The USA Today's Freshman All-American team was announced Thursday, and Cougar redshirt freshman defensive end Hercules Mata'afa was named to the list. Mata'afa was joined by some of the country's elite newcomers, including UCLA quarterback Josh Rosen and USC linebacker Cameron Smith.
Mata'afa, while not a starter on defense this year, commanded a considerable amount of playing time in the defensive line rotation, and often made the most of it. The defensive end has six sacks on the season, with the first two coming in the Cougars 34-28 loss to Cal.