By Luke Brumm
I talked with some writers to create the first edition of the MFS Awards. I asked for offensive, defensive, and special teams MVP, in addition to coach and coordinator of the year. Finally, I also inquired about the most improved player, most surprising team, most disappointing team, and best/worst game. Let’s check the results and honor some players.
Offensive MVP – Jayden Daniels – LSU
Jayden Daniels and Michael Penix Jr. were the only two who received votes. Daniels had a stellar season and won the Heisman. He threw for 3,812 yards for 40 touchdowns and only 4 interceptions, adding over 1,000 yards on the ground. Daniels led the Tigers to a 10-3 record and a win over Wisconsin in the Reliaquest Bowl.
Penix had a great season as well. He led the Huskies to the National Championship game and was a huge reason why they made it. He accumulated 4,903 passing yards with 36 touchdowns in 2023, highlighted with 430 yards in the Semifinal vs. Texas.
Defensive MVP – Laiatu Latu – UCLA
Laiatu Latu was a beast coming off the edge. He had 28 solo tackles, 49 total, and 13 sacks. He even added two forced fumbles and two interceptions. He is expected to be selected pretty early in the NFL draft and rightfully so. T’Vondre Sweat came second in the voting as he had 45 tackles and 2 sacks in 2023.
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Special Teams MVP – Tory Taylor – Iowa
Tory Taylor is the punter of Iowa and was used a whole lot this season. He had to punt 93 times and averaged 48.2 yards per punt. He had a long of 67 yards and placed two punts inside the 20-yard line. Taylor is from Melbourne, Australia and I think he has a good NFL future as a punter. You can see his five longest punts of the season below.
Coach of the Year – Kalen DeBoer – Washington
Kalen DeBoer has done a great job wherever he has been. Whether it was at his Alma Mater of Sioux Falls, Fresno State, or Washington, he has been able to turn programs around. Washington was a dead program for a couple of years before they hired DeBoer. Kalen led the Huskies to an undefeated regular season and a Pac-12 Championship. They then beat Texas in the CFP Semifinals but fell short vs. Michigan in the National Championship. DeBoer is now at Alabama to follow in Saban’s footsteps. Only time will tell how that will work out, but going by his track record, he should be okay.
Coordinator of the Year – Phil Parker – Iowa
Phil Parker is the defensive coordinator for Iowa. The team with arguably the worst offense in the country somehow ended up going 10-4 and Parker is a huge reason for that. Iowa’s defense was again one of the best in the country, nearly scoring as much as their offense. Parker’s defense had 33 sacks, 10 interceptions, 8 forced fumbles, and 5 fumble recoveries. They will also have a few dudes drafted come April. Very solid season from Parker’s side of the ball at Iowa.
Come back to see the winners of the remaining categories in part two of the MFS Awards.
