With Week 5 of the college football season officially over, the Big 12 Conference announced four players who would be taking home the fifth iteration of the Big 12 Football Weekly Awards for the 2024 season.
Kansas State’s Avery Johnson took home the title for Big 12 Offensive Player of the Week, Arizona’s Tacario Davis earned DPOW honors, TCU’s JP Richardson was named Special Teams Player of the Week, and Cincinnati’s Brendan Sorsby took home Newcomer of the Week honors.
K-State quarterback Avery Johnson bounced back in a massive way vs. No. 20 Oklahoma State on Saturday after a tough loss to BYU in Provo. Johnson recorded five total touchdowns in the win, allowing him to join former Offensive Coordinator Collin Klien as the first K-State signal caller to toss three passing touchdowns and two rushing scores in a Conference game since 2012. Despite Johnson holding just six career starts under his belt, Johnson is the only quarterback in the Big 12 with 800+ passing yards and 300+ rushing yards this season.
Despite entering the matchup as a significant underdog, junior defensive back Tacario Davis helped lead unranked Arizona to a major upset win over 10th-ranked Utah. Davis posted seven tackles and five pass breakups, both of which were career highs for the California native. Davis and the Wildcats surrendered just 10 points to Utah, a new season low and the lowest points afforded to a Top 10 team since the 1994 Fiesta Bowl vs. No. 10 Miami.
Big 12 Newcomer of the Week, Brendan Sorsby, has quietly become one of the Big 12’s best quarterbacks under center this season. Sorsby tossed a new career high in passing yards with 426 on the afternoon, alongside four passing touchdowns vs. Texas Tech. Through five weeks of action, the Bearcats quarterback has thrown for 1,481 yards and a touchdown to interception ratio of 12-1. His 80.6 QBR ranks 17th in the country this season.
With a major opportunity to get back into the win column on the line in Week 5 vs. Kansas, the TCU Horned Frogs’ special teams unit came through when it needed them most. Senior wide receiver JP Richardson showed up in a big way, returning a punt 89 yards to the house in the heart of Arrowhead Stadium to help TCU roll to a 38-27 win.
Last Week’s Winners:
Offense: Micah Bernard, UU, RB, Sr.
Defense: Tyrin Bradley Jr., WVU, LB, Sr.
Newcomer: Isaac Wilson, UU, QB, Fr.
Special Teams: Parker Kingstone, BYU, WR, So.
