COLORADO SPRINGS, Colo. – The University of Hawai’i football team placed eight members on the Mountain West’s all-conference teams as selected by a panel of media and the league’s 12 head coaches.
Offensive lineman Ilm Manning and tight end Caleb Phillips were named to the first team while offensive lineman Micah Vanterpool was picked to the second team. Five Rainbow Warriors earned honorable mention – defensive lineman Blessman Ta’ala, running back Dedrick Parson, defensive lineman John Tuitupou, running back Tylan Hines, and defensive back Peter Manuma.
Manning concludes his career having earned all-conference honors three times after being named an honorable mention in 2021 and picked to the second team in 2019. Vanterpool was an honorable mention last season.
Air Force running back Brad Roberts was named Offensive Player of the Year; San Jose State defensive lineman Viliami Fehoko was Defensive Player of the Year; San Diego State punter/kicker Jack Browning was Special Teams Player of the Year; Boise State quarterback Taylen Green was Freshman of the Year; and Boise State’s Andy Avalos was Coach of the Year.
San Diego State had a conference-high 16 honorees followed by Fresno State (13), San José State (10), Air Force (10), Utah State (9), UH (8), Colorado State (8), New Mexico (8), UNLV (8), Nevada (7) and Wyoming (7).
Ilm Manning, Offensive Lineman
- Five-year starter who started all 13 games at left tackle in 2022
- Started 60 of 62 career games
- Had 100 knockdown blocks on the year and a season grade of 90 percent
- Anchored offensive line unit that surrendered only 10 sacks in Mountain West play
- A three-time academic all-MW honoree
Caleb Phillips, Tight End
- Ranked second on the team with 31 receptions
- Led all Mountain West tight ends in both receptions and receiving yards (317)
- Had three receiving touchdowns
- His 138 yards receiving against New Mexico State were the third-most by a tight end in FBS this season and the most by a UH tight end in more than 50 years
- Caught at least one pass in 9 of 13 games this season
Micah Vanterpool, Offensive Lineman
- Three-year starter who started all 13 games at right guard
- Started 28 of 46 career games
- Only offensive lineman in the conference and one of 14 in FBS to not allow a sack this season in at least 500 pass blocking snaps, according to Pro Football Focus
- One of two offensive linemen nationally without a penalty in at least 900 snaps played according to PFF
Blessman Ta’ala, Defensive Lineman
- Started all 13 games at defensive tackle
- Did not miss a game in five seasons appearing in all 64 games, starting 51
- Led all UH defensive linemen with 40 tackles (17 solo) in addition to 5.5 tackles-for-loss and two sacks
- Seventh-highest graded interior defensive lineman in the Mountain West according to Pro Football Focus
Dedrick Parson, Running Back
- Team’s leading rusher with 830 yards on 187 carries and averaged 4.4 yards per carry with a team-leading 12 total touchdowns (11 rushing, 1 receiving)
- Also led the team with 994 all-purpose yards (830 rushing, 171 receiving)
- Scored a touchdown in 8 of 13 games with three multi-TD games
- Three 100-yard rushing games, including a season-high 136 yards on 24 carries and three touchdowns against Nevada
- Team’s third-leading receiver with 30 receptions
John Tuitupou, Defensive Lineman
- Started all 13 games at defensive tackle
- Had 30 total tackles (16 solo) and led the team with 3.5 sacks
- Also had one forced fumble and one blocked kick
- Graded No. 9 overall by Pro Football Focus among Mountain West interior defensive linemen
Tylan Hines, Running Back
- True freshman ranked second on the team with 634 yards rushing on 83 carries
- Averaged 7.6 yards per attempt which ranked No. 2 nationally among freshmen
- Tied for sixth among freshmen running backs nationally with seven runs of 20+ yards
- Season-high 103 yards on 11 carries versus Wyoming
- Had nine catches for 82 receiving yards
Peter Manuma, Safety
- True freshman ranked third on the team with 70 tackles (40 solo)
- Had 3.0 tackles for loss, one sack, two interceptions, four pass breakups, and two forced fumbles
- Only freshman in the country with multiple INTs, a sack and at least 70 tackles
- Career-high 10 tackles each against San Diego State and Colorado State
- Posted two interceptions, one sack and one forced fumble against Wyoming, which entering the day, no other player in FBS had accomplished this season
#HawaiiFB
(Except for the headline, this story has not been edited by PostX News and is published from a syndicated feed.)
