BERKELEY – Eight Cal football student-athletes were named to the Athlon Sports' 2019 preseason Pac-12 Football All-Conference team on Tuesday including a league-high-tying six on the defensive side of the ball. Three Golden Bears – P Steven Coutts, S Ashtyn Davis and ILB Evan Weaver – picked up first-team selections with Davis adding second-team honors as a kick returner. Davis was joined on the second team by DE Luc Bequette, CB Camryn Bynum and S Jaylinn Hawkins, while OL Jake Curhan and OLB/DE Tevin Paul were fourth-team picks.

Below are notes on all of Cal's selections with extended bios available by clicking on each name.
 
FIRST TEAM
Steven Coutts, OL, 6-4, 215, RSr., 1L (Brisbane, Australia/Louisiana/University of Queensland/Citipointe Christian College)
Junior (2018)
• An honorable mention All-Pac-12 selection of the league's coaches, a first-team Pac-12 All-Academic choice and the winner of Cal's J. Scott Duncan Award as its Most Valuable Special Teams Player, as well as a Ray Guy Award candidate
• Played in all 13 games and punted 72 times for 2985 yards and a 41.5 average
• Led the nation by trapping opponents inside their 20-yard line 37 times including on a career-high-tying five occasions in three contest while totaling only two touchbacks, forcing opponents into fair catches on 25 occasions and registering nine punts of 50 or more yards
 
Evan Weaver, ILB, 6-3, 245, Sr., 3L, Spokane, WA (Gonzaga Prep)
Cal Career (2016 – Present)
• Has played in 36 of 37 possible games with 17 starts since his arrival at Cal in 2016 and posted career totals highlighted by 230 tackles, 13.0 tackles for loss (-52 yards), 6.0 sacks (-35 yards) and two interceptions that he has returned for 47 yards and one touchdown on a career-long 37-yard return against Washington as a 2018 junior
• Cal's active career leader in tackles who will begin the 2019 campaign 29 stops shy of the school's top 10 list
Junior (2018)
• Earned second-team All-American honors (Pro Football Focus), as well as first-team (Associated Press, Pro Football Focus) and second-team (Athlon, Pac-12 Coaches, Phil Steele) All-Pac-12 recognition, while he was also the recipient of Cal's Bear Backers Award as the team's Co-Most Valuable Defensive Player
• Recorded career highs of 159 tackles to rank tied for second on Cal's all-time single-season list, 9.5 tackles for loss (-42 yards), 4.5 sacks (-28 yards), and two interceptions that he returned for 47 yards and his lone career touchdown
• Tied for fifth nationally with 6.4 solo tackles per game and eighth in total tackles with 11.9 per contest
 
Ashtyn Davis, S, 6-1, 195, RSr., 3L, Santa Cruz, CA (Santa Cruz HS)
Cal Career (2015 – Present)
• Has played in 37 games with 22 starts and has defensive totals highlighted by 114 tackles and five interceptions that he has returned for 90 yards and one touchdown
Junior (2018)
• Earned first-team (Associated Press, Athlon Sports, Pro Football Focus) and honorable mention (Pac-12 Coaches) All-Pac-12 honors, registering a career-high 56 tackles while ranking tied for third in the Pac-12 in both total interceptions (4) and interceptions per game (0.3), as well as tied for 16th and 27th nationally
• Returned his four interceptions for 59 yards and his first career pick-six
 
SECOND TEAM
Luc Bequette, DE, 6-2, 295, RSr., 3L (Little Rock, AR/Catholic HS)
Cal Career (2015 – Present)
• Has played in 29 games over the last three campaigns and started all 25 games over the past two with his stats highlighted by 78 tackles, 8.5 tackles for loss (-41 yards) and 7.0 sacks (-39 yards)
Junior (2018)
• A third-team All-Pac-12 selection of Phil Steele and an honorable mention choice of the league's coaches who contributed career highs of 49 tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss (-31 yards), a team-high-tying 5.0 sacks (-29 yards), two fumble recoveries and his first career blocked kick
 
Camryn Bynum, CB, 6-0, 190, RJr., 2L (Corona, CA/Centennial HS)
Cal Career (2016 – Present)
• Has started each of Cal's last 25 games at cornerback and posted career totals highlighted by 106 tackles, four interceptions and 18 pass breakups
• Cal's active career leader in pass breakups and passes defended (22)
Sophomore (2018)
• Earned second-team All-Pac-12 honors from the Associated Press and Athlon Sports, as well as third-team recognition from Phil Steele while he was an honorable mention selection of the league's coaches
• Recorded 48 tackles, a career-high 2.5 tackles for loss (-3 yards), a career-high-tying two interceptions and a career and team-high 10 pass breakups to total a career-high 12 passes defended
 
Ashtyn Davis, KR, 6-1, 195, RSr., 3L, Santa Cruz, CA (Santa Cruz HS)
Cal Career (2015 – Present)
• Has 63 kick returns for 1455 yards and one touchdown for a 23.1 yards per kick return average with his kick returns and kick return yards both third all-time at Cal behind Deltha O'Neal (99, 2472) and Khalfani Muhammad (87, 1931)
Junior (2018)
• Earned second-team All-Pac-12 honors from Phil Steele when he returned 24 kicks for 629 yards for a 26.2 yards per kick return average that was second in the Pac-12 and 17th nationally
• Had his lone career kick return touchdown on a career-long 89-yarder against Idaho State that made him one of three Pac-12 players and one of 32 nationally with at least one kick return for a touchdown
 
Jaylinn Hawkins, S, 6-2, 205, RSr., 3L (Buena Park, CA/Buena Park HS)
Cal Career (2015 – Present)
• Has played in 37 games with 26 starts and highlighted his defensive totals with 102 tackles, 5.0 tackles for loss (-21 yards), seven interceptions that he has returned 61 yards and five pass breakups
• Cal's active career leader in interceptions
Junior (2018)
• Led the Pac-12 in total interceptions (6) and interceptions per game (0.5), ranking tied for third and tied for fifth nationally
• Added 32 tackles as well as career highs of 3.5 tackles for loss (-17 yards), 39 interception return yards and three pass breakups
• Named the Cheez-It Bowl Defensive MVP after recording a career-best and Cheez-It Bowl record three interceptions against TCU that were the most in any bowl game during the 2018 campaign and earned him a spot on the Sports Illustrated All-Bowl team
 
FOURTH TEAM
Jake Curhan, OL, 6-6, 330, RJr., 2L (Larkspur, CA/Redwood HS)
Cal Career (2016 – Present)
• Has started each of Cal's last 25 games at right tackle during his 2017 redshirt freshman and 2018 sophomore seasons
• A two-time Pac-12 All-Academic pick as a redshirt freshman and sophomore
Sophomore (2018)
• Helped the offense improve by an average of 32.3 yards per contest from its final 2017 number including a season-best 305 yards rushing at Oregon State that was their most since a 2016 contest against Oregon
• Made a memorable tackle in overtime against TCU at the Cheez-It Bowl when he chased down Jawuan Johnson at the Cal 13-yard line after Johnson had returned an interception 72 yards with Curhan's prevention of a game-winning pick six forcing TCU into an offensive possession that they eventually converted into a field goal on for a 10-7 overtime win 
Freshman (2017)
• Winner of Cal's Andy Smith Award for the most Big "C" time
 
Tevin Paul, OLB/DE, 6-4, 270, RJr., 2L (Austin, TX/Lake Travis HS)
Cal Career (2016 – Present)
• Has played in 24 of 25 possible games over the last two seasons and posted career totals highlighted by his 62 tackles, 14.0 tackles for loss (-51 yards), 3.0 sacks (-26 yards), three pass breakups and five quarterback hurries
Sophomore (2018)
• Recorded career highs of 44 tackles, a team-high 11.0 tackles for loss (career-high -38 yards), 2.0 sacks (career-high -18 yards), two pass breakups and three quarterback hurries
• Tied for ninth in the Pac-12 in both tackles for loss and tackles for loss per game (0.85)