MORGANTOWN, W.Va. (December 21, 2017) – West Virginia University football coach Dana Holgorsen has announced the Mountaineers’ Player of the Year Awards for outstanding performance on the field during the 2017 season.
OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Gary Jennings Jr.; DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR: David Long Jr.; SPECIAL TEAMS PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Marcus Simms; OFFENSIVE SCOUT TEAM PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Jack Allison;DEFENSIVE SCOUT TEAM PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Deamonte Lindsay; CURTIS JONES JR. AWARD: Jon Lewis; MR. UNSELFISH: Ezekiel Rose; ED PASTILONG CAPTAIN’S AWARD: Al-Rasheed Benton, Elijah Wellman; TEAM CAPTAINS: Al-Rasheed Benton, Elijah Wellman, Ka’Raun White, Kyzir White
Jennings, an All-Big 12 second-team selection, led the Mountaineers with 94 catches for 1,030 yards and a touchdown. He became the eighth Mountaineer to register 1,000 or more receiving yards in a season and the fifth to have 90 or more catches in a season.
He finished with 100 or more receiving yards in four games and had a career-best 189 yards on 13 catches and a touchdown against Virginia Tech. He also had 128 yards on six catches against Delaware State.
He leads the Big 12 in receptions per game and is fifth in receiving yards per game. He is No. 3 nationally in receptions per game and No. 20 in receiving yards per game.
Long Jr., a ProFootballFocus All-America second team selection, missed four games in 2017 due to a leg injury sustained during the offseason. He is currently the third-leading tackler on the Mountaineer defense with 69 tackles, including 50 solo stops, a team-leading 13.5 tackles for loss and six pass breakups.
In 2017, he finished with 10 or more tackles three times, including a career-high 18 tackles against Oklahoma State. In that game, he collected a then nation-best 14 solo tackles and seven tackles for loss. The solo tackles mark currently is tied for best in the country, and the tackles for loss mark is second best. He also posted 12 tackles, a sack and 2.5 tackles for loss at Kansas State.
Simms, an All-Big 12 second-team selection, averaged 25.6 yards per kickoff return and 6.6 yards per punt return, leading WVU in both categories. He is No. 21 nationally in kickoff returns and No. 34 in punt returns. He had a season-best four kickoff returns for 125 yards at Baylor, including a season-long of 45 yards. He had a season-long punt return of 23 yards against East Carolina.
Simms was WVU’s fourth-leading receiver with 32 catches for 630 yards and five touchdowns. He had a season-high six catches against Texas Tech and a season-best 91 yards and two touchdowns against Delaware State.
Rose played in 12 games and started three. He has 21 tackles, including 17 solo stops, 4.5 sacks, two pass breakups and an interception. Lewis played in all 12 games, adding depth on the defensive line and seeing extensive action on special teams. He was an Academic All-Big 12 honoree.
Benton, an All-Big 12 Conference honorable mention selection, leads the Mountaineer defense with 102 tackles, including 73 unassisted tackles, three sacks, 13 tackles for loss, three pass breakups, two interceptions, six quarterback hurries and a forced fumble. Wellman, an All-Big 12 Conference honorable mention honoree started all 12 games as the team’s fullback.
Ka’Raun White, an All-Big 12 Conference honorable mention selection, is the third-leading receiver for WVU with 58 catches for 978 yards and 11 touchdowns. He is No. 9 nationally in receiving touchdowns, No. 29 in receiving yards and No. 68 in receptions per game. Kyzir White, a SBNation All-American honorable mention and All-Big 12 second-team selection, is the second-leading tackler on the team with 81 stops, including six for loss and 59 solo tackles. He also is tied for the team lead in interceptions (3), has four pass breakups and leads the team with two forced fumbles.
West Virginia finished with a 7-5 mark during the 2017 regular season and will face Utah in the Zaxby’s Heart of Dallas Bowl on Tuesday, December 26, at 1:30 p.m., ET. The game will be televised on ESPN.
OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Gary Jennings Jr.; DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR: David Long Jr.; SPECIAL TEAMS PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Marcus Simms; OFFENSIVE SCOUT TEAM PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Jack Allison;DEFENSIVE SCOUT TEAM PLAYER OF THE YEAR: Deamonte Lindsay; CURTIS JONES JR. AWARD: Jon Lewis; MR. UNSELFISH: Ezekiel Rose; ED PASTILONG CAPTAIN’S AWARD: Al-Rasheed Benton, Elijah Wellman; TEAM CAPTAINS: Al-Rasheed Benton, Elijah Wellman, Ka’Raun White, Kyzir White
Jennings, an All-Big 12 second-team selection, led the Mountaineers with 94 catches for 1,030 yards and a touchdown. He became the eighth Mountaineer to register 1,000 or more receiving yards in a season and the fifth to have 90 or more catches in a season.
He finished with 100 or more receiving yards in four games and had a career-best 189 yards on 13 catches and a touchdown against Virginia Tech. He also had 128 yards on six catches against Delaware State.
He leads the Big 12 in receptions per game and is fifth in receiving yards per game. He is No. 3 nationally in receptions per game and No. 20 in receiving yards per game.
Long Jr., a ProFootballFocus All-America second team selection, missed four games in 2017 due to a leg injury sustained during the offseason. He is currently the third-leading tackler on the Mountaineer defense with 69 tackles, including 50 solo stops, a team-leading 13.5 tackles for loss and six pass breakups.
In 2017, he finished with 10 or more tackles three times, including a career-high 18 tackles against Oklahoma State. In that game, he collected a then nation-best 14 solo tackles and seven tackles for loss. The solo tackles mark currently is tied for best in the country, and the tackles for loss mark is second best. He also posted 12 tackles, a sack and 2.5 tackles for loss at Kansas State.
Simms, an All-Big 12 second-team selection, averaged 25.6 yards per kickoff return and 6.6 yards per punt return, leading WVU in both categories. He is No. 21 nationally in kickoff returns and No. 34 in punt returns. He had a season-best four kickoff returns for 125 yards at Baylor, including a season-long of 45 yards. He had a season-long punt return of 23 yards against East Carolina.
Simms was WVU’s fourth-leading receiver with 32 catches for 630 yards and five touchdowns. He had a season-high six catches against Texas Tech and a season-best 91 yards and two touchdowns against Delaware State.
Rose played in 12 games and started three. He has 21 tackles, including 17 solo stops, 4.5 sacks, two pass breakups and an interception. Lewis played in all 12 games, adding depth on the defensive line and seeing extensive action on special teams. He was an Academic All-Big 12 honoree.
Benton, an All-Big 12 Conference honorable mention selection, leads the Mountaineer defense with 102 tackles, including 73 unassisted tackles, three sacks, 13 tackles for loss, three pass breakups, two interceptions, six quarterback hurries and a forced fumble. Wellman, an All-Big 12 Conference honorable mention honoree started all 12 games as the team’s fullback.
Ka’Raun White, an All-Big 12 Conference honorable mention selection, is the third-leading receiver for WVU with 58 catches for 978 yards and 11 touchdowns. He is No. 9 nationally in receiving touchdowns, No. 29 in receiving yards and No. 68 in receptions per game. Kyzir White, a SBNation All-American honorable mention and All-Big 12 second-team selection, is the second-leading tackler on the team with 81 stops, including six for loss and 59 solo tackles. He also is tied for the team lead in interceptions (3), has four pass breakups and leads the team with two forced fumbles.
West Virginia finished with a 7-5 mark during the 2017 regular season and will face Utah in the Zaxby’s Heart of Dallas Bowl on Tuesday, December 26, at 1:30 p.m., ET. The game will be televised on ESPN.
