Week Two SportsPac12 Players of the Week

The top offensive, defensive, and freshman players as chosen by our senior football writers

Pac-12Each week our senior football writers—Dane Miller, Nick Bartlett, Stephen Vilardo, Mark Shmor, and Mik Dietlin—select an Offensive, Defensive, and Freshman Player of the Week throughout the 2021 football season.

They submit their selections before the official Pac-12 Players of the Week are released to keep their choices independent. Seven different players received votes in Week Two.

You’ll find a tabulation of their choices and a cumulative listing of all weekly SportsPac12 Players of the Week at the bottom of the page.

— Offensive Player of the Week —
CJ Verdell, Junior Running Back, Oregon
CJ Verdell scored three touchdowns for the Ducks vs. Ohio State. | Oregon Athletics

Oregon Ducks Logo Pac-12

Junior running back CJ Verdell rushed for 161 and two rushing touchdowns, including a 77-yard score, and caught three passes for 34 yards and another touchdown in Oregon’s 35-28 win over Ohio State.

His performance earned him Athlon’s Offensive Player of the Week, increasing combined season yardage total to 271 on 42 touches for an average of 6.4 yards per touch.

— Defensive Player of the Week —
Kyu Blu Kelly, Junior Cornerback, Stanford
Stanford cornerback Kyu Blu Kelly’s pick-six against USC. | Marcio Jose Sanchez/AP

Junior cornerback Kyu Blu Kelly made six solo tackles—seven total—defended three passes, and returned an interception 31 yards for a touchdown in Stanford’s 42-28 win over USC.

Kelly’s game-clinching interception was his second of the season, and marks the first time a Cardinal has returned a pick for a touchdown since 2017.

— Freshman Player of the Week —

Anthony Gould, Freshman Wide Receiver, Oregon State

OSU’s Anthony Gould caught 7 passes for 119 yards and a TD vs. Hawaii. | Sean Meagher/The Oregonian

Freshman wide receiver Anthony Gould caught seven passes for 119 yards and a touchdown in Oregon State’s 45-27 victory over Hawai’i in his first career start.

Gould’s performance earned him a 81.2 grade from PFF, second-best in the Pac-12 for Week 2.


How Our Writers Voted

Dane
Miller
Nick
Bartlett
Stephen
Vilardo
Mark
Schmor
Mik
Dietlin
OFFCJ
Verdell
Oregon
CJ
Verdell
Oregon
CJ
Verdell
Oregon
CJ
Verdell
Oregon
Micah
Bernard
Utah
DEFKyu Blu
Kelly
Stanford
Verone
McKinley
Oregon
Verone
McKinley
Oregon
Kyu Blu
Kelly
Stanford
Kyu Blu
Kelly
Stanford
FRMicah
Bernard
Utah
Anthony
Gould
OSU
Anthon
Gould
OSU
Noah
Sewell
Oregon
Tanner
McKee
Stanford


Compiled List of SportsPac12 Players of the Week

OffensiveDefensiveFreshman
Week 1Zach Charbonnet
UCLA
Devin Lloyd
Utah
Justin Flowe
Oregon
Week 2CJ Verdell
Oregon
Verone McKinley
Oregon
Anthony Gould
Oregon State
Week 3Drake London
USC
Brendan Radley-Hiles
Washington
Jaxson Dart
USC
Week 4DTR
UCLA
Karene Reid
Utah
De'Zhaun Stribling
WSU
Week 5Jayden Daniels
ASU
Avery Roberts
OSU
Tanner McKee
Stanford
Week 6Jayden de Laura
WSU
Tyler Johnson
ASU
Devaughn Vele
Utah
Week 7Travis Dye
Oregon
Devin Lloyd
Utah
Noah Sewell
Oregon
Week 8B.J. Baylor
Oregon State
Kayvon Thibodeaux
Oregon
Noah Sewell
Oregon
Week 9Tavion Thomas
Utah
Nephi Sewell
Utah
Carson Bruener
Washington
Week 10Travis Dye
Oregon
Devin Lloyd
Utah
Brendon Lewis
Colorado
Week 11Rachaad White
Arizona State
Carson Bruener
Washington
Will Plummer
Arizona
Week 12Dorian Thompson-
Robinson
UCLA
Jahad Woods
Washington St.
Cole Bishop
Utah
Week 13Anthony Brown
Oregon
Jack Jones
ASU
Jaxson Dart
USC



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