DALLAS —Six UTSA student-athletes have been recognized with the unveiling of the 2018 All-Conference USA Football Teams, as selected by the league's 14 head coaches, the conference office announced Tuesday.
Grant Merka headlines the group, as the junior deep snapper was named to the second team. A native of Elgin, Texas, he produced clean snaps on all 114 attempts this season. The McNeese State transfer was a key member of a punting unit that posted a 38.8 net punt average, which ranks second in the conference, and helped Yannis Routsas finish with a school-record 43.0 punting average on 75 punts. The group allowed just 6.7 yards per return — fourth-best in the league — and pinned opponents inside their own 20-yard line 26 times. Merka, who posted a pair of tackles, also played an important role for a special teams crew that converted 14 field goals and all 18 extra-point attempts.
Merka's second-team selection gives UTSA 21 all-conference certificates in its seven-year history of conference affiliation, including 18 second-team honorees and 16 All-Conference USA picks. It also marks the second straight season that a Roadrunner has earned second-team accolades at the position (Matt Bayliss, 2017).
Five Roadrunners were honorable mention by the head coaches, who were not allowed to vote for their own players. That list included safety C.J. Levine, punter Yannis Routsas, place-kicker Jared Sackett, defensive lineman Kevin Strong Jr. and linebacker Josiah Tauaefa.
Levine ranked second on the team and currently stands ninth among all players and second out of all defensive backs in C-USA in tackles with a career-best 94, which is the fourth-best season total in UTSA history. The senior led the Roadrunners with six pass breakups and three quarterback hurries and he also registered 4.5 tackles for loss, an interception that was returned for a touchdown and one forced fumble. The Port Arthur, Texas, native turned in double-digit tackles in five games — all in the final seven weeks of the season — including a career-high 14 stops at Marshall. Levine had 12 tackles, a forced fumble and a pick-six against Southern Miss and 12 stops (10 solos) and a PBU versus UAB. He finished his UTSA career with 181 tackles, eight tackles for loss, 10 PBUs, two interceptions and a forced fumble.
Routsas broke his own UTSA record with a 43.0 punting average this season, which currently ranks third in C-USA and 34th nationally. The senior punted 75 times and 26 of those punts pinned opponents inside the 20-yard line, 18 sailed 50-plus yards, 21 resulted in a fair catch and only four went for a touchback. He was named Ray Guy Award Punter of the Week after he averaged 47.3 yards on nine punts, pinned Southern Miss inside its 20 six times (three inside the 10) and boomed five punts of 50-or-more yards. The Houston native averaged 45.7 yards on six punts in the Texas State win with three of 50-plus yards, including a 53-yard effort that was downed at the 2-yard line and led to a safety on the next play. Routsas finished his career with a school-record 41.5 punting average, 88 punts inside the 20 and 80 that were fair caught. He owns three of the four longest punts in school history, including a career-best 63-yarder against Baylor this season.
Sackett made 14-of-19 field goals, including nine of 40-plus yards, and all 18 extra-point attempts this season. The sophomore, who was named a semifinalist for the Lou Groza Award for the second straight season, ranks fourth in C-USA and 30th nationally in field goals per game (1.27). A native of Fort Worth, he collected C-USA Special Teams Player of the Week honors after he went 3-for-3 — all from 40-or-more yards — in the 25-21 triumph over Texas State. A Burlsworth Trophy nominee, Sackett was named a Lou Groza Award Star of the Week after he drilled three field goals, including a career-long 51-yard effort as time expired in the first half, in the 30-21 victory over UTEP. A USA TODAY Freshman All-America, C-USA All-Freshman Team and honorable mention selection a year ago, Sackett ranks second on UTSA's career lists for field goals with 33 and points by a kicker with 137 and his 19 and 14 field goals in his first two years, respectively, stand first and third on the program's single-season chart.
Strong was recognized by the league's head coaches for the second straight season after tallying 24 tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss, a sack, three QB pressures, one pass breakup and a safety. The senior registered a pair of stops behind the line of scrimmage and a hurry in the 20-3 win at Rice and he posted five stops, including a half-tackle for loss, against Marshall. The Cleveland, Texas, native had a sack for a five-yard loss and a pressure in the 30-21 victory over UTEP and he also turned in three tackles against both Kansas State and North Texas, including a key TFL on fourth down against the Mean Green. Strong finished his career with 106 tackles, 26.5 tackles for loss (2nd in UTSA history), 7.5 sacks, three PBUs, two forced fumbles, one fumble recovery and a school-record two blocked kicks.
Tauaefa led UTSA with 113 tackles, which is tied for fourth in the conference, 11.5 tackles for loss, 4.5 sacks and three quarterback hurries this season. One of 10 semifinalists for the Butkus Award, which recognizes the nation's top linebacker, the Lake Dallas High School product tallied 62 solo stops and a pair of forced fumbles during his junior campaign. He registered double-digit tackles in six contests, including five of the last six weeks, and his 113 stops stand as the second-best season in program history behind the 115 he posted in 13 games en route to Freshman All-America, C-USA Freshman of the Year and first-team all-conference accolades in 2016. Tauaefa totaled a season-high 14 tackles, 1.5 tackles for loss, a sack and a hurry in the season finale versus North Texas. In the 25-21 win over Texas State, the Corinth, Texas, native produced nine stops, including 3.5 for a total loss of 21 yards, two sacks and a forced fumble that was returned by Lorenzo Dantzler for a touchdown. For his career, Tauaefa ranks second in school annals with 257 tackles, 121 solo stops and 136 assisted tackles, third with 11.5 sacks and fourth with 22.5 tackles for loss and 13 QB hurries.
2018 All-Conference USA Football Teams
FIRST TEAM
OFFENSE
QB – Brent Stockstill, Gr., Middle Tennessee
RB – Devin Singletary, Jr., Florida Atlantic
RB – Spencer Brown, So., UAB
OL – Reggie Bain, R-Sr., Florida Atlantic
OL – O'Shea Dugas, Sr., Louisiana Tech
OL – Levi Brown, R-Jr., Marshall
OL – Chandler Brewer, Sr., Middle Tennessee
OL – Justice Powers, Sr., UAB
TE – Harrison Bryant, Jr., Florida Atlantic
WR – Tyre Brady, R-Sr., Marshall
WR – Rico Bussey, Jr., Jr., North Texas
WR – Quez Watkins, So., Southern Miss
DEFENSE
DL – Alex Highsmith, R-Jr., Charlotte
DL – Jaylon Ferguson, R-Sr., Louisiana Tech
DL – LaDarius Hamilton, Jr., North Texas
DL – Oshane Ximines, Sr., Old Dominion
DL – Jacques Turner, R-Jr., Southern Miss
LB – Sage Lewis, R-Jr., FIU
LB – Darius Harris, R-Sr., Middle Tennessee
LB – EJ Ejiya, R-Sr., North Texas
DB – Amik Robertson, So., Louisiana Tech
DB – Malik Gant, R-Jr., Marshall
DB – Reed Blankenship, Sr., Middle Tennessee
DB – Kemon Hall, Sr., North Texas
SPECIAL TEAMS
K – Cole Hedlund, Gr., North Texas
P – Jack Fox, Sr., Rice
KR – Isaiah Harper, Sr., Old Dominion
PR – Maurice Alexander, R-Jr., FIU
LS – Matt Beardall, Jr., Marshall
SECOND TEAM
OFFENSE
QB – Mason Fine, Jr., North Texas
RB – Benny LeMay, Jr., Charlotte
RB – DeAndre Torrey, So., North Texas
OL – Nate Davis, R-Sr., Charlotte
OL – Jordan Budwig, Gr., FIU
OL – Rishard Cook, Sr., UAB
OL – James Davis, R-Sr., UAB
OL – Malique Johnson, R-Sr., UAB
OL – Miles Pate, R-Jr., WKU
TE – Mik'Quan Deane, R-Sr., WKU
WR – Adrian Hardy, R-So., Louisiana Tech
WR – Jonathan Duhart, Sr., Old Dominion
WR – Travis Fulgham, Sr., Old Dominion
DEFENSE
DL – Ryan Bee, Sr., Marshall
DL – Ty Tyler, R-Jr., Marshall
DL – Jamell Garcia-Williams, Sr., UAB
DL – Anthony Rush, Sr., UAB
LB – Juwan Foggie, R-Sr., Charlotte
LB – Khalil Brooks, R-Jr., Middle Tennessee
LB – A.J. Hotchkins, Gr., UTEP
DB – Jalen Young, Sr., Florida Atlantic
DB – Chris Jackson, Jr., Marshall
DB – Wesley Bush, Sr., Middle Tennessee
DB – Nate Brooks, Sr., North Texas
DB – Ky'el Hemby, R-So., Southern Miss
SPECIAL TEAMS
K – Jonathan Cruz, Fr., Charlotte
K – Parker Shaunfield, Sr., Southern Miss
P – Stone Wilson, Sr., FIU
KR – Kerrith Whyte, Jr., R-Jr., Florida Atlantic
PR – Isaiah Harper, Sr., Old Dominion
LS – Grant Merka, Jr., UTSA
HONORABLE MENTION (UTSA players only)
DEFENSE
DL – Kevin Strong, Jr., Sr., UTSA
LB – Josiah Tauaefa, Jr., UTSA
DB – C.J. Levine, Sr., UTSA
SPECIAL TEAMS
K – Jared Sackett, So., UTSA
P – Yannis Routsas, Sr., UTSA
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