Darius Muasau quickly ascended the depth chart upon joining the University of Hawaii football program last year.
As a sophomore, the Rainbow Warrior linebacker’s rise has carried him to the top of the league and national rankings and landed him a spot on the All-Mountain West Conference first team on Tuesday.
Thriving in the system implemented by UH’s first-year coaching staff, Muasau emerged as the conference’s leading tackler through the regular season and led a group of seven Rainbow Warriors to earn league honors.
“I think this scheme fits me naturally,” Muasau said. “Being the ‘dog’ ’backer in this scheme … it just creates a lot more opportunities and puts me in better position to make plays on the ball.”
Muasau closed the regular season with an 18-tackle performance against UNLV last Saturday, raising his season total to an MWC-leading 95 stops. His average of 11.9 tackles per game also leads the conference and his 7.9 solo tackles per game leads the nation.
Muasau said making the MWC first team was among his preseason goals, as was reaching 100 tackles. Despite UH’s abbreviated schedule, he has a chance to reach triple digits when the Warriors (4-4) face Houston (3-4) in the New Mexico Bowl on Christmas Eve in Frisco, Texas.
“Words can’t describe how much this means to me,” said Muasau, an All-State performer at Mililani prior to enrolling at UH. “I’m really passionate about football and just to receive this honor from the Mountain West really does mean a lot to me.”
UH wide receiver Calvin Turner and cornerback Cortez Davis were named to the All-MWC second team.
Turner has filled multiple roles on offense and as a kick returner in his first season with the Warriors. A quarterback at Jacksonville before the school dropped its football program, Turner transferred to UH and leads the Warriors with 458 receiving yards, 949 all-purpose yards and nine total touchdowns (four rushing and five receiving).
Davis, an honorable mention All-MWC pick last year, has 29 total tackles this season, including four for losses and a sack, and forced two fumbles. Like Muasau, Davis developed an affinity for the system installed by first-year head coach Todd Graham and defensive coordinator Victor Santa Cruz.
“It was a lot more of getting the corners active with blitzes, more man coverages and we also mixed in some cover-two, which was very exciting,” Davis said, adding “we use different techniques that fit corners more.”
UH quarterback Chevan Cordeiro, defensive back Quentin Frazier, wide receiver Jared Smart and defensive lineman Blessman Ta’ala were honorable mention selections.
Boise State defensive back Kekaula Kaniho, a Kahuku graduate, made the second team.
MWC individual honors went to Nevada quarterback Carson Strong (offensive player of the year), San Jose State lineman Cade Hall (defensive player of the year), Boise State kick returner Avery Williams (special teams player of the year) and UNLV wide receiver Kyle Williams (freshman of the year). San Jose State’s Brent Brennan, who began his coaching career as a graduate assistant at UH in 1998, was named MWC coach of the year.
Offensive Player of the Year – Carson Strong, So., QB, Nevada
Defensive Player of the Year – Cade Hall, Jr., DL, San Jose State
Special Teams Player of the Year — Avery Williams, Sr., RS, Boise State
Freshman of the Year – Kyle Williams, WR, UNLV
Coach of the Year – Brent Brennan, San José State
FIRST TEAM
OFFENSE
QB: Carson Strong, So., Nevada.
WR: Khalil Shakir, Jr., Boise State; Romeo Doubs, Jr., Nevada; Bailey Gaither, Sr., San Jose State.
RB: Ronnie Rivers, Sr., Fresno State; RB Xazavian Valladay*, Jr., Wyoming.
TE: Cole Turner, Jr. , Nevada,
OL: Parker Ferguson, Sr., Air Force; Nolan Laufenberg, Sr., Air Force; Kyle Spalding, Sr., SDSU; Jack Snyder, Sr., San Jose State; Keegan Cryder, Jr., Wyoming.
PK: Brandon Talton, So., Nevada.
KR: Avery Williams, Sr., Boise State
DEFENSE
DL: Scott Patchan, Sr., Colorado State; Cameron Thomas, So., SDSU; Cade Hall, Jr., San Jose State; Viliami Fehoko, So., San Jose State.
LB: Darius Muasau, So., Hawaii; Caden McDonald, Jr., SDSU; Kyle Harmon, Jr., San Jose State; Chad Muma, Jr.,Wyoming.
DB: Avery Williams, Sr., Boise State; Jerrick Reed, Jr., New Mexico; Darren Hall, Jr., SDSU; Tariq Thompson, Sr., SDSU.
P: Ryan Stonehouse, Sr., Colorado State.
PR: Avery Williams, Sr., Boise State.
SECOND TEAM
OFFENSE
QB: Nick Starkel, Sr. , San José State.
WR: Dante Wright, So., Colorado State; Calvin Turner, Sr., Hawaii; Tre Walker, Sr., San Jose State.
RB: Toa Taua, Jr., Nevada; Greg Bell, Sr., SDSU.
TE: Trey McBride, Jr., Colorado State.
OL: John Ojukwu, Jr., Boise State; Jake Stetz, Sr., Boise State; Syrus Tuitele, Sr., Fresno State; Aaron Frost, Jr., Nevada; Zachary Thomas, Sr., SDSU.
PK: John Hoyland, Fr., Wyoming
KR: Jordan Byrd, Jr., SDSU
DEFENSE
DL: Shane Irwin, Jr., Boise State; David Perales, Jr., Fresno State; Dom Peterson, Jr., Nevada; Sam Hammond, Sr., Nevada.
LB: Riley Whimpey, Sr., Boise State; Dequan Jackson, Jr., Colorado State; Lawson Hall; Sr., Nevada; Brandon Shook, Sr., New Mexico.
DB: Kekaula Kaniho, Sr., Boise State; Jalen Walker, Sr. , Boise State; Cortez Davis, Sr., Hawaii; Tre Jenkins, So., San Jose State.
P: Tanner Kuljian, Sr., SDSU.
PR: Romeo Doubs, Jr., Nevada.
HONORABLE MENTION
Air Force: OL Kyle Krepsz, RB Brad Roberts, DL George Silvanic.
Boise State: TE John Bates, OL Garrett Curran, PK Jonah Dalmas, DL Scott Matlock, LB Ezekiel Noa, WR CT Thomas, RB Andrew Van Buren.
Colorado State: OL Elijah Johnson, DL Manny Jones, DL Toby McBride, KR Thomas Pannunzio, OL Cam Reddy, OL Barry Wesley, PR Dante Wright.
Fresno State: DL Kevin Atkins, LB Levelle Bailey, WR Jalen Cropper, QB Jake Haener, DL Kwami Jones, WR Keric Wheatfall, DB Evan Williams.
Hawaii: QB Chevan Cordeiro, DB Quentin Frazier, WR Jared Smart, DL Blessman Ta’ala.
Nevada: P Julian Diaz, OL Jacob Gardner, OL Jermaine Ledbetter, OL Tyler Orsini, DB BerDale Robins, DB Tyson Williams.
New Mexico: RB Bobby Cole, DL Joey Noble, OL Teton Salte, OL Kyle Stapley.
SDSU: PK Matt Araiza, DL Keshawn Banks, TE Daniel Bellinger, DB Tyler Hawkins, DB Dwayne Johnson, DL Jonah Tavai.
San Jose State: TE Derrick Deese, PK Matt Mercurio, DB Tre Webb.
UNLV: DL Jacoby Windmon.
Utah State: OL Demytrick Ali’ifua, DB Shaq Bond, DL Nick Heninger, P Stephen Kotsanlee, DL Marcus Moore, KR Savon Scarver, OL Karter Shaw, LB AJ Vongphachanh.
Wyoming: DB Esaias Gandy, OL Logan Harris, WR Isaiah Neyor.
