SALT LAKE CITY-Utah senior linebacker Chase Hansen was named as a second-team All-American by The Sporting News, per a report released Tuesday.
Hansen, a product of Lone Peak High School, was also named as a second-team All-American by the Football Writers Association of America and The Athletic.
He is the first linebacker in program history to earn All-American honors.
Hansen leads the Utes in tackles this season with 114 stops and leads the Pac-12 in tackles for a loss and ranks fifth nationally with 22.
He is also fourth nationally with 1.7 tackles for a loss per game.
He is a two-time Pac-12 player of the week and was named the Chuck Bednarik Award National Player of the Week and a Rose Bowl Pac-12 player of the week after the Utes’ 17-6 win at Northern Illinois September 8.
Hansen has 164 career solo tackles, tying him for seventh all-time in program history and 272 career tackles. Hansen is the 16th player in program history to be named as a Sporting News All-American.
Additionally, Monday, the Utes announced an addition to Kyle Whittingham’s coaching staff in new defensive line coach Sione Po’uha.
Pou’ha had the same position at Navy under head coach Ken Niumatalolo.
Pou’ha has an important role in Utah football history as he played on the defensive line for a Utes squad that went undefeated and busted the Bowl Championship Series in 2004, downing Pittsburgh in the Fiesta Bowl.
Pou’ha was selected in the third round of the 2005 NFL Draft by the New York Jets.
He played for the Jets through 2012 and started 55 games out of 106 he played. In his career, he amassed 4.5 sacks, 192 tackles and 11 passes defensed.
