DALLAS — A program-record 23 UTSA Roadrunners have been honored by Conference USA, as the league on Tuesday announced its all-conference and all-freshman teams as selected by the 14 head coaches.
UTSA placed a school-record 22 players on the all-conference teams with a league-high and program-record six on the first team, five on the second squad and 11 on the honorable mention list. The 11 Roadrunners on the first and second teams combined are the most among conference schools. Additionally, a pair of Roadrunners landed on the C-USA All-Freshman Team, giving UTSA a school-record 24 total honors this season.
Offensive lineman Spencer Burford, wide receiver Zakhari Franklin and running back Sincere McCormick all earned a spot on the first-team offense, while outside linebacker Clarence Hicks and safety Rashad Wisdom made the first-team defense, and Hunter Duplessis was the first-team place-kicker. Duplessis, McCormick and Wisdom are repeat first-team honorees, while Burford was a second-team pick a year ago.
Burford has helped pave the way for an offense that ranks second in C-USA and 12th in the FBS in scoring (37.8 ppg) and third in the conference and 26th nationally in total offense (442.9 ypg). The senior from San Antonio Wagner High School, who has accepted an invitation to play in the Reese's Senior Bowl, has helped the Roadrunners pile up 2,452 rushing yards and a school-record 3,306 passing yards this season.
Franklin has shattered the program's single-season receiving records in his third year with the Roadrunners. The Cedar Hill High School graduate has caught 73 passes for 938 yards and 11 touchdowns — all school records — on his way to becoming UTSA's career leader in receptions (160), receiving yards (2,123) and TDs (21).
McCormick has continued to rewrite the program's record book, as the Converse Judson High School product has rushed for 1,479 yards (5th/FBS) and 15 touchdowns on 298 carries, all UTSA records, and caught 22 passes for 184 yards this season. The All-American and a semifinalist for the Doak Walker and Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Awards owns 20 UTSA career marks, including rushing yards (3,929), rushing TDs (34) and all-purpose yards (4,438).
Hicks is enjoying his most productive season as a Roadrunner, as the Pensacola, Florida, native has broken UTSA's single-season standard for sacks with 10, ranking 21st in the FBS in sacks per game (0.77). He has registered 35 total tackles with 16 behind the line of scrimmage to go along with six quarterback hurries, two pass breakups, one interception and a forced fumble in 2021.
Wisdom paces the Roadrunners with 87 total tackles and 66 solo stops this season. The former Converse Judson star also has posted four tackles for loss, broken up six passes and provided a QB hurry in 13 starts at safety. He has logged 10-plus tackles in three contests this fall including a career high-tying 13 in the 52-46 win at WKU on Oct. 9.
Duplessis earned first-team accolades at kicker for the second straight season. The super senior from San Antonio Cole High School has made 23 field goals and all 60 extra-point attempts — both UTSA records — en route to a school-record 129 points scored this fall. The All-American stands fourth nationally with a league-best 1.77 field goals per game and in total points.
Long snapper Caleb Cantrell, punter Lucas Dean, quarterback Frank Harris, defensive lineman Jaylon Haynes and center Ahofitu Maka all were voted to the second team. Dean and Maka earned first- and second-team accolades in 2020, while Cantrell, Harris and Haynes all received honorable mention last season.
Cantrell has been a key member of UTSA's special teams units this season as the long snapper. The senior from Hurst, Texas, boasts 134 clean snaps this season on the Roadrunners' punt, field goal and extra-point squads. He has posted three tackles this year and he recovered a fumble in the 37-30 win at Illinois, while he has helped the punt coverage unit lead the league and rank 13th in the FBS in net punting (42.93 avg).
Dean is enjoying another stellar season as UTSA's punter, averaging 45.4 yards on 44 punts with 10 sailing 50-plus yards, and his average would rank third in the league if he had enough punts to meet the minimum. The All-American has pinned opponents inside their 20-yard line 20 times and 12 punts have resulted in a fair catch with only two going for a touchback. The Australian and school record-holder is averaging 48.1 yards per punt over his last four contests, including a UTSA-record 73-yarder in the win over UAB.
Harris has quarterbacked the Roadrunners to a record-setting season on offense, going 12-1 as the starter under center. The Schertz Clemens High School product has completed a 241 of 362 passes for 2,906 yards and 25 touchdowns, setting program standards for completions, yards and TDs this fall. A semifinalist for the Earl Campbell Tyler Rose and Davey O'Brien National Quarterback Awards, he also has rushed for 565 yards and six scores to set the UTSA mark for total offense in a season with 3,471 yards.
Haynes has been one of the leaders on UTSA's defensive front during his super senior campaign. The Wharton, Texas, native has recorded 29 tackles, 13 solo stops, 3.5 tackles for loss, one sack and five quarterback pressures primarily from the noseguard position. He has helped the Roadrunners rank second in the conference and 14th nationally in rushing defense (111.5 ypg) and hold seven opponents to fewer than 100 yards on the ground.
Maka has been a leader on the offensive line that has helped the Roadrunners to a record-setting season. A starter at center in all 13 contests, the Honolulu, Hawai'i, native has helped pave the way for an offense that ranks second in C-USA and 12th in the FBS in scoring (37.8 ppg). UTSA also stands third in the conference and 26th nationally in total offense (442.9 ypg) while piling up 2,452 rushing yards and a school-record 3,306 passing yards this fall.
A total of 11 Roadrunners made the honorable mention list this fall. Wide receiver Joshua Cephus and offensive linemen Terrell Haynes and Makai Hart were recognized on the offensive side. Defensive linemen Brandon Brown and Lorenzo Dantzler, outside linebacker Charles Wiley, inside linebackers Trevor Harmanson and Jamal Ligon, cornerbacks Corey Mayfield Jr. and Tariq Woolen and kick returner Dadrian Taylor also earned honorable mention.
Brown and tight end Dan Dishman were voted to the C-USA All-Freshman Team. Brown, a Katy Morton Ranch High School graduate, has posted 20 tackles, three tackles for loss, three pass breakups and a forced fumble in 13 games with six starts. Dishman, a Seabrook, Texas, native, has been a key member of UTSA's tight ends group and owns two catches for 20 yards this fall despite playing in only seven contests.
The league's individual awards will be released on Tuesday.
The No. 24-ranked and Conference USA champion Roadrunners (12-1) will make their second straight and third overall bowl appearance when they face San Diego State in the Tropical Smoothie Café Frisco Bowl on Tuesday, Dec. 21. Kickoff is set for 6:30 p.m. at Toyota Stadium in Frisco and the game will be televised nationally on ESPN.
2021 All-Conference USA Teams
First Team
Offense
QB: Bailey Zappe, WKU
RB: Sincere McCormick, UTSA
RB: Rasheen Ali, Marshall
WR: Jerreth Sterns, WKU
WR: Jacob Cowing, UTEP
WR: Zakhari Franklin, UTSA
TE: Zack Kuntz, Old Dominion
OL: Alex Mollette, Marshall
OL: Cole Spencer, WKU
OL: Spencer Burford, UTSA
OL: Colby Ragland, UAB
OL: Mason Brooks, WKU
Defense
DE: Praise Amaewhule, UTEP
DT: Elijah Garcia, Rice
DT: Tyree Turner, UAB
DE: DeAngelo Malone, WKU
LB: KD Davis, North Texas
LB: Abraham Beauplan, Marshall
LB: Clarence Hicks, UTSA
DB: Reed Blankenship, Middle Tennesse
DB: Rashad Wisdom, UTSA
DB: Beanie Bishop, WKU
DB: Quincy Riley, Middle Tennessee
Special Teams
K: Hunter Duplessis, UTSA
P: Tommy Heatherly, FIU
LS: Reeves Blankenship, Louisiana Tech
KR: Camron Harrell, Southern Miss
PR: Jaylin Lane, Middle Tennessee
Second Team
Offense
QB: Frank Harris, UTSA
RB: DeWayne McBride, UAB
RB: DeAndre Torrey, North Texas
WR: Mitchell Tinsley, WKU
WR: Jason Brownlee, Southern Miss
WR: Tyrese Chambers, FIU
TE: Gerrit Prince, UAB
OL: Will Ulmer, Marshall
OL: Quantavious Leslie, WKU
OL: Ahofitu Maka, UTSA
OL: Manase Mose, North Texas
OL: Boe Wilson, WKU
Defense
DE: Jordan Ferguson, Middle Tennessee
DT: Dion Novil, North Texas
DT: Jaylon Haynes, UTSA
DE: Alex Wright, UAB
LB: Breon Hayward, UTEP
LB: Tyler Grubbs, Louisiana Tech
LB: DQ Thomas, Middle Tennessee
DB: Steven Gilmore, Marshall
DB: Micah Abraham, Marshall
DB: Grayson Cash, UAB, UAB
DB: Richard Dames, FIU
Special Teams
K: Braden Narveson, WKU
P: Lucas Dean, UTSA
LS: Caleb Cantrell, UTSA
KR: Jayden Harrison, Marshall
PR: Smoke Harris, Louisiana Tech
Honorable Mention (UTSA players only)
WR: Joshua Cephus, UTSA
OL: Makai Hart, UTSA
OL: Terrell Haynes, UTSA
DE: Lorenzo Dantzler, UTSA
DE: Charles Wiley, UTSA
DT: Brandon Brown, UTSA
LB: Trevor Harmanson, UTSA
LB: Jamal Ligon, UTSA
DB: Corey Mayfield Jr., UTSA
DB: Tariq Woolen, UTSA
KR: Dadrian Taylor, UTSA
C-USA All-Freshman Team
Offense
QB: Nicholas Vattiato, Middle Tennessee
RB: Shadrick Byrd, Charlotte
RB: Ayo Adeyi, North Texas
WR: Bub Means, Louisiana Tech
WR: Elijah Spencer, Charlotte
TE: Dan Dishman, UTSA
OL: Trey Bedosky, UAB
OL: Gabe Blair, North Texas
OL: Santana Saunders, Old Dominion
Defense
DE: Amorie Morrison, Old Dominion
DT: Roderick Brown, North Texas
DT: Brandon Brown, UTSA
DE: Ben Bell, Louisiana Tech
LB: Jason Henderson, Old Dominion
LB: Aidan Siano, Rice
DB: Jordan Dunbar, Rice
DB: Sean Fresch, Rice
DB: Mac McWilliams, UAB
DB: Deidrick Stanley, Middle Tennessee
Special Teams
P: Bailey Rice, Charlotte
KR: Shadrick Byrd, Charlotte
PR: Isiah Paige, Old Dominion
LS: Jake Bowman, WKU
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