DALLAS — UTSA seniors Frank Harris and Rashad Wisdom have been named Conference USA Preseason Offensive and Defensive Players of the Year, respectively, the league office announced Tuesday.
Harris and Wisdom, who are representing the Roadrunners at the C-USA Kickoff on Wednesday in Arlington, join C-USA Preseason Special Teams Player of the Year Brayden Narveson of Western Kentucky as preseason superlative award winners in a vote by the league's head coaches.
Harris, a quarterback out of Schertz Clemens High School, has added the C-USA Preseason Offensive Player of the Year honor to his long list of accolades this summer. Last week, he was named to preseason watch lists for the Davey O'Brien Award National Quarterback Award and the Maxwell Award, which is presented annually to the outstanding player in college football.
A semifinalist for the Davey O'Brien and Earl Campbell Tyler Rose Awards a year ago, Harris enters the 2022 campaign with a 20-8 record as UTSA's starting QB. The lefthander has thrown for 5,293 yards and 42 touchdowns on 488-of-739 passing (.660) and rushed for 1,220 yards and 15 TDs as a Roadrunner.
Harris guided UTSA to the most successful season in program history in 2021, helping lead the Roadrunners to a 12-2 record, their first conference championship and top-25 ranking and to their second straight and third overall bowl game. A two-time national player of the week last fall, he set school single-season records for passing yards (3,177), completions (398), touchdowns (27), attempts (263), completion percentage (.661), passing efficiency (152.5), total offense (3,743) and touchdowns responsible for (33). He also rushed for 566 yards — a program record for a QB — and six scores and caught three passes for 36 yards and a TD en route to Dave Campbell's Texas Football Offensive Player of the Year and second-team all-conference accolades.
Meanwhile, Wisdom a safety from Converse Judson High School, picked up his second honor of the day and fourth in the last week with the nod for C-USA Preseason Defensive Player of the Year. Earlier on Tuesday, he landed on the preseason watch list for the Bronko Nagurski Trophy, which goes to the best defensive player in college football.
On Monday, Wisdom made the preseason watch list for the Paycom Jim Thorpe Award — which honors the best defensive player in college football — for the second straight season, and last week he was unveiled as a nominee for the Allstate AFCA Good Works Team, which honors student-athletes with exemplary community service, academic dedication and impact on and off the field.
A two-time all-conference performer at safety, Wisdom has paced the Roadrunners in total tackles in each of the past two seasons, helping guide UTSA to 19 wins, a conference championship and a pair of bowl games during that timeframe. A two-time Dave Campbell's Texas Football All-Texas College Team selection, he has registered 227 tackles, 158 solo stops, 12 tackles for loss, five interceptions, four forced fumbles, a pair of sacks and a fumble recovery. He has returned two of his interceptions for touchdowns, which is tied for the school record.
Last season, Wisdom recorded 88 tackles, 67 solo stops, four tackles for loss, six pass breakups and a forced fumble to help lead UTSA to a 12-2 record, the C-USA title, the program's first top-25 ranking and the Frisco Bowl. He logged 10-plus tackles three times, including a season-high 13 in the 52-46 road win over Western Kentucky.
UTSA will open its 12th season of play and third under 2021 C-USA Coach of the Year Jeff Traylor on Sept. 3 against Houston. Kickoff is set for 2:30 p.m. at the Alamodome in a game that will be televised nationally on CBS Sports Network.
Tickets are on sale now by calling or texting 210-458-UTSA (8872) or visiting goUTSA.com.
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