Middle Tennessee State University Athletics
Brooks, Blankenship voted to C-USA All-Preseason Team
7/15/2019 12:30:00 PM | Football
MURFREESBORO - Two Middle Tennessee football players were named 2019 Preseason All-Conference USA as announced by the league office Monday.
Linebacker Khalil Brooks and safety Reed Blankenship were selected to the preseason team, which is voted on by the 14 C-USA head coaches, who can't vote for players on their team.
Brooks, who has earned second team all-conference honors two years in a row, enters the 2019 campaign ranked fifth all-time in sacks (14.5) at Middle Tennessee and fifth in tackles for loss (33.5). A preseason All-C-USA pick in 2018, Brooks had 68 tackles in 2018 and shared the team lead with 14.5 TFLs.
Blankenship, out of Athens, AL, is coming off a career year where he earned first team all-conference honors after leading the Blue Raiders with 107 total tackles. The junior also had 8.0 TFLs, four interceptions and seven pass breakups. His four interceptions ranked 16th nationally. Earlier today, Blankenship was also voted to the Bednarik Award Watch List.
In October last year at Old Dominion, Blankenship made national headlines after returning an interception 100 yards for a touchdown. He also added 17 tackles (9 solos), a sack, and 3.0 TFL's to earn the Bronko Nagurski National Defensive Player of the Week award.
The C-USA Media Poll (Predicted Order of Finish) will be released on Tuesday.
2019 C-USA FOOTBALL COACHES PRESEASON AWARDS
Offensive Player of the Year
Mason Fine, Sr., QB, North Texas
Defensive Player of the Year
Sage Lewis, Sr., LB, FIU
Special Teams Players of the Year
Jonathan Cruz, So., K, Charlotte
Offense
QB Mason Fine, Sr., North Texas
RB Spencer Brown, Jr., UAB
RB Benny LeMay, Sr., Charlotte
OL Levi Brown, Sr., Marshall
OL Josh Dunlop, Sr., UTSA
OL Derron Gatewood, Sr., UTEP
OL Sosaia Mose, Sr., North Texas
OL Miles Pate, Sr., WKU
TE Harrison Bryant, Sr., Florida Atlantic
WR Rico Bussey, Jr., Sr., North Texas
WR Adrian Hardy, Jr., Louisiana Tech
WR Quez Watkins, Jr., Southern Miss
Defense
DL Channing Hames, Sr., Marshall
DL LaDarius Hamilton, Sr., North Texas
DL Alex Highsmith, Sr., Charlotte
DL Garrett Marino, Sr., UAB
DL DeMarrio Smith, Sr., Southern Miss
DL Jacques Turner, Jr., Southern Miss
LB Khalil Brooks, Sr., Middle Tennessee
LB Sage Lewis, Sr., FIU
LB Racheem Boothe, Jr., Southern Miss
DB Reed Blankenship, Jr., Middle Tennessee
DB Ky'el Hemby, Jr., Southern Miss
DB Amik Robertson, Jr., Louisiana Tech
DB Chris Jackson, Sr., Marshall
Special Teams
K Jonathan Cruz, So., Charlotte
P Alvin Kenworthy, Sr., North Texas
KR Brett Winnegan, Sr., UTSA
PR Maurice Alexander, Sr., FIU
LS Matt Beardall, Sr., Marshall
Linebacker Khalil Brooks and safety Reed Blankenship were selected to the preseason team, which is voted on by the 14 C-USA head coaches, who can't vote for players on their team.
Brooks, who has earned second team all-conference honors two years in a row, enters the 2019 campaign ranked fifth all-time in sacks (14.5) at Middle Tennessee and fifth in tackles for loss (33.5). A preseason All-C-USA pick in 2018, Brooks had 68 tackles in 2018 and shared the team lead with 14.5 TFLs.
Blankenship, out of Athens, AL, is coming off a career year where he earned first team all-conference honors after leading the Blue Raiders with 107 total tackles. The junior also had 8.0 TFLs, four interceptions and seven pass breakups. His four interceptions ranked 16th nationally. Earlier today, Blankenship was also voted to the Bednarik Award Watch List.
In October last year at Old Dominion, Blankenship made national headlines after returning an interception 100 yards for a touchdown. He also added 17 tackles (9 solos), a sack, and 3.0 TFL's to earn the Bronko Nagurski National Defensive Player of the Week award.
The C-USA Media Poll (Predicted Order of Finish) will be released on Tuesday.
2019 C-USA FOOTBALL COACHES PRESEASON AWARDS
Offensive Player of the Year
Mason Fine, Sr., QB, North Texas
Defensive Player of the Year
Sage Lewis, Sr., LB, FIU
Special Teams Players of the Year
Jonathan Cruz, So., K, Charlotte
Offense
QB Mason Fine, Sr., North Texas
RB Spencer Brown, Jr., UAB
RB Benny LeMay, Sr., Charlotte
OL Levi Brown, Sr., Marshall
OL Josh Dunlop, Sr., UTSA
OL Derron Gatewood, Sr., UTEP
OL Sosaia Mose, Sr., North Texas
OL Miles Pate, Sr., WKU
TE Harrison Bryant, Sr., Florida Atlantic
WR Rico Bussey, Jr., Sr., North Texas
WR Adrian Hardy, Jr., Louisiana Tech
WR Quez Watkins, Jr., Southern Miss
Defense
DL Channing Hames, Sr., Marshall
DL LaDarius Hamilton, Sr., North Texas
DL Alex Highsmith, Sr., Charlotte
DL Garrett Marino, Sr., UAB
DL DeMarrio Smith, Sr., Southern Miss
DL Jacques Turner, Jr., Southern Miss
LB Khalil Brooks, Sr., Middle Tennessee
LB Sage Lewis, Sr., FIU
LB Racheem Boothe, Jr., Southern Miss
DB Reed Blankenship, Jr., Middle Tennessee
DB Ky'el Hemby, Jr., Southern Miss
DB Amik Robertson, Jr., Louisiana Tech
DB Chris Jackson, Sr., Marshall
Special Teams
K Jonathan Cruz, So., Charlotte
P Alvin Kenworthy, Sr., North Texas
KR Brett Winnegan, Sr., UTSA
PR Maurice Alexander, Sr., FIU
LS Matt Beardall, Sr., Marshall
Players Mentioned
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