It’s a new look for the All-C-USA team honors this preseason. With multiple teams shifting conferences, the Conference USA preseason awards lean heavily towards a certain school in Texas, but there is plenty of talent elsewhere in the conference. Ahead of the 2022 college football season, Pro Football Network is proud to debut our All-Conference honors for each of the 10 conferences and the FBS Independents.
Detailing out our projected top players, units, and teams ahead of the action, PFN’s team of draft evaluators and national college football analysts looked at who they each thought would be the conference’s best in 2022. The results are in, and here is the cream of the crop heading into the fall.
Follow along with all of our All-Conference Awards this preseason: AAC | ACC | B1G | Big 12 | MAC | Mountain West | Pac-12 | SEC | Sun Belt | FBS Independent
Preseason All-C-USA football team honors for 2022
It’s important to note that these are awards and honors from Pro Football Network for each individual’s expected prowess on the field this season. This is in no way a projection of their NFL draft status nor a report on the specific conference awards awarded this preseason. These honors are from Pro Football Network, as judged by our team of college football analysts and draft evaluators projecting their success on the field in 2022.
- C-USA Player of the Year
Frank Harris, QB, UTSA - C-USA Offensive Player of the Year
Frank Harris, QB, UTSA - C-USA Defensive Player of the Year
KD Davis, LB, North Texas - C-USA Newcomer of the Year
Austin Reed, QB, Western Kentucky
After leading the Roadrunners to new heights, UTSA QB Frank Harris returns in 2022. He’s set to not only become a legend in the UTSA program but also could be on the verge of some all-time wins marks in the conference if all goes to plan. Harris is 20-8 as the Roadrunners’ starting quarterback, dating back to 2019, and has accounted for over 31% of the team’s total victories since their first season back in 2011. He’ll anchor what should be a star-studded offensive group in 2022 to close out his career.
On defense, North Texas LB KD Davis takes the top individual honors, beating out UTSA’s Brandon Brown as the PFN Preseason Defensive Player of the Year. Davis is a hard man to game plan against as an opposing offensive coordinator. He developed into a top-tier coverage defender after already showcasing an ability to thwart rushing plays and blitz the passer prior to last season. Davis is a three-down linebacker with the impact to change games.
On offense, Austin Reed earns the top spot as Newcomer of the Year as his lofty expectations leave us with few other options. Reed is set to follow in Bailey Zappe’s footsteps after he also transferred from an FCS school up to Western Kentucky’s pass-first offense under Zach Kittley disciple Ben Arbuckle as the co-offensive coordinator. Reed threw for 3,418 yards and 38 touchdowns a season ago for West Florida and recently beat out Power Five transfer QB Jarret Doege from West Virginia for the starting role.
Offensive All-C-USA team and player honors
- C-USA QB of the Year
Frank Harris, UTSA - C-USA RB of the Year
DeWayne McBride, UAB - C-USA WR of the Year
Tyrese Chambers, FIU - C-USA TE of the Year
Griffin Hebert, Louisiana Tech - C-USA Offensive Line of the Year
UTSA Roadrunners - C-USA Offensive Lineman of the Year
Ahofitu Maka, C, UTSA
Harris takes the top honors again, but he also has to be thankful for the Conference USA’s top offensive line returning. Included in a stalwart group is the C-USA Offensive Lineman of the Year Ahofitu Maka, the Roadrunners center. Maka has logged 38 starts over the past three seasons and is one of the most dominant players at any position in the conference this season.
Elsewhere on offense, UAB RB DeWayne McBride is back for the Blazers after rushing for over 1,300 yards and 13 touchdowns a season ago. McBride is a bruising back who always fights for extra yardage and can make defenders miss all the same.
Tyrese Chambers grabs the top honors for receivers, as he needed less than 50 receptions to cross the 1,000-yard mark last season. Chambers exploded onto the scene in his first season at FIU. The big receiver on the outside showcased a true all-around ability both at the catch point and with his route-running ability.
Defensive All-C-USA team and player honors
- C-USA Defensive Line of the Year
UTEP Miners - C-USA DL of the Year
Brandon Brown, DT, UTSA - C-USA LB of the Year
KD Davis, North Texas - C-USA Secondary of the Year
UTSA Roadrunners - C-USA CB of the Year
Corey Mayfield Jr., UTSA - C-USA S of the Year
Rashad Wisdom, UTSA
On defense, the UTEP Miners grab the top spot as the conference’s top defensive line unit. UTEP is paced by EDGE Praise Amaewhule with Keenan Stewart on the inside. Amaewhule and Stewart are among the Group of Five’s top DT-EDGE combinations this season.
Third-year sophomore Brandon Brown is the big man to watch on the UTSA defensive front. Brown exploded onto the scene himself last year, racking up three tackles for loss and multiple QB pressures. But it was his presence on the interior that freed up mismatches for the Roadrunners’ EDGE defenders on multiple occasions. He’s back to once again terrorize interior linemen with his strength and speed combination.
UTSA also earns the top honors in the secondary as Rashad Wisdom leads the defense once again. Wisdom is the heart and soul of the UTSA defense and arguably as important to this unit as Harris is to their offense. Corey Mayfield Jr. is awarded the CB of the Year after posting 37 total tackles, three pass breakups, and two interceptions (one of which he returned for a touchdown) last season.
Special teams All-C-USA team and player honors
- C-USA K of the Year
Ethan Mooney, North Texas - C-USA P of the Year
Lucas Dean, UTSA - C-USA Specialist of the Year
Jaylin Lane, PR/KR, Middle Tennessee