DALLAS – A trio of standouts headline the list of 2020 preseason Conference USA Football award winners, as chosen by the league’s 14 head coaches. Marshall redshirt junior RB Brenden Knox was selected as the C-USA Offensive Player of the Year, WKU senior DE DeAngelo Malone was tabbed to repeat as the Defensive Player of the Year, while WKU redshirt senior P John Haggerty earned Special Teams Player of the Year accolades.
Knox became the second sophomore and second running back to be named C-USA MVP since the award was instituted in 2008. Knox led the league with 1,387 rushing yards in 2019, an average of 107.0 per game and also ran for 11 touchdowns. His yardage total is the seventh-best in program history and is 13th-best among all FBS players this season. Knox was even better against league foes in 2019, averaging 123.5 yards against C-USA competition with seven scores in eight games.
Malone was a First Team All-Conference USA selection who finished fourth among all FBS players (third in C-USA) with 21 tackles for loss during the 2019 season. Malone set a new school mark in the FBS era (since 2009) and is only the 11th defender in WKU’s 101-season history to have at least 20. He finished second in C-USA with 11.5 sacks, third on the school’s single-season list, becoming only the 4th defender in WKU history to reach double-digit quarterback takedowns in a single season. Malone placed 10th among all C-USA players with 99 total tackles.
Haggerty made an immediate impact for the Hilltoppers in his first season playing American football, earning First Team All-Conference USA honors. The Australian set the all-time WKU program record with a 45.9-yard average per punt, which ranked 13th in FBS, while his 42.1-yard net average was 10th. Haggerty had 17 kicks of 50+ yards after WKU had 18 such kicks from 2016-2018 combined and also had 50+ yard punts on 38 percent of his 46 punts, which ranked ninth in the FBS. He had 18 punts inside the 20 yard line compared to only two touchbacks, and nine fair catches by opponents compared to only 19 returns for 130 yards.
Marshall and North Texas had the most overall preseason selections with five, while Louisiana Tech listed four and Southern Miss, UAB and WKU each produced players comprising three spots. Eight schools had multiple players named to the squad.
The league’s 25th football season is scheduled to begin on Thursday, September 3. The 16th annual Conference USA Football Championship Game, pitting the champions of the East and West Divisions, is slated for Saturday, Dec. 5.
2020 C-USA FOOTBALL COACHES PRESEASON AWARDS
Offensive Player of the Year
Brenden Knox, R-Jr., RB, Marshall
Defensive Player of the Year
DeAngelo Malone, Sr., DE, WKU
Special Teams Player of the Year
John Haggerty, R-Sr., P, WKU
Offense
QB Jack Abraham, R-Sr., Southern Miss
RB Justin Henderson, Sr., Louisiana Tech
RB Brenden Knox, Jr., Marshall
OL D’Antne Demery, Sr., FIU
OL Desmond Noel, R-Sr., Florida Atlantic
OL Kody Russey, Sr., Louisiana Tech
OL Cain Madden, R-Sr., Marshall
OL Jordan Meredith, Sr., WKU
TE Jason Pirtle, R-Sr., North Texas
WR Jaelon Darden, Sr., North Texas
WR Tim Jones, Sr., Southern Miss
WR Austin Watkins Jr., R-Sr., UAB
Defense
DL Markees Watts, Jr., Charlotte
DL Willie Baker, R-Sr., Louisiana Tech
DL Dion Novil, Sr., North Texas
DL Jordan Smith, R-Jr., UAB
DL DeAngelo Malone, Sr., WKU
LB Tavante Beckett, R-Sr., Marshall
LB Blaze Alldredge, Sr., Rice
LB Kristopher Moll, Sr., UAB
DB Ben DeLuca, Sr., Charlotte
DB Nazeeh Johnson, R-Sr., Marshall
DB Reed Blankenship, Sr., Middle Tennessee
DB Ky’el Hemby, R-Sr., Southern Miss
Special Teams
K Ethan Mooney, Jr., North Texas
P John Haggerty, r-Sr., WKU
KR Deion Hair-Griffin, R-Jr., North Texas
PR Talik Keaton, R-So., Marshall
LS Reeves Blankenship, Jr., Louisiana Tech
https://conferenceusa.com/news/2020/8/25/2020-preseason-football-awards.aspx
