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The University of Utah Athletics
Bishop, Elliss and Vaki Tabbed Phil Steele All-America
12/18/2023 11:14 AM | Football
Elliss headlines trio on First Team; Vaki lands on Third Team and Bishop Honorable Mention
SALT LAKE CITY – The Utah Football trio of safety Cole Bishop, defensive end Jonah Elliss and safety Sione Vaki collected Phil Steele All-America honors on Monday morning. Elliss, who secured Consensus All-America recognition last week, was named to the Phil Steele All-America First Team. Vaki earned a Third Team spot as an all-purpose player and Bishop took home Honorable Mention.
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Elliss was a force off the edge on the way to also earning Pac-12 All-Conference First Team and being named a finalist for the Lombardi Award, Lott IMPACT Trophy, Ted Hendricks Award and Polynesian College Football Player of the Year. Elliss was also a semifinalist for the Chuck Bednarik Award.
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He led FBS football with 1.2 sacks per game through the first 10 contests, before sustaining a season-ending injury. Elliss racked up 16 tackles for loss as well, ranking fourth in FBS with 1.6 per game. His 12 total sacks rank tied for seventh all-time in a single season at Utah, while his 16 TFL are just short of the top-10 in program history.
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On the season, Elliss was credited 37 total tackles, three QB hurries and three pass breakups while also forcing a fumble. He had a run of five straight games with a TFL and four straight with a sack, highlighted by his 5.0 TFL and 3.5 sacks vs. then-No. 22 UCLA. Both remain the most in a game by a Pac-12 player this season, while his 3.5 sacks are the most in the league since 2017.
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Vaki adds to his All-America list after starting all 12 regular season games at safety, being named a finalist for both Polynesian College Football Player of the Year and the Paul Hornung Award. He finished the regular season with 51 tackles (8.5 TFL, 2.0 sacks) along with three passes defended (1 INT, 2 PBU).
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Of Vaki's 8.5 TFL, he earned 7.5 during Pac-12 Conference play, ranking 10th in the league. It included a career-high 3.5 TFL in the game at then-No. 19 Oregon State in what was his second straight game with nine total tackles, tying a career-high. He was voted All-Conference by the league's head coaches, both as a safety and all-purpose player after seeing time on offense in seven games. The Paul Hornung Award named Vaki to its Weekly Honor Roll three times during the season.
He first showcased his two-way abilities at Oregon State, going on to earn 42 carries for 317 yards and two touchdowns, also catching 11 passes for 203 yards and three scores on the season. His 158 rushing yards vs. Cal were the highest by a Pac-12 defensive back in recorded league history. He became the first Utah DB with two rushing touchdowns in a game since 2006, while Vaki's 53-yard touchdown receptions at No. 18 USC and No. 5 Washington are the longest by a Utah defensive player in recorded history.
In addition to All-America, Bishop concluded the year as an All-Pac-12 selection and semifinalist for the Jim Thorpe Award. His 60 total tackles led the secondary and ranked second on the team, while his 6.5 TFL were third-most of the squad. He also forced one fumble and logged two recoveries. Bishop's 9.5 third-down stops were the most on the team in the regular season; it is calculated for each player by adding tackles, fumbles forced/recovered and passes defended. During Pac-12 play, he averaged 5.4 tackles, including four different games with seven stops.
The defensive co-captain defended five passes (2 INT, 3 PBU), with his late interception at Baylor leaving the Utes in perfect position for a game-winning touchdown drive.
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FOLLOW US!
To get an inside look at the Utah Football program during its journey through the 2023 season, follow the Utes on social media along with visiting www.UtahUtes.com.
Twitter:Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â @Utah_Football
Instagram:Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â @UtahFootball
Threads:Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â @UtahFootball
Facebook:Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Utah Football
TikTok:Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â @Utah_Football
UP NEXT
Utah is set to play in the 2023 SRS Distribution Las Vegas Bowl on Saturday, Dec. 23 against the Northwestern Wildcats in Allegiant Stadium. For more information about the bowl and to stay up-to-date on all things Utah, visit the Bowl Central Page here.
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Elliss was a force off the edge on the way to also earning Pac-12 All-Conference First Team and being named a finalist for the Lombardi Award, Lott IMPACT Trophy, Ted Hendricks Award and Polynesian College Football Player of the Year. Elliss was also a semifinalist for the Chuck Bednarik Award.
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He led FBS football with 1.2 sacks per game through the first 10 contests, before sustaining a season-ending injury. Elliss racked up 16 tackles for loss as well, ranking fourth in FBS with 1.6 per game. His 12 total sacks rank tied for seventh all-time in a single season at Utah, while his 16 TFL are just short of the top-10 in program history.
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On the season, Elliss was credited 37 total tackles, three QB hurries and three pass breakups while also forcing a fumble. He had a run of five straight games with a TFL and four straight with a sack, highlighted by his 5.0 TFL and 3.5 sacks vs. then-No. 22 UCLA. Both remain the most in a game by a Pac-12 player this season, while his 3.5 sacks are the most in the league since 2017.
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Vaki adds to his All-America list after starting all 12 regular season games at safety, being named a finalist for both Polynesian College Football Player of the Year and the Paul Hornung Award. He finished the regular season with 51 tackles (8.5 TFL, 2.0 sacks) along with three passes defended (1 INT, 2 PBU).
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Of Vaki's 8.5 TFL, he earned 7.5 during Pac-12 Conference play, ranking 10th in the league. It included a career-high 3.5 TFL in the game at then-No. 19 Oregon State in what was his second straight game with nine total tackles, tying a career-high. He was voted All-Conference by the league's head coaches, both as a safety and all-purpose player after seeing time on offense in seven games. The Paul Hornung Award named Vaki to its Weekly Honor Roll three times during the season.
He first showcased his two-way abilities at Oregon State, going on to earn 42 carries for 317 yards and two touchdowns, also catching 11 passes for 203 yards and three scores on the season. His 158 rushing yards vs. Cal were the highest by a Pac-12 defensive back in recorded league history. He became the first Utah DB with two rushing touchdowns in a game since 2006, while Vaki's 53-yard touchdown receptions at No. 18 USC and No. 5 Washington are the longest by a Utah defensive player in recorded history.
In addition to All-America, Bishop concluded the year as an All-Pac-12 selection and semifinalist for the Jim Thorpe Award. His 60 total tackles led the secondary and ranked second on the team, while his 6.5 TFL were third-most of the squad. He also forced one fumble and logged two recoveries. Bishop's 9.5 third-down stops were the most on the team in the regular season; it is calculated for each player by adding tackles, fumbles forced/recovered and passes defended. During Pac-12 play, he averaged 5.4 tackles, including four different games with seven stops.
The defensive co-captain defended five passes (2 INT, 3 PBU), with his late interception at Baylor leaving the Utes in perfect position for a game-winning touchdown drive.
Â
FOLLOW US!
To get an inside look at the Utah Football program during its journey through the 2023 season, follow the Utes on social media along with visiting www.UtahUtes.com.
Twitter:Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â @Utah_Football
Instagram:Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â @UtahFootball
Threads:Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â @UtahFootball
Facebook:Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Utah Football
TikTok:Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â Â @Utah_Football
UP NEXT
Utah is set to play in the 2023 SRS Distribution Las Vegas Bowl on Saturday, Dec. 23 against the Northwestern Wildcats in Allegiant Stadium. For more information about the bowl and to stay up-to-date on all things Utah, visit the Bowl Central Page here.
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