DALLAS – Conference USA announced its 2018 All-Conference football teams today, as selected by the league’s 14 head football coaches.  Eleven of the 14 schools placed at least one player on the first team, with North Texas producing a league-high five selections, followed by Marshall and Middle Tennessee with four apiece.  C-USA Champion UAB and Marshall each had the most combined first and second-team members with seven, followed by East Division Champion Middle Tennessee with six.  

2018_All_Conference_Teams
 
The five North Texas first-team selections include three from the Mean Green defense and one each from the offense and special teams.  Senior LB E.J. Ejiya ranks fourth in the FBS with 23.0 tackles for loss and is fifth in C-USA with 123 total tackles.  Junior DL LaDarius Hamilton has 6.5 sacks, while senior DB Kemon Hall is ninth nationally with 17 passes defended and has four interceptions, two which he has returned for touchdowns.  Junior WR Rico Bussey, Jr. leads NT in every receiving category, grabbing 68 passes for 1,017 yards and 12 TDs, while graduate K Cole Hedlund is second in C-USA with 107 points, hitting 19-of-22 field goal attempts and 50-of-52 PATs.
 
Marshall also spread its selections through all three phases, with a pair on offense and one on each of the other units.  Junior C Levi Brown started all 12 games and senior WR Tyre Brady led the Thundering Herd with 66 receptions for 914 yards and nine touchdowns.  Junior DB Malik Gant (90 tackles, 10 passes defended, two interceptions) is joined by junior LS Matt Beardall.
 
Middle Tennessee placed a pair of players on the first team offense and first team defense.  Graduate QB Brent Stockstill (3,214 yards and a league-high 28 touchdown passes) is joined by one of his best blockers in senior OL Chandler Brewer.  Senior LB Darius Harris (career-best 92 tackles, 5.0 sacks and five pass breakups) is joined on the other side of the ball by sophomore S Reed Blankenship (team-high 101 tackles, nine passes defended and two interceptions).
 
Conference champion UAB had a pair of first team selections and five players that earned second team recognition.  Sophomore RB Spencer Brown, the 2018 Globe Life C-USA Championship game MVP, ran for 1,149 yards in his second season as a Blazer, while placing second in C-USA and seventh nationally with 16 rushing touchdowns.  He is joined on the first team by RT Justice Powers, who started all 13 games and graded out the best among all Blazer linemen.
 
Florida Atlantic and Louisiana Tech each produced three first team selections.  Highlighting the Owls players are junior RB Devin “Motor” Singletary (1,348 rushing yards and a nation-leading 22 rushing touchdowns), one of the offensive linemen that have paved the way for Singletary in senior Reggie Bain and junior TE Harrison Bryant (45 receptions for 662 yards and four TDs).  The three honorees produced by the Bulldogs include a pair of defensive standouts in junior DE Jaylon Ferguson (nation-leading 15 sacks, third in the FBS with 23 tackles for loss and 59 total tackles) and sophomore DB Amik Robertson (57 tackles, 12 pass breakups and two interceptions), along with senior OT O’Shea Dugas, the anchor of the LA Tech offensive line.
 
FIU, Old Dominion and Southern Miss each placed two members of their teams on the all-league first team list.  Panthers junior LB Sage Lewis (league-high-tying 126 total tackles) and junior PR Maurice Alexander (fourth in the FBS with a 15.6 yard punt return average with one TD return) are listed along with Monarchs senior DE Oshane Ximines (fifth in the FBS with 12 sacks and third in C-USA with 18.5 TFLs) and senior KR Isaiah Harper (21.8 yard avg. on 30 returns) and Golden Eagles sophomore WR Quez Watkins (72 catches for 889 yards and nine TD receptions) and junior DL Jacques Turner (30 tackles and 5.0 sacks).
 
Charlotte and Rice each produced one first team selection.  The 49ers are represented by junior DL Alex Highsmith, who was 17^th in the FBS with 17.5 tackles for loss, while the Owls list senior P Jack Fox, who led C-USA with a 45.5 yard punting average with 26 kicks of 50 yards or longer and a 31 punts inside the 20-yard line.
 
Marshall had the most second-team designations with five, while FIU had four and Louisiana Tech, North Texas and Southern Miss all produced five. 
 
The league’s individual awards will be released Wednesday, December 5.  Conference USA will conclude the 2018 season by sending six teams to bowl games.
 

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, So., 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