Pac-12 Football: Top 5 Candidates to win Offensive Player of the Year

Nov 28, 2014; Pasadena, CA, USA; UCLA Bruins running back Paul Perkins (24) runs for 14 yards and a first down in the first half of the game against the Stanford Cardinal at the Rose Bowl. Mandatory Credit: Jayne Kamin-Oncea-USA TODAY Sports

The race for the rushing title this year will be one of the better competitions to watch unfold this fall, and Perkins has already done it once, so that’s why he gets the nod over the other backs.

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Paul Perkins

RB, UCLA

Paul Perkins led the Pac-12 in rushing with 1,575 yards and he only needed 251 attempts to get that total. His 6.72 yards per carry average was the third-highest in the conference, but his workload was much greater than Shaq Thompson and Storm Woods who had 61 and 121 carries, respectively.

Perkins didn’t visit the end zone as often as Freeman with nine touchdowns, but with UCLA losing quarterback Brett Hundley and his 10 rushing scores to the NFL, the opportunity will be there for Perkins to boost his touchdown totals.

The race for the rushing title this year will be one of the better competitions to watch unfold this fall, and Perkins has already done it once, so that’s why he gets the nod over the other backs.

Next: Cody Kessler