The University of Alabama at Birmingham Athletics
Trio of Blazers Land on Preseason All-Conference USA Team
8/25/2020 11:22:00 AM | Football
BIRMINGHAM – Linebacker Kristopher Moll, edge rusher Jordan Smith and wide receiver Austin Watkins Jr. have been named to the Preseason All-Conference USA Team, as selected by the league's 14 head coaches.
All three of these Blazers were also named to preseason national watch lists as Moll and Smith were both on the Chuck Bednarik and Bronko Nagurski lists, while Watkins Jr. was on the Biletnikoff.
Moll enters his senior year looking to build upon his impressive numbers from last season which resulted in him earning First Team All-Conference USA honors. Moll was the only player in C-USA to rank Top 10 in tackles, tackles for loss and sacks per game. He finished the year with 104 total tackles, 16.0 TFL, 9.0 sacks, and also added four forced fumbles, six quarterback hurries, one interception, one fumble recovery and one pass breakup.
Smith earned Second Team All-Conference USA honors in his first year donning the Green and Gold. He led the team in TFL (17.0) and sacks (10.0), while ranking Top 5 in both categories in C-USA. He added 53 total tackles, four forced fumbles and eight quarterback hurries last year as a sophomore. His 10.0 sacks were the fifth most in a single season at UAB.
These two helped UAB finish Top 10 nationally in total defense for a second straight year, and ended 2019 ranked No. 8 overall. The UAB defense returns nine starters from last year's unit.
Watkins Jr. leads an offense that also returns nine starters from last year's team. In 2019, Watkins had 57 catches for 1,092 yards and six touchdowns. In the process, he became just the third player in program history to have over 1,000 receiving yards in a single season. He also led the team in all-purpose yards and earned Second Team All-Conference USA.
Dating back to the 2018 season, Watkins Jr. enters 2020 with a streak of at least one reception in 18 straight games.
The Blazers are just nine days away from kicking off the 2020 season at Legion Field vs. Central Arkansas. UAB is 18-0 at home since returning to action in 2017 and has the nation's fourth longest active home winning streak.
UAB also looks to win its third straight C-USA West Division title in 2020 and its second overall league championship in the last three years.
UAB Football is planning on accommodating fans during the 2020 season at Legion Field, and the best way to guarantee your seat is by purchasing season tickets which start as low as $75. Blazer Boosters members and current season ticket holders will also have top priority at Protective Stadium entering 2021. Click here to purchase tickets.
C-USA Preseason Awards
Offensive Player of the Year
Brenden Knox, R-Jr., RB, Marshall
Defensive Player of the Year
DeAngelo Malone, Sr., DE, WKU
Special Teams Players of the Year
John Haggerty, R-Sr., P, WKU
Offense
QB Jack Abraham, R-Sr., Southern Miss
RB Justin Henderson, Sr., Louisiana Tech
RB Brenden Knox, Jr., Marshall
OL D'Antne Demery, Sr., FIU
OL Desmond Noel, R-Sr., Florida Atlantic
OL Kody Russey, Sr., Louisiana Tech
OL Cain Madden, R-Sr., Marshall
OL Jordan Meredith, Sr., WKU
TE Jason Pirtle, R-Sr., North Texas
WR Jaelon Darden, Sr., North Texas
WR Tim Jones, Sr., Southern Miss
WR Austin Watkins Jr., R-Sr., UAB
Defense
DL Markees Watts, Jr., Charlotte
DL Willie Baker, R-Sr., Louisiana Tech
DL Dion Novil, Sr., North Texas
DL Jordan Smith, R-Jr., UAB
DL DeAngelo Malone, Sr., WKU
LB Tavante Beckett, R-Sr., Marshall
LB Blaze Alldredge, Sr., Rice
LB Kristopher Moll, Sr., UAB
DB Ben DeLuca, Sr., Charlotte
DB Nazeeh Johnson, R-Sr., Marshall
DB Reed Blankenship, Sr., Middle Tennessee
DB Ky'el Hemby, R-Sr., Southern Miss
Special Teams
K Ethan Mooney, Jr., North Texas
P John Haggerty, r-Sr., WKU
KR Deion Hair-Griffin, R-Jr., North Texas
PR Talik Keaton, R-So., Marshall
LS Reeves Blankenship, Jr., Louisiana Tech
All three of these Blazers were also named to preseason national watch lists as Moll and Smith were both on the Chuck Bednarik and Bronko Nagurski lists, while Watkins Jr. was on the Biletnikoff.
Moll enters his senior year looking to build upon his impressive numbers from last season which resulted in him earning First Team All-Conference USA honors. Moll was the only player in C-USA to rank Top 10 in tackles, tackles for loss and sacks per game. He finished the year with 104 total tackles, 16.0 TFL, 9.0 sacks, and also added four forced fumbles, six quarterback hurries, one interception, one fumble recovery and one pass breakup.
Smith earned Second Team All-Conference USA honors in his first year donning the Green and Gold. He led the team in TFL (17.0) and sacks (10.0), while ranking Top 5 in both categories in C-USA. He added 53 total tackles, four forced fumbles and eight quarterback hurries last year as a sophomore. His 10.0 sacks were the fifth most in a single season at UAB.
These two helped UAB finish Top 10 nationally in total defense for a second straight year, and ended 2019 ranked No. 8 overall. The UAB defense returns nine starters from last year's unit.
Watkins Jr. leads an offense that also returns nine starters from last year's team. In 2019, Watkins had 57 catches for 1,092 yards and six touchdowns. In the process, he became just the third player in program history to have over 1,000 receiving yards in a single season. He also led the team in all-purpose yards and earned Second Team All-Conference USA.
Dating back to the 2018 season, Watkins Jr. enters 2020 with a streak of at least one reception in 18 straight games.
The Blazers are just nine days away from kicking off the 2020 season at Legion Field vs. Central Arkansas. UAB is 18-0 at home since returning to action in 2017 and has the nation's fourth longest active home winning streak.
UAB also looks to win its third straight C-USA West Division title in 2020 and its second overall league championship in the last three years.
UAB Football is planning on accommodating fans during the 2020 season at Legion Field, and the best way to guarantee your seat is by purchasing season tickets which start as low as $75. Blazer Boosters members and current season ticket holders will also have top priority at Protective Stadium entering 2021. Click here to purchase tickets.
C-USA Preseason Awards
Offensive Player of the Year
Brenden Knox, R-Jr., RB, Marshall
Defensive Player of the Year
DeAngelo Malone, Sr., DE, WKU
Special Teams Players of the Year
John Haggerty, R-Sr., P, WKU
Offense
QB Jack Abraham, R-Sr., Southern Miss
RB Justin Henderson, Sr., Louisiana Tech
RB Brenden Knox, Jr., Marshall
OL D'Antne Demery, Sr., FIU
OL Desmond Noel, R-Sr., Florida Atlantic
OL Kody Russey, Sr., Louisiana Tech
OL Cain Madden, R-Sr., Marshall
OL Jordan Meredith, Sr., WKU
TE Jason Pirtle, R-Sr., North Texas
WR Jaelon Darden, Sr., North Texas
WR Tim Jones, Sr., Southern Miss
WR Austin Watkins Jr., R-Sr., UAB
Defense
DL Markees Watts, Jr., Charlotte
DL Willie Baker, R-Sr., Louisiana Tech
DL Dion Novil, Sr., North Texas
DL Jordan Smith, R-Jr., UAB
DL DeAngelo Malone, Sr., WKU
LB Tavante Beckett, R-Sr., Marshall
LB Blaze Alldredge, Sr., Rice
LB Kristopher Moll, Sr., UAB
DB Ben DeLuca, Sr., Charlotte
DB Nazeeh Johnson, R-Sr., Marshall
DB Reed Blankenship, Sr., Middle Tennessee
DB Ky'el Hemby, R-Sr., Southern Miss
Special Teams
K Ethan Mooney, Jr., North Texas
P John Haggerty, r-Sr., WKU
KR Deion Hair-Griffin, R-Jr., North Texas
PR Talik Keaton, R-So., Marshall
LS Reeves Blankenship, Jr., Louisiana Tech
Players Mentioned
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