BERKELEY – Cal senior inside linebacker Evan Weaver led five Golden Bears recognized with 2019 midseason honors on Monday when he was recognized as the nation's best linebacker by ESPN and the best defensive playerer in the Pac-12 by the San Jose Mercury News.

Weaver leads the nation 84 tackles and has been in double-digits in five of six games including a career-high 22 at Ole Miss that tied for the most in Cal's recorded history. He also has 4.5 tackles for loss (-12 yards), 0.5 sacks (-2 yards), one forced fumble, two pass breakups and a career-high four quarterback hurries.

Weaver was one of five players from the Cal defense honored by the San Jose Mercury News with defensive lineman Luc Bequette and safety Ashtyn Davis joining Weaver on the publication's first-team All-Pac-12 squad while Kuony Deng and Camryn Bynum were second-team selections.