The end of the season means it’s time for our countdown of the top 25 players in the Pac-12 for 2015. We’ll roll out five a day each day this week, capping it with the top five players on Friday.
Check out the earlier postseason rankings here:
And you can see our preseason rankings here:
11. Vernon Adams Jr., QB, Oregon
Look no further than the Ducks’ final game this season to know what an impact Adams made for Oregon. With him, Oregon could roll. Without him, it wasn’t pretty. Despite missing time for his injury Adams finished with the second-highest passer efficiency rating in the country (Baylor’s Seth Russell, who played just seven games, finished first).
12. Su'a Cravens, LB, USC
Cravens led USC with 86 tackles including a team-best 15 tackles for a loss and a team-best 5.5 sacks, earning himself a spot on the All-Pac-12 first team. He recorded two interceptions, six pass breakups and eight passes defended. Cravens was a nuisance for nearly every offensive player he faced this season and USC will miss him dearly in 2016.
13. Gabe Marks, WR, Washington State
Marks led the conference this season in catches (104) and was second in total receiving yardage (1,192), which earned him a spot on the All-Pac-12 first team. His 15 receiving touchdowns were a Pac-12 best and he proved to be one of the most clutch playmakers in the conference as the season wore on.
14. Blake Martinez, LB, Stanford
Martinez finished the season with 141 tackles, almost three times as many as the team’s second-leading tackler. If those numbers weren’t staggering enough, he appeared in almost every other defensive category for the Cardinal. The All-Pac-12 first team selection finished with 6.5 tackles for a loss, one interception, two quarterback hurries, six pass breakups, seven passes defended and (for good measure) one forced fumble.
15. Kyle Murphy, OL, Stanford
Murphy was the leader on a Stanford offensive line that gave up just 20 sacks this season (third best in the Pac-12) and averaged 5.1 yards per rush (also third-best in the Pac-12). The very versatile lineman was named to the All-Pac-12 first team this year and capped his season (and a very successful career) with a Rose Bowl victory.