DALLAS — A record 19 UTSA Roadrunners have been named to the All-Conference USA Football Teams in a vote by the league's head coaches, the league office announced Monday.
Lucas Dean, Hunter Duplessis, Sincere McCormick and Rashad Wisdom were voted to the first team, while Spencer Burford, Makai Hart and Ahofitu Maka all earned a spot on the second team. Caleb Cantrell, Joshua Cephus, Lorenzo Dantzler, Brennon Dingle, Zakhari Franklin, Trevor Harmanson, Frank Harris, Jaylon Haynes, Brandon Matterson, Corey Mayfield Jr., Leroy Watson and Charles Wiley all received honorable mention recognition.
The 19 all-conference honorees mark the most in a single year since UTSA joined C-USA in 2013, bettering the previous standard of 11 established in 2013 and matched in 2014. Additionally, the four first-team picks this year surpasses the total number of first-team all-conference honorees in school annals, as Dean, Duplessis, McCormick and Wisdom join Marcus Davenport (2017), Josiah Tauaefa (2016) and Triston Wade (2012 WAC).
Dean leads C-USA and ranks fourth nationally in punting with a UTSA-record 46.3-yard average. The sophomore from Australia is a four-time Ray Guy Award Ray's 4 honoree and he was named Ray Guy Award Punter of the Week after averaging 45.0 yards on six punts with five inside the 20 and three of 50-plus yards versus UAB. He has logged 27 punts inside the 20-yard line, including 15 inside the 10 and seven inside the 5, and he owns 21 punts of 50-plus yards, including a career-best 67-yarder at FAU. Dean has averaged 45.0-plus yards in eight games this year and of his 55 punts this fall, 39 have not been returned. He was voted C-USA Special Teams Player of the Week after averaging 46.7 yards with two inside the 20 in the 49-17 victory over North Texas.
Duplessis is a semifinalist for the Lou Groza Collegiate Place-Kicker Award this season. The senior from San Antonio Cole High School leads C-USA and is 11th nationally with 16 field goals made. He is 16 of 18 field goals and 37 of 38 on extra points this season, and he ranks second in the league and 23rd in the FBS in field goals per game (1.45) and third in the conference and 12th in the nation in field-goal percentage (.889). The Campbell Trophy semifinalist has scored a UTSA-record 85 points, good for second in C-USA and 24th nationally. He owned an FBS-best consecutive field goals made streak for five weeks until it was snapped at 23 in the win over Louisiana Tech. Duplessis was named C-USA Special Teams Player of the Week after making three field goals, including the game winner from 29 yards in the second overtime of the 51-48 win over Texas State. The Burlsworth Trophy nominee also went 3 for 3 including a 35-yarder in the fourth that proved to be the difference in the 37-35 win over Middle Tennessee, and he made a career-best 50-yarder against Army.
McCormick leads C-USA and ranks second in the FBS with a school-record 1,345 rushing yards to go along with a program-record 11 rushing touchdowns this fall. A semifinalist for the Doak Walker and Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Awards, the Converse Judson High School product boasts six 100-yard rushing games, including five of 150-plus, during his sophomore campaign. He is a four-time C-USA Offensive Player of the Week and he was named Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award National Player of the Week after totaling 165 yards and three TDs on a school-record 37 carries in the win over Louisiana Tech. McCormick has twice broken his own school record for rushing yards in a game, including 251 yards in the win over North Texas in his last outing. He owns the top two and five of the top 10 rushing games in C-USA this season and he has 31 runs of 10-plus yards, including 16 of 20-plus and four of 50-plus yards.
Wisdom has posted 82 tackles and picked off four passes during his sophomore season at safety for the Roadrunners. The Converse Judson High School product leads C-USA and ranks fifth in the FBS in interceptions, good for a share of the UTSA single-season record, and he stands fifth in the league in total tackles. He was named Jim Thorpe Award Player of the Week and C-USA Defensive Player of the Week after posting nine tackles and causing two fumbles in the 52-21 win over UTEP. Wisdom made 10 tackles and returned an interception 81 yards for a TD in the 51-48 double-overtime win over Texas State. He registered 13 stops at FAU, 10 versus Louisiana Tech and he had a 27-yard interception return to go along with seven tackles in the road win over Southern Miss.
Burford is a key member of an offensive line that has paved the way for the league's top rusher in McCormick. The San Antonio Wagner High School product has helped UTSA average a school-record 214.7 rushing yards per game, which is second in C-USA and 23rd in the FBS. He helped UTSA top 200 yards on the ground in five games, including a school-record 443 in the 49-17 win over North Texas, part of a school-record 624 yards of offense in that contest. Burford, a 2018 C-USA All-Freshman selection, has started nine of the 10 games in which he has been available this season and he has been credited with 38 knockdowns and has graded out at 92%.
Hart has been an integral part of an offensive line that has paved the way for McCormick, who paces the conference in rushing yards. The Clinton, Iowa, native has helped UTSA average a school-record 214.7 rushing yards per contest, which is second in C-USA and 23rd in the FBS. The former JUCO All-American at Trinity Valley helped UTSA post a school-record 443 rushing yards in the 49-17 win over North Texas, part of a UTSA-record 624 yards of offense in that contest. Hart has played in seven games with starts in the last six contests, and he has graded out at 91%. He has yielded just one sack and zero hits on the quarterback in 281 pass-blocking snaps.
A member of the Rimington Trophy watch list, Maka has been a leader on an offensive line that has cleared a path for C-USA's leading rusher. The Honolulu, Hawai'i, native has helped UTSA average a school-record 214.7 rushing yards per game, which is second in C-USA and 23rd in the FBS. He helped UTSA post a school-record 443 rushing yards in the 49-17 victory over North Texas, part of a school-record 624 yards of offense. Maka has started all 10 games in which he has been available, including nine at center. He has been credited with 27 knockdowns and has graded out at 94%, while allowing only one sack in 399 pass-blocking snaps.
Roadrunners receiving honorable mention on offense included senior tight end Leroy Watson, junior quarterback Frank Harris and sophomore wide receivers Joshua Cephus and Zakhari Franklin. On defense, senior defensive tackle Jaylon Haynes, senior defensive end Lorenzo Dantzler, senior linebacker Charles Wiley, junior linebacker Trevor Harmanson, junior defensive tackle Brandon Matterson and junior cornerback Corey Mayfield Jr. all were honored, while senior kick returner Brennon Dingle and junior long snapper Caleb Cantrell collected honorable mention on special teams.
The Roadrunners will make their second bowl game appearance this Saturday, Dec. 26, when they face No. 16 Louisiana in the SERVPRO First Responder Bowl. Kickoff is set for 2:30 p.m. at Gerald J. Ford Stadium in Dallas.
2020 All-Conference USA Teams
FIRST TEAM
OFFENSE
QB- Grant Wells, R-Fr., Marshall
RB- Brenden Knox, R-Jr., Marshall
RB- Sincere McCormick, So., UTSA
OL- Kody Russey, R-Sr., Louisiana Tech
OL- Cain Madden, R-Sr., Marshall
OL- Josh Ball, R-Sr., Marshall
OL- Colby Ragland, R-Sr., UAB
OL- Sidney Wells, Sr., UAB
TE- Xavier Gaines, R-Sr., Marshall
WR- Jaelon Darden, Sr., North Texas
WR- Austin Trammell, Sr., Rice
WR- Austin Watkins, Jr., R-Sr., UAB
DEFENSE
DT- Milton Williams, R-Jr., Louisiana Tech
DT- Dion Novil, Sr., North Texas
DE- Darius Hodge, R-Jr., Marshall
DE- Jordan Smith, R-Jr., UAB
DE- DeAngelo Malone, Sr., WKU
LB- Tavante Beckett, R-Sr., Marshall
LB- Blaze Alldredge, Sr., Rice
LB- Kristopher Moll, Sr., UAB
DB- BeeJay Williamson, R-So., Louisiana Tech
DB- Steven Gilmore, Jr., Marshall
DB- Gregory Grate, Jr., Jr., Middle Tennessee
DB- Rashad Wisdom, So., UTSA
SPECIAL TEAMS
K- Hunter Duplessis, R-Sr., UTSA
P- Lucas Dean, So., UTSA
KR- Wayne Toussant, R-So., Louisiana Tech
PR- Talik Keaton, So., Marshall
LS – Jacob Fuqua, R-Sr., UAB
SECOND TEAM
OFFENSE
QB – Asher O'Hara, R-Jr., Middle Tennessee
RB- Spencer Brown, Sr., UAB
RB- Frank Gore, Jr., Fr., Southern Miss
OL- Alex Mollette, R-Sr., Marshall
OL- Jacob Brammer, R-Jr., North Texas
OL- Ahofitu Maka, Jr., UTSA
OL- Makai Hart, R-Jr., UTSA
OL- Spencer Burford, Jr., UTSA
OL- Jordan Meredith, R-Sr., WKU
TE- Jordan Myers, R-Sr., Rice
TE- Hayden Pittman, R.Sr., UAB
WR- Victor Tucker, R-Jr., Charlotte
WR- Adrian Hardy, R-Sr., Louisiana Tech
WR- Jacob Cowing, So., UTEP
DEFENSE
DT- Jamare Edwards, R-Jr., Marshall
DT- Antonio Moultrie, R-Jr., UAB
DE- Leighton McCarthy, R-Sr., Florida Atlantic
DE- Praise Amaewhule, R-So., UTEP
LB- Trey Baldwin, R-Sr., Louisiana Tech
LB- Tyler Grubbs, Fr., Louisiana Tech
LB- Hayes Maples, R-So., Southern Miss
LB- Noah Wilder, R-Jr., UAB
DB- Nazeeh Johnson, R-Sr., Marshall
DB- Brontae Harris, R-Sr., UAB
DB- TD Marshall, R-Sr., UAB
DB- Devon Key, R-Sr., WKU
DB- Dionté Ruffin, Sr., WKU
SPECIAL TEAMS
K- Brayden Narveson, R-So., WKU
P- John Haggerty, R-So., WKU
KR- Lexington Joseph, So., FIU
PR- Smoke Harris, R-So., Louisiana Tech
LS- Reeves Blankenship, R-Jr., Louisiana Tech
HONORABLE MENTION (UTSA players only)
(received at least one vote)
OFFENSE
QB – Frank Harris, R-Jr., UTSA
TE – Leroy Watson, Sr., UTSA
WR – Joshua Cephus, So., UTSA
WR – Zakhari Franklin, So., UTSA
DEFENSE
DT – Brandon Matterson, Jr.
DT – Jaylon Haynes, Sr.
DE – Lorenzo Dantzler, R-Sr.
LB – Charles Wiley, Sr.
LB – Trevor Harmanson, R-Jr.
DB – Corey Mayfield Jr., Jr.
SPECIAL TEAMS
KR – Brennon Dingle, R-Sr.
LS – Caleb Cantrell, R-Jr.
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