DALLAS – Conference USA has announced its 2019 All-Freshman football team, as selected by the league’s 14 head football coaches. Florida Atlantic produced a league-high four players on the team, while North Texas, Southern Miss and WKU each had three players selected to the squad. All told, 13 C-USA teams were represented on the all-freshman squad.
Florida Atlantic had a running back, an offensive lineman, a linebacker and a punter selected. Larry McCammon III (324 rushing yards, 7 touchdowns) is joined by RT Marquice Robinson from the Owls league-leading offense. Reserve LB Eddie Williams, who scored a touchdown in the C-USA Championship victory, is joined by P Matt Hayball (second in C-USA with a 43.1 avg. and 19 kicks inside the 20) as the Owls representatives.
North Texas is represented by a wide receiver and a pair of defenders. Jyaire Shorter was third in C-USA with a 19.7 yard average per reception and second in receiving touchdowns with nine. Defensive tackle Dayton LeBlanc registered 30 tackles with one sack and 2.5 tackles for loss, while LB Kevin Wood totaled 17 stops and had a pair of fumble returns along with one forced fumble.
Southern Miss had one player named on offense, defense and special teams. Coker Wright saw action in nine games, including a pair of starts on the offensive line, while LB Hayes Maples put up 28 tackles, one sack and 2.5 tackles for loss. Placekicker Andrew Stein is tied for the C-USA lead with 18 field goals made (on 22 attempts) and is tied for sixth in the league in scoring with 87 points.
WKU TE Joshua Simon is fourth on the team in receiving yards (325), while ranking second in scoring receptions (4). He is joined by OT Gunner Britton (11 games played with two starts) and DT Ricky Barber (seven tackles and one sack in limited action) to form the Hilltoppers trio of freshman honorees.
Six schools, Charlotte, Louisiana Tech, Marshall, UAB, UTEP and UTSA, placed a pair of players on the All-Freshman unit. The 49ers are represented by OL Dejan Rasuo and DB Lance McMillan (16 tackles, three pass breakups), while WRSmoke Harris (47 catches rank 15th in the league) and DB Bee Jay Williamsonare the Bulldogs selections. The Thundering Herd placed DB Micah Abrahamand PR Talik Keaton (league-best 12.0 average with one return for a TD) on the squad, while the Blazers list QB Dylan Hopkins and DE Alex Wright (4.5 sacks, 8.5 tackles for loss). The Miners had DE Praise Amaewhule (3.0 sacks, 5.5 tackles, three pass breakups) and LS Tanner Boston recognized, while the Roadrunners saw RB Sincere McCormick (third among all FBS freshman running backs with 983 yards, along with 8 TD’s) and DB Rashad Wisdom named to the unit.
The league’s individual awards, including the Freshman of the Year, will be released Wednesday, December 11. Conference USA will conclude the 2019 season by sending eight teams to bowl games.
2019 C-USA FOOTBALL ALL-FRESHMAN TEAM
OFFENSE
QB- Dylan Hopkins, UAB
RB- Larry McCammon III, Florida Atlantic
RB- Sincere McCormick, UTSA
OL- Dejan Rasuo, Charlotte
OL- Sione Finau, FIU
OL- Marquice Robinson, Florida Atlantic
OL- Marcus Greer, Middle Tennessee
OL- Coker Wright, Southern Miss
OL- Gunner Britton, WKU
TE- Joshua Simon, WKU
WR- Smoke Harris, Louisiana Tech
WR- Jyaire Shorter, North Texas
DEFENSE
DT- Dayton LeBlanc, North Texas
DT- Ricky Barber, WKU
DE- Alex Wright, UAB
DE- Praise Amaewhule, UTEP
LB- Eddie Williams, Florida Atlantic
LB- Kevin Wood, North Texas
LB- Hayes Maples, Southern Miss
DB- Lance McMillan, Charlotte
DB- Bee Jay Williamson, Louisiana Tech
DB- Micah Abraham, Marshall
DB- Rashad Wisdom, UTSA
SPECIAL TEAMS
K- Andrew Stein, Southern Miss
P- Matt Hayball, Florida Atlantic
KR- Blake Watson, Old Dominion
PR- Talik Keaton, Marshall
LS- Tanner Boston, UTEP
