Texas A&M running back Christine Michael was named the Big 12's offensive freshman of the year by the league's football coaches Tuesday, and junior defensive lineman Von Miller, the nation's sack leader, earned first-team all-league honors.
Junior quarterback Jerrod Johnson, senior tight end Jamie McCoy (selected as a fullback), senior offensive tackle Lee Grimes and sophomore strong safety Trent Hunter were on the second team.
Michael, who rushed for 767 yards and nine touchdowns on 151 carries (5.1), is the first Aggie to win a Big 12 freshman of the year award. Miller, who plays defensive end and linebacker, has 17 sacks, three short of the school record held by Jacob Green. Miller has a team-high four fumble recoveries and five pass breakups.
Johnson is 267-of-439 passing for 3,217 yards with 28 touchdowns and six interceptions. His yardage and touchdowns are school records. He also has 455 yards rushing on 131 carries and eight touchdowns.
McCoy has carried the ball 11 times for 80 yards, getting tackled behind the line only once. Grimes anchors a line that averages a league-leading 465.3 yards per game. Hunter leads the team with 87 tackles.
Aggies earning honorable mention were punter Ryan Epperson, wide receiver Jeff Fuller, running back Cyrus Gray, linebacker Michael Hodges, offensive lineman Patrick Lewis, offensive lineman Kevin Matthews, wide receiver Uzoma Nwachukwu, defensive back Jordan Pugh, wide receiver Ryan Tannehill and linebacker Garrick Williams.
A&M is 6-6, including a 3-5 league record for fifth place in the South Division. A&M has one more game left and is expected to play in the Independence Bowl in Shreveport, La., or the Texas Bowl in Houston.
"Now, we have to continue to get better," A&M head coach Mike Sherman said. "We have an opportunity to play in a bowl game and this preparation time is a great opportunity for our entire team to improve."
A&M had four players cited last year by the league's coaches -- senior punter Justin Brantley was on the first team, senior fullback Jorvorskie Lane was on the second team. Fuller and Hunter earned honorable mention.