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Eight West Virginia football players earned Big 12 Conference post-season honors, with two men earning multiple awards. This is the most Mountaineers to earn all-conference honors in a season.
Best of all, linebacker David Long Jr. was named the Big 12 Conference Defensive Player of the Year.
David Long Jr. - The 2018 @Big12Conference Defensive Player of the Year!#HailWV pic.twitter.com/OcfGFLzPMd
— WVU Football (@WVUfootball) November 28, 2018
Long finished the season with 97 total tackles, 18.5 tackles for loss, seven sacks and one fumble forced and recovered. The redshirt junior from Cincinnati led the team in all of those categories. Long led the conference in sacks and was second in the Big 12 in solo tackles and fourth in total tackles. Remember, he played one fewer game than most other players in the conference.
Yodney Cajuste also earned an individual award, being named the Big 12 Co-Offensive Lineman of the Year. Long and Cajuste were joined by wide receiver David Sills V, tight end Trevon Wesco, safety Kenny Robinson Jr. on the All-Big 12 Conference First Team.
Yodny Cajuste - The 2018 @Big12Conference Co-Offensive Lineman of the Year!#HailWV pic.twitter.com/PUMyNzaQzY
— WVU Football (@WVUfootball) November 28, 2018
Sills led the team in receiving touchdowns (15), and total receptions (61). Wesco snagged 24 catches for 352 yards and a touchdown. Robinson led WVU in interceptions (3) and recorded the second-most total tackles on the team (75).
Congratulations to All-Big 12 First Team members Trevon Wesco, David Long Jr., David Sills V, Yodny Cajuste and Kenny Robinson Jr.!#HailWV pic.twitter.com/pRAme02rU4
— WVU Football (@WVUfootball) November 28, 2018
Quarterback Will Grier, offensive lineman Josh Sills and defensive lineman Kenny Bigelow Jr. were named second team all-conference. Grier led the conference in completed passes (266), total passing yards (3864) and tied for the most touchdowns thrown (37). Bigelow
In 2017, WVU placed six players on the All-Big 12 teams.
These eight players and the rest of the Mountaineers (8-3, 5-3) now await their bowl fate, which will be announced Sunday, Dec. 2, after conference championship games are completed.