DALLAS — UTSA punter Lucas Dean has been named Conference USA Preseason Special Teams Player of the Year and running back Sincere McCormick has been chosen as C-USA Preseason Offensive Player of the Year in a vote by the league's head coaches.
The reigning C-USA Special Teams Player of the Year and a first-team all-conference honoree, Dean earned second-team All-America accolades from the Sporting News and he was Phil Steele's fourth-team All-America punter after a record-setting campaign in 2020. The Australian shattered the program's single-season punting average record with a 46.0 mark, which led the league and ranked sixth nationally. A first-team Dave Campbell's Texas Football All-Texas College selection, he registered 27 punts that pinned opponents inside the 20-yard line, including 15 inside the 10 and seven inside the 5 during his sophomore season. Of his 57 total punts, 40 were not returned and he recorded 21 punts of 50-plus yards, including a career-best 67-yarder at FAU. 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 against UAB.
McCormick earned 2020 C-USA Offensive Player of the Year and first-team all-conference accolades during a record-setting sophomore season. The Converse Judson High School product set UTSA's single-season marks for rushing yards (1,467), touchdowns (11), carries (249), rushing yards per game (133.4) and all-purpose yards (1,598) en route to being named a second-team All-American by both Phil Steele and the Football Writers Association of America. He finished second in the nation among FBS players in rushing yardage after logging a conference-best seven 100-yard games, including a school-record 251 in the 49-17 win over North Texas. A preseason All-American by multiple national publications and a member of the Maxwell Award watch list, McCormick was one of five finalists for the Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Award, a semifinalist for the Doak Walker Award, the Dave Campbell's Texas Football College Player of the Year and a four-time C-USA Offensive Player of the Week pick last fall.
WKU defensive end DeAngelo Malone was pegged as the C-USA Preseason Defensive Player of the Year.
These preseason honors come one day after the Roadrunners have been projected to finish second in the C-USA West Division in a vote by media members who cover the league. UTSA received nine first-place votes for second behind defending conference champion UAB, which collected 15 first-place votes. Louisiana Tech is predicted to finish third in the West Division, followed by Southern Miss, Rice, North Texas and UTEP. Marshall is the preseason favorite in the East.
UTSA welcomes back 71 lettermen, including 10 starters on offense and all 11 on defense, from a 2020 campaign that resulted in a 7-5 record and the program's second bowl appearance. Head coach Jeff Traylor guided the Roadrunners to the second-most wins in school history, the most victories by a first-year UTSA coach and to a runner-up finish in the C-USA West Division with a 5-2 mark.
Season tickets for UTSA's 2021 home schedule are on sale now. Please call or text 210-458-UTSA (8872) or click here. Payment plans for all season ticket packages are available.
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