Evan Weaver said earlier this year that watchlists are for moms.

Now, he has a concrete award to take home, as he was named the Pat Tillman Defensive Player of the Year for the Pac-12. Weaver is the first Bear to earn the award since Mychal Kendricks in 2011, and joins Kendricks, Ron Rivera (1983), Deltha O'Neal (1999), and Daymeion Hughes (2006) in winning the conference honor.

Weaver set a Cal record, breaking Hardy Nickerson's single season tackles record of 167 in the Bears' final contest against UCLA. Weaver, with 173 tackles, owns the first and third place marks for most tackles in a season by a Cal Bear. He needs 21 tackles in the bowl game against Illinois to set a new NCAA record for tackles in a season.

Weaver finished the regular season with 173 tackles, 10 tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks, and 3 forced fumbles. He's a finalist for the Butkus Award and the Lott IMPACT Trophy. He also made 1st team all Pac-12, the only Cal player to do so in 2019.

In addition to Weaver being named to the first team, both Camryn Bynum and Ashtyn Davis were named to the all Pac-12 second team by the coaches in the conference.

Bynum finished the regular season third on the team in tackles, with 59, three tackles for loss, one interception, and eight pass breakups. The redshirt junior defensive back has started 37 consecutive games for the Bears, and is fourth in Cal history in career pass breakups with 30.

Davis finished the regular season with 57 tackles, one tackle for loss (on the final play against UCLA), two interceptions, four pass breakups, two forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries. The redshirt senior was projected by Pro Football Focus as a first round draft pick, and was a runner up for the Burlsworth Trophy (that goes to the top collegiate player who started as a walk-on)

In addition, five Cal players were honorable mentions:

Offensive lineman Jake Curhan

Defensive Lineman Zeandae Johnson

Outside Linebacker Cameron Goode

Inside Linebacker Kuony Deng

Safety Jaylinn Hawkins