Marcus Herford is not flashy when he fields a kick and takes off.

But he is productive – and now, decorated.

Kansas University’s junior kick-return specialist was named the Big 12 special-teams player of the year Tuesday in a vote by the league’s coaches.

“It is very exciting,” Herford said. “It shows that hard work pays off and that I have great teammates who have helped me achieve this. It is not just me. They have done a great job working on special teams.”

Herford leads the conference with 30.0 yards per return, helping Kansas rank fourth nationally in the category. He has returned two for touchdowns – a 74-yard runback against Southeastern Louisiana and an 88-yard return against Baylor.

His effectiveness forced Missouri to avoid booting it to him during last week’s Border War game.

Herford wasn’t the only Jayhawk honored Tuesday. Senior defensive tackle James McClinton was named the conference’s defensive lineman of the year, and six others received first- or second-team mentions on the All-Big 12 squad.

McClinton – currently playing despite a leg injury – has 38 tackles this season, including 11 for a loss. He has been credited with three forced fumbles, two pass breakups and even intercepted a pass against Colorado.

“It is a blessing,” McClinton said. “There are some good linemen out there, and it is a great honor for me and our team.”

Along with the special honor, McClinton was named first team All-Big 12. He joined three other Jayhawks on the first team: left tackle Anthony Collins, cornerback Aqib Talib and linebacker Joe Mortensen.

Four more Jayhawks made the second team: Herford, quarterback Todd Reesing, running back Brandon McAnderson and receiver Marcus Henry.

Six others earned honorable mention.

¢ Young a finalist: KU defensive coordinator Bill Young is one of five finalists for the Broyles Award, given annually to the nation’s top assistant coach.

Young, who has been at KU since 2002, joins Auburn’s Will Muschamp, Missouri’s Dave Christensen, Ohio State’s Jim Heacock and Virginia’s Calvin Magee as finalists.

The winner will be announced Tuesday and honored at the College Football Awards Show on Dec. 6 in Orlando, Fla. KU head coach Mark Mangino won the Broyles Award in 2000 when he was offensive coordinator at Oklahoma under Bob Stoops.

¢ Coming soon: KU quarterback commitment Kale Pick recently told Rivals.com that he will graduate early from Dodge City High and enroll at Kansas in time for spring practices.

“This is a wonderful opportunity for me, and I’m very excited,” Pick told Rivals. “Getting to school early and learning the offense is going to be a very big deal.”

Pick is one of at least two who will do so: Defensive end recruit Nicholas Plato out of Edwardsville, Ill., also plans to enroll at KU in January. Pick and Plato will room together.

Leaving high school early is becoming more common across college football. Several current Jayhawks did it, including Reesing and linebackers Olaitan Oguntodu and Drew Dudley.