Grate earns first team honors, five players recognized

MURFREESBORO – Conference USA announced its 2020 football all-conference award winners on Monday, as voted on by the league's head football coaches, and Middle Tennessee had five players honored.

Safety Greg Grate earned first team honors, while quarterback Asher O'Hara was named to the second team. Offensive lineman Robert Jones, wide receiver Jarrin Pierce and long snapper Brody Butler were selected to the honorable mention team.

Grate, a junior who started all nine games, turned in a career year with 74 tackles, 2.5 TFLs, four interceptions, three pass breakups, a fumble recovery and three forced fumbles.

O'Hara threw for 1,960 yards and 12 touchdowns while completing 66.9 percent of his passes. A junior who started all nine games, also led the team in rushing with 601 yards and seven scores.

Jones, who declared for the NFL Draft on Dec. 7, played in eight games and had seven starts while ranking second among linemen in snaps played.

Pierce, who started all nine games, led the team with a personal-best 59 receptions for 584 yards and three touchdowns.

Butler, a true freshman, handled all the snapping duties in 2020 and did not have a bad one all year. He also was selected to the All-Freshman Team.

2020 C-USA FOOTBALL ALL-CONFERENCE TEAMS
FIRST TEAM
OFFENSE
QB- Grant Wells, R-Fr., Marshall
RB- Brenden Knox, R-Jr., Marshall
RB- Sincere McCormick, So., UTSA
OL- Kody Russey, R-Sr., Louisiana Tech
OL- Cain Madden, R-Sr., Marshall
OL- Josh Ball, R-Sr., Marshall
OL- Colby Ragland, R-Sr., UAB
OL- Sidney Wells, Sr.,UAB
TE- Xavier Gaines, R-Sr., Marshall
WR- Jaelon Darden, Sr., North Texas
WR- Austin Trammell, Sr., Rice
WR- Austin Watkins, Jr., R-Sr., UAB

DEFENSE
DT- Milton Williams, R-Jr., Louisiana Tech
DT- Dion Novil, Sr., North Texas
DE- Darius Hodge, R-Jr., Marshall
DE- Jordan Smith, R-Jr., UAB
DE- DeAngelo Malone, Sr., WKU
LB- Tavante Beckett, R-Sr., Marshall
LB- Blaze Alldredge, Sr., Rice
LB- Kristopher Moll, Sr., UAB
DB- BeeJay Williamson, R-So., Louisiana Tech
DB- Steven Gilmore, Jr., Marshall
DB- Gregory Grate, Jr., Jr., Middle Tennessee
DB- Rashad Wisdom, So., UTSA

SPECIAL TEAMS
K- Hunter Duplessis, R-Sr., UTSA
P- Lucas Dean, So., UTSA
KR- Wayne Toussant, R-So., Louisiana Tech
PR- Talik Keaton, So., Marshall
LS – Jacob Fuqua, R-Sr., UAB

SECOND TEAM
OFFENSE
QB – Asher O'Hara, R-Jr., Middle Tennessee
RB- Spencer Brown, Sr., UAB
RB- Frank Gore, Jr., Fr., Southern Miss
OL- Alex Mollette, R-Sr., Marshall
OL- Jacob Brammer, R-Jr., North Texas
OL- Ahofitu Maka, Jr., UTSA
OL- Makai Hart, R-Jr., UTSA
OL- Spencer Burford, Jr., UTSA
OL- Jordan Meredith, R-Sr., WKU
TE- Jordan Myers, R-Sr., Rice
TE- Hayden Pittman, R.Sr., UAB
WR- Victor Tucker, R-Jr., Charlotte
WR- Adrian Hardy, R-Sr., Louisiana Tech
WR- Jacob Cowing, So., UTEP

DEFENSE
DT- Jamare Edwards, R-Jr., Marshall
DT- Antonio Moultrie, R-Jr., UAB
DE- Leighton McCarthy, R-Sr., Florida Atlantic
DE- Praise Amaewhule, R-So., UTEP
LB- Trey Baldwin, R-Sr., Louisiana Tech
LB- Tyler Grubbs, Fr., Louisiana Tech
LB- Hayes Maples, R-So., Southern Miss
LB- Noah Wilder, R-Jr., UAB
DB- Nazeeh Johnson, R-Sr., Marshall
DB- Brontae Harris, R-Sr., UAB
DB- TD Marshall, R-Sr., UAB
DB- Devon Key, R-Sr., WKU
DB- Dionté Ruffin, Sr., WKU

SPECIAL TEAMS
K- Brayden Narveson, R-So., WKU
P- John Haggerty, R-So., WKU
KR- Lexington Joseph, So., FIU
PR- Smoke Harris, R-So., Louisiana Tech
LS- Reeves Blankenship, R-Jr., Louisiana Tech

HONORABLE MENTION BLUE RAIDERS
(received at least one vote)

OFFENSE
OL – Robert Jones, Sr., Middle Tennessee
WR – Jarrin Pierce, R-Sr., Middle Tennessee

SPECIAL TEAMS
LS – Brody Butler, Fr., Middle Tennessee

Middle Tennessee State University Athletics

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Players Mentioned

Brody Butler

Robert Jones

Asher O'Hara

Jarrin Pierce

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