2020 Athlon Sports Preseason All-Conference USA Teams
BOWLING GREEN, Ky. — Athlon Sports announced its 2020 Preseason All-Conference USA Teams this week, and 12 WKU Football players were among those listed by the outlet.
The Hilltoppers' dozen total ranks second behind UAB's 13, and WKU's four players on the First Team are just behind the Blazers' five. However, the Hilltoppers' eight on the First and Second Team combined lead the league, as do WKU's 11 on the First, Second and Third Team combined.
First Teamers include defending C-USA Defensive Player of the Year DeAngelo Malone, punter John Haggerty, offensive lineman Jordan Meredith and tight end Joshua Simon.
Malone helped anchor the top scoring defense in the league, producing 99 total tackles – including 21 for loss – with 11.5 sacks, 16 quarterback hurries and a fumble recovery returned for a touchdown. Among all returning players to college football in 2020, the Atlanta, Ga., native ranks fourth with 11.5 sacks and third with 21 tackles for loss. In addition, he is only 1-of-3 returning conference Defensive Players of the Year out of the 10 FBS leagues.
Haggerty made an immediate impact in his first season playing American football after coming to The Hill from Sydney, Australia. He also set the all-time WKU program record with 45.9 yards per punt, which ranked 13th in FBS, while his 42.1-yard net average was 10th. He had 17 kicks of 50+ yards after WKU had 18 such kicks from 2016-2018 combined and also had 50+ yard punts on 38% of his 46 punts, which ranked ninth in FBS.
Meredith helped anchor one of the best offensive line groups in the country, as PFF College ranked the Hilltoppers 20th in the FBS as a unit overall, including No. 1 in pass-blocking grade, while surrendering a pressure on only 12.7% of their pass-blocked snaps, which was the eight-lowest percentage in the nation. On an individual level, the Bowling Green native was also named a PFF College Honorable Mention All-American.
Simon had a productive true freshman campaign on The Hill, with 30 receptions for 430 yards and four touchdowns. The Dalzell, S.C., native had one score in each of his first four games, including a season-long 77-yard touchdown catch-and-run vs. Louisville at Nissan Stadium. He put up season-highs of six receptions for 106 yards in WKU's First Responder Bowl victory; he was the only tight end in the nation to have 100+ yards in a 2019-20 bowl game.
Each of the remaining eight Hilltoppers honored by Athlon Sports played in all 13 games for WKU in 2019, with 95 total starts last season out of a possible 104 among them. Overall, the Hilltoppers are expected to return 16 of their 22 offensive and defensive starters, along with two of WKU's three specialists.
First Team
John Haggerty, P, r-Sr.
DeAngelo Malone, DE, Sr.
Jordan Meredith, OL, r-Sr.
Joshua Simon, TE, So.
Second Team
Kyle Bailey, LB, Sr.
Antwon Kincade, S, Sr.
Cole Spencer, OL, r-Jr.
Gaej Walker, RB, r-Sr.
Third Team
Seth Joest, OL, r-Sr.
Juwuan Jones, DE, r-Jr.
Jahcour Pearson, WR, r-Sr.
Fourth Team
Devon Key, S, r-Sr.
Starting with the season opener against UT Chattanooga – which has been moved to Thursday, September 3, with a kickoff time of 6 p.m. CT – second-year head coach Tyson Helton and the 2020 Hilltoppers will face a wire-to-wire grind, as nine of the team's 11 FBS opponents competed in a bowl game in 2019.
Please visit www.WKUTickets.com for more information on season tickets for WKU's six-home game schedule. For your assistance, the WKU Ticket Office can be reached during normal business hours by phone (1-800-5-BIGRED), text (1-800-524-4733) or email (tickets@wku.edu).
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