Heartland College Sports All-Big 12 Bowl Team for 2023-24
The 2023 college football season is officially in the books. It was a fun and great season for the Big 12 as Texas represented the conference in the College Football Playoff. This season nine Big 12 teams made a bowl game. During those bowl games, there were some memorable performances and here I will highlight them within our Heartland College Sports All-Big 12 bowl team.
Individual Awards
Coach: Neal Brown, West Virginia
Neal Brown won his ninth game of the year in the Duke’s Mayo Bowl, a 30-10 beatdown of North Carolina. Plus, he had an entire tub of mayonnaise dumped on him and took it like a champ. I had to go with Neal Brown here.
Offensive MVP: Luke Grimm, WR, Kansas
It’s not often a wide receiver is an MVP of the bowl season, but nobody had a better performance than Luke Grimm. He ended up with 160 yards and three touchdowns against UNLV in the Guaranteed Rate Bowl, leading KU to a 49-36 win.
Defensive MVP: Amier Washington, DL, Texas Tech
Amier had the game of a lifetime against Cal in a 34-14 win in the Independence Bowl. He recorded a whopping three sacks and four tackles for loss in Texas Tech’s big win.
Offense
QB: Rocco Becht, Iowa State
22/38, 446 yards, 3 TD, 0 INT
RB: DJ Giddens, Kansas State
28 car, 151 yards, 5.4 ypc, 1 TD
RB: Ollie Gordon III, Oklahoma State
27 car, 118 yards, 4.4 ypc, 1 TD
WR: Jayden Higgins, Iowa State
9 rec, 214 yards, 1 TD
WR: Luke Grimm, Kansas
4 rec, 160 yards, 3 TD
WR: Lawrence Arnold, Kansas
6 rec, 132 yards, 3 TD
TE: Ja’Tavion Sanders, Texas
6 rec, 75 yards, 12.5 ypc
OL: Kansas State
257 rushing yards (6.4 ypc), 0 sacks allowed, 4-4 on 4th down
Honorable Mentions: Rashod Owens (OSU WR), Javon Baker (UCF WR), Gavin Sawchuk (OU RB)
Defense
DL: Amier Washington, Texas Tech
4 tackles, 3.0 sacks, 4.0 tackles for loss
DL: Tre’Mon Morris-Brash, UCF
6 tackles, 4 solo, 2.0 tackles for loss
DL: E’Maurion Banks, Texas Tech
4 tackles, 1.0 sack, 1.5 tackles for loss
DL: Edward Vesterinen, West Virginia
6 tackles, 1.0 sack, 1.5 tackles for loss
LB: Lee Kpogba, West Virginia
12 tackles, 8 solo, 1.0 tackle for loss
LB: Jaylan Ford, Texas
10 tackles, 6 solo
LB: Kip Lewis, Oklahoma
7 tackles, 6 solo, 1.0 sack, 2.0 tackles for loss
DB: Kendal Dolby, Oklahoma
6 tackles, 4 solo, 2.0 sacks, 2.0 tackles for loss
DB: Cobee Bryant, Kansas
2 tackles, 1.0 sack, 1.0 tackle for loss, 1 INT
DB: Beau Freyler, Iowa State
11 tackles, 10 solo tackles
DB: Kenny Logan Jr, Kansas
9 tackles, 8 solo, 1.0 tackle for loss, 1 PBU; 5 KR, 103 yards
Honorable Mention: Jason Johnson (UCF LB)
Special Teams
P: Austin McNamara, Texas Tech
5 att, 44.6 avg, 1 touchback, 4 inside 20, L/54
K: Chase Contreraz, Iowa State
2/2 FG (L/39) 2/2 XP
KR: Xavier Townsend, UCF
3 ret, 99 yards, 33 yards per return, L/47
PR: Beanie Bishop Jr., West Virginia
2 ret, 145 yards, 48.3 yards per return, L/61, 1 TD
