After dominant seasons in the the trenches, Cody O’Connell and Hercules Mata’afa are receiving the recognition we know they deserve. The pair of Cougar linemen were named to the Walter Camp All-America First Team on Thursday.
O’Connell was a unanimous All-American last season, and could repeat this year. Both players were named to Sports Illustrated’s All-America First Team, and but only the Continent is a first team All-American according to TheAthletic.com.
After snubbing O’Connell last season, the Pac-12 coaches made another controversial decision this year by not naming Mata’afa the conference’s defensive player of the year.