Iowa State’s Allen Lazard, Kamari Cotton-Moya earn Big 12 honor

AMES — Iowa State wide receiver Allen Lazard and safety Kamari Cotton-Moya have three things in common.

Both are seniors, wear No. 5 and were announced Monday as preseason all-Big 12 team selections.

The team was voted on by media.

Oklahoma quarterback Baker Mayfield, Kansas defensive lineman Dorance Armstrong Jr. and West Virginia quarterback Will Grier were selected as the Offensive Player of the Year, Defensive Player of the Year and Newcomer of the Year, respectively.

At 6-foot-5 and 222 pounds, Lazard had 69 catches, 1,018 receiving yards and seven receiving touchdowns last season. He was an all-Big 12 first-team selection as a junior.

The Urbandale native, who has caught a pass in a school-record 35 games, was one of four players in ISU history to surpass 1,000 receiving yards in a season.

Lazard needs seven catches and 677 receiving yards to surpass former ISU standout Todd Blythe and become the Cyclones' all-time leader in both categories. Lazard also has 16 career touchdown catches and only trails Blythe (31).

Cotton-Moya, a team captain last season alongside Lazard, had 58 solo tackles as a junior en route to an all-Big 12 second-team selection. That mark ranked him sixth in the Big 12 and 12th nationally.

At 6-foot-2 and 198 pounds, Cotton-Moya is Iowa State's active leader in tackles (190) and has 27 career starts. He had a team-high three take-aways last season, including two interceptions.

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