8 Mountaineers Receive All-Big 12 Honors

A record eight West Virginia Mountaineer football players were recognized by the Big 12 Conference coaches Tuesday afternoon.

Linebacker David Long was named defensive player of the year, despite not being named the Big 12 defensive player of the week once throughout the season. Long finished the season fourth in the conference in total tackles (97) but was first in the league in tackles for a loss with 18.5.

Left Tackle Yodny Cajuste was named top offensive lineman along with Kansas State’s Dalton Risner and Oklahoma’s Dru Samia.

Including Long and Cajuste, tight end Trevon Wesco, safety Kenny Robinson and receiver David Sills received first team All-Big 12 Honors.

Wesco finished the regular season with 24 receptions for 352 yards and a touchdown, including averaging over three catches and 53 yards in the final five games of the season.

Kenny Robinson ended the regular season with 75 total tackles, four pass breakups and was fourth in the conference in interceptions (3).

Sills is ninth in the league in receiving yards (896) and led the conference in touchdowns with 15. He averaged 81.5 yards a game and 14.7 yards per reception.

The Mountaineers had three members of the football team make the second team. Quarterback Will Grier, guard Josh Sills and defensive tackle Kenny Bigelow.

Throughout the season, Sills played both guard positions and was a key component to the interior of the offensive line.

Senior transfer Kenny Bigelow let Mountaineer fans know he was here to play in the first play of the season, bursting through Tennessee offensive line for a sack and forced fumble. He finished the year with 18 tackles and two sacks. Bigelow was a force in the middle that continuously disrupted the backfield.

Grier has been a Heisman contender all season long. He is first in the Big 12 in passing yards per game (351.3) second in efficiency (175.5) and completion percentage (67.0%).