The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
UAB Football Lands 16 Players on All-Conference USA Teams
12/10/2019 1:01:00 PM | Football
BIRMINGHAM – Led by First Team selections Kristopher Moll and Garrett Marino, the UAB football team had 16 players earn All-Conference USA accolades, as announced by league officials on Tuesday.
Moll and Marino anchored a defensive unit that finished the regular season ranked fifth nationally in total defense, which led the Blazers to nine wins and their second-consecutive C-USA West Division title.
Moll was one of the most productive players in the league and enters the New Orleans Bowl with 96 tackles, 16.0 TFL, 9.0 sacks, four forced fumbles, six quarterback hurries, one interception, one fumble recovery and one pass breakup. Marino was the most disruptive interior lineman in C-USA, and despite facing numerous double and triple teams, he totaled 41 tackles, 12.5 TFL, 6.0 sacks, five pass breakups and four quarterback hurries.
Second Team All-Conference USA honors were awarded to wide receiver Austin Watkins Jr. and jack linebacker Jordan Smith. Watkins Jr. has the fourth most receiving yards in Conference USA with 933. That total is fifth most for single season receiving yards at UAB, and he looks to become just the third player in program history to eclipse 1,000 receiving yards in a season. Entering the bowl game, Watkins Jr. has 47 catches for 933 yards and five touchdowns.
Smith erupted onto the scene for the Blazers, totaling 50 tackles, 15.5 TFL, 10.0 sacks, eight quarterback hurries and four forced fumbles. His 10 sacks tie him for fifth most in a single season at UAB.
UAB also had two players earn Freshman All-Conference USA accolades in quarterback Dylan Hopkins and jack linebacker Alex Wright. In five starts, Hopkins led the Blazers to a 3-2 record which included wins over Louisiana Tech and North Texas.
Wright was a major contributor to the vaunted front seven with 28 total tackles, 8.5 TFL and 4.5 sacks. Both his TFL and sacks total led all C-USA freshmen.
The following players earned All-Conference USA Honorable Mention: Offensive lineman Colby Ragland, offensive lineman Sidney Wells, wide receiver Myron Mitchell, nose tackle Tony Fair, jack linebacker Fitzgerald Mofor, cornerback TD Marshall, safety Will Boler, safety Dy'Jonn Turner, place kicker Nick Vogel and long snapper Jacob Fuqua. Myron Mitchell earned Honorable Mention both as a wide receiver and kickoff returner.
Coming off the program's second-consecutive C-USA West Division title, 13 of UAB's 16 all-conference honorees will return for the 2020 season.
The Blazers (9-4) conclude the 2019 campaign on Saturday, Dec. 21 in the R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl against No. 20 Appalachian State (12-1). Kickoff from Mercedes-Benz Superdome is slated for 8 p.m. CST.
First Team All-Conference USA
DT – Garrett Marino – Sr.
LB – Kristopher Moll – Jr.
Second Team All-Conference USA
WR – Austin Watkins Jr. – Jr.
JACK – Jordan Smith – Jr.
Freshman All-Conference USA
QB – Dylan Hopkins – Fr.
JACK – Alex Wright – Fr.
Honorable Mention
OL – Colby Ragland – Jr.
OL – Sidney Wells – Jr.
WR/KR – Myron Mitchell – Jr.
NT – Tony Fair – Jr.
JACK – Fitzgerald Mofor – Sr.
S – Will Boler – So.
S – Dy'Jonn Turner – So.
CB – TD Marshall – Jr.
PK – Nick Vogel – Sr.
LS – Jacob Fuqua – Jr.
Moll and Marino anchored a defensive unit that finished the regular season ranked fifth nationally in total defense, which led the Blazers to nine wins and their second-consecutive C-USA West Division title.
Moll was one of the most productive players in the league and enters the New Orleans Bowl with 96 tackles, 16.0 TFL, 9.0 sacks, four forced fumbles, six quarterback hurries, one interception, one fumble recovery and one pass breakup. Marino was the most disruptive interior lineman in C-USA, and despite facing numerous double and triple teams, he totaled 41 tackles, 12.5 TFL, 6.0 sacks, five pass breakups and four quarterback hurries.
Second Team All-Conference USA honors were awarded to wide receiver Austin Watkins Jr. and jack linebacker Jordan Smith. Watkins Jr. has the fourth most receiving yards in Conference USA with 933. That total is fifth most for single season receiving yards at UAB, and he looks to become just the third player in program history to eclipse 1,000 receiving yards in a season. Entering the bowl game, Watkins Jr. has 47 catches for 933 yards and five touchdowns.
Smith erupted onto the scene for the Blazers, totaling 50 tackles, 15.5 TFL, 10.0 sacks, eight quarterback hurries and four forced fumbles. His 10 sacks tie him for fifth most in a single season at UAB.
UAB also had two players earn Freshman All-Conference USA accolades in quarterback Dylan Hopkins and jack linebacker Alex Wright. In five starts, Hopkins led the Blazers to a 3-2 record which included wins over Louisiana Tech and North Texas.
Wright was a major contributor to the vaunted front seven with 28 total tackles, 8.5 TFL and 4.5 sacks. Both his TFL and sacks total led all C-USA freshmen.
The following players earned All-Conference USA Honorable Mention: Offensive lineman Colby Ragland, offensive lineman Sidney Wells, wide receiver Myron Mitchell, nose tackle Tony Fair, jack linebacker Fitzgerald Mofor, cornerback TD Marshall, safety Will Boler, safety Dy'Jonn Turner, place kicker Nick Vogel and long snapper Jacob Fuqua. Myron Mitchell earned Honorable Mention both as a wide receiver and kickoff returner.
Coming off the program's second-consecutive C-USA West Division title, 13 of UAB's 16 all-conference honorees will return for the 2020 season.
The Blazers (9-4) conclude the 2019 campaign on Saturday, Dec. 21 in the R+L Carriers New Orleans Bowl against No. 20 Appalachian State (12-1). Kickoff from Mercedes-Benz Superdome is slated for 8 p.m. CST.
First Team All-Conference USA
DT – Garrett Marino – Sr.
LB – Kristopher Moll – Jr.
Second Team All-Conference USA
WR – Austin Watkins Jr. – Jr.
JACK – Jordan Smith – Jr.
Freshman All-Conference USA
QB – Dylan Hopkins – Fr.
JACK – Alex Wright – Fr.
Honorable Mention
OL – Colby Ragland – Jr.
OL – Sidney Wells – Jr.
WR/KR – Myron Mitchell – Jr.
NT – Tony Fair – Jr.
JACK – Fitzgerald Mofor – Sr.
S – Will Boler – So.
S – Dy'Jonn Turner – So.
CB – TD Marshall – Jr.
PK – Nick Vogel – Sr.
LS – Jacob Fuqua – Jr.
Players Mentioned
S
/ Football
DL
/ Football
LS
/ Football
QB
/ Football
DL
/ Football
CB
/ Football
WR
/ Football
LB
/ Football
LB
/ Football
OL
/ Football
OLB
/ Football
PK
/ Football
WR
/ Football
OL
/ Football
OLB
/ FootballUAB Baseball | The Quick Cut: at Alabama
Thursday, April 23
UAB Beach Volleyball | The Quick Cut: Blazer Beach Bash
Saturday, April 18
UAB Softball | The Quick Cut: Memphis Series
Thursday, April 09
UAB vs ECU Post Game Press Conference
Sunday, March 08
