kick returner/punt returner Malik Knowles, linebacker Daniel Green and cornerback Julius Brents.
KU’s Logan led the Big 12 with 113 tackles last season, the most tackles by a Jayhawks player since 2018. The St. Augustine, Florida native had 79 unassisted stops, which led the Big 12 and was third-most in the country.
Kansas State had a league high six players voted preseason all conference, followed by Baylor (5), Iowa State (4) and West Virginia (4). Anudike-Uzomah is the first Wildcat to be tabbed as a preseason offensive or defensive player of the year since Darren Sproles was preseason Big 12 offensive player of the year in 2004.
Anudike-Uzomah is coming off a 2021 season in which he was named an All-American after tying for the national lead in forced fumbles per game (0.46). He ranked 11th nationally and second in the Big 12 in sacks per game (0.85).
He tied the school record with six forced fumbles, his 11.0 sacks tied for fifth in school history and he enters the 2022 season ranked second nationally in career forced fumbles per game (0.33) and third in career sacks per game (0.67).
Here is the complete list of preseason All-Big 12 teams and honors as released Wednesday by the conference:
Players of the Year
Offensive Player of the Year: Bijan Robinson, Texas, RB (6-0, 221), Jr., Tucson, Ariz.
Defensive Player of the Year: Felix Anudike-Uzomah, K-State, DL (6-4, 255), Jr., Kansas City
Newcomer of the Year: Dillon Gabriel, Oklahoma, QB (6-0, 205), R-Jr., Mililani, Hawaii
Offense
QB: Spencer Sanders, Oklahoma State (6-1, 210), R-Sr., Denton, Texas
RB: Deuce Vaughn, Kansas State (5-6, 176), Jr., Round Rock, Texas
RB: Bijan Robinson, Texas (6-0, 221), Jr., Tucson, Ariz.
FB: Jared Rus, Iowa State (6-2, 240), R-Sr., Eldridge, Iowa
WR: Xavier Hutchinson, Iowa State (6-3, 210), R-Sr., Jacksonville, Fla.
WR: Quentin Johnston, TCU (6-4, 212), Jr., Temple, Texas
WR: Xavier Worthy, Texas (6-1, 163), So., Fresno, Calif.
TE: Ben Sims, Baylor (6-4, 253), Sr., San Antonio
OL: Connor Galvin, Baylor (6-7, 310), R-Sr., Katy, Texas
OL: Jacob Gall, Baylor (6-2, 305), R-Sr., Cincinnati, Ohio
OL: Trevor Downing, Iowa State (6-4, 310), R-Sr., Creston, Iowa
OL: Cooper Beebe, Kansas State (6-4, 322), Jr., Kansas City, Kan.
OL: Zach Frazier, West Virginia (6-3, 306), So., Fairmont, W.Va.
PK: Casey Legg, West Virginia (6-4, 216), R-Sr., Charleston, W.Va.
KR/PR: Malik Knowles, Kansas State (6-3, 200), Sr., Mansfield, Texas
Defense
DL: Siaki Ika, Baylor (6-4, 350), Jr., Salt Lake City
DL: Will McDonald IV, Iowa State (6-4, 245), R-Sr., Pewaukee, Wis.
DL: Felix Anudike-Uzomah, Kansas State (6-4, 255), Jr., Kansas City
DL: Collin Oliver, Oklahoma State (6-2, 235), So., Oklahoma City
DL: Dante Stills, West Virginia (6-4, 285), Sr., Fairmont, W.Va.
LB: Dillon Doyle, Baylor (6-3, 242), Sr., Iowa City, Iowa
LB: Daniel Green, Kansas State (6-3, 242), Sr., Portland, Ore.
LB; DeMarvion Overshown, Texas (6-4, 221), Sr., Arp, Texas
DB: Kenny Logan Jr., Kansas (6-0, 210), Sr., St. Augustine, Fla.
DB: Julius Brents, Kansas State (6-4, 202), Sr., Indianapolis
DB: Jason Taylor II, Oklahoma State (6-0, 215), R-Sr. Roanoke, Texas
DB: Tre’Vius Hodges-Tomlinson, TCU (5-9, 180), Sr., Waco, Texas
DB: Charles Woods, West Virginia (5-11, 193), Sr., Dallas
P: Michael Turk, Oklahoma (6-0, 228), R-5th, Dallas
