Middle Tennessee State University Athletics
Nine Blue Raiders honored by CUSA
12/5/2023 12:01:00 PM | Football
MTSU with three first team selections
MURFREESBORO, Tenn. – Conference USA announced its 2023 football all-conference and all-freshman award winners on Tuesday, as voted on by the league's head football coaches. Middle Tennessee had nine players honored.
The Blue Raiders had three first team selections, four on the second team, an honorable mention pick, and one on the all-freshman team.
Tight end/wide receiver Holden Willis, offensive lineman Keylan Rutledge, and long snapper Brody Butler were the three Blue Raiders on the first unit.
Willis, a redshirt junior from Greenback, Tenn., played in 11 games and had 10 starts on his way to 46 receptions for 697 yards and five touchdowns (all career season best marks). Willis had three 100-yard receiving games, including a nine-catch, 118-yard effort against Colorado State.
Rutledge, a sophomore from Royston, Ga., started all 11 games he played and earned the team's offensive lineman of the game award four times. Voted a permanent team captain, Rutledge averaged 74 snaps played per game.
Butler, who was also a first team pick in 2022, was a key player in the Blue Raiders enjoying another solid year in the punting and field goal department. Butler was perfect on his 118 opportunities while also adding four tackles.
The second team is made up of Blue Raiders Elijah Metcalf, Quindarius Dunnigan, Sam Brumfield and Teldrick Ross.
Metcalf, a redshirt sophomore receiver, led the Blue Raiders with a career-best 54 receptions for 634 yards and five touchdowns. Averaging a receiver-high 60 snaps per game, Metcalf had a 115-yard, two touchdown game against Jax State.
Redshirt junior defensive end Dunnigan enjoyed a career year with 35 tackles, a team-high 10.0 TFLs, three sacks and five hurries. He also collected a personal-best eight pass breakups to rank tied for third in CUSA and first nationally among defensive linemen.
Brumfield, a redshirt junior linebacker, led the team with 81 tackles, including 6.5 TFLs, 3.5 sacks, two forced fumbles and a team-high eight hurries. A CUSA Defensive Player of the Week winner, Brumfield led all MTSU linebackers with 642 snaps played.
Redshirt senior cornerback Ross earned his second straight second team honor after coming up with 49 tackles, five pass breakups and a forced fumble. Ross ended his career with 40 pass breakups to establish a new school career record.
Senior safety Tra Fluellen earned Honorable Mention recognition after missing the final two games with a season-ending injury. Fluellen ranked third on the team with 64 tackles, including 2.5 TFLs, a team-high three interceptions and three pass breakups.
GUEVARA ON ALL-FRESHMAN TEAM
Conference USA also announced the All-Freshman Team and MTSU's Mateo Guevara was honored as one of five offensive linemen.
Guevara, a redshirt freshman from Flowery Branch, Ga., played in nine games. He averaged 28 snaps per game and graded out a winner from the coaches seven times during the season. Guevara was the team's offensive lineman of the week following the win over UTEP.
First Team
Offense
QB Kaidon Salter, Liberty
RB Quinton Cooley, Liberty
RB Malik Jackson, Jax State
WR Smoke Harris, LA Tech
WR Kelly Akharaiyi, UTEP
WR Malachi Corley, WKU
TE Holden Willis, MTSU
OL X'Zauvea Gadlin, Liberty
OL Andrew Meyer, UTEP
OL Keylan Rutledge, MTSU
OL Shiyazh Pete, NM State
OL Elijah Klein, UTEP
Defense
DE Maurice Westmoreland, UTEP
DT Jordan Guerad, FIU
DT Sterling Webb, NM State
DE Chris Hardie, Jax State
LB Tyrice Knight, UTEP
LB Tyren Dupree, Liberty
LB Trevor Williams, Sam Houston
DB Willie Roberts, LA Tech
DB Kobe Singleton, Liberty
DB Brylan Green, Liberty
DB Da'Marcus Crosby, Sam Houston
Special Teams
K Ethan Albertson, NM State
P Blake Ochsendorf, LA Tech
KR Aaron Bedgood, Liberty
PR Smoke Harris, LA Tech
LS Brody Butler, MTSU
Second Team
Offense
QB Diego Pavia, NM State
RB Deion Hankins, UTEP
RB Star Thomas, NM State
WR Kris Mitchell, FIU
WR CJ Daniels, Liberty
WR Elijah Metcalf, MTSU
TE Sean Brown, Jax State
OL Jonathan Graham, Liberty
OL Jordan White, Liberty
OL Treylen Brown, Jax State
OL Clay Webb, Jax State
OL Canaan Yarro, NM State
Defense
DE Praise Amaewhule, UTEP
DT Hosea Wheeler, WKU
DT Jay Hardy, Liberty
DE Quindarius Dunnigan, MTSU
LB Donovan Manuel, FIU
LB Sam Brumfield, MTSU
LB Keyshaun Elliot, NM State
DB Kendrick Simpkins, WKU
DB Teldrick Ross, MTSU
DB Jeremiah Harris, Jax State
DB Derek Carter, Jax State
Special Teams
K Jacob Barnes, LA Tech
P Joshua Sloan, UTEP
KR Demarcus Griffin-Taylor, LA Tech
PR Dean Patterson, FIU
LS Charlie Eberle, NM State
Honorable Mention
Offense
QB Austin Reed, WKU
RB Torrance Burgess, Jr., UTEP
RB Billy Lucas, Liberty
WR Perry Carter, Jax State
WR Cyrus Allen, LA Tech
WR Noah Smith, Sam Houston
TE Eli Stowers, NM State
OL Carson Bruno, LA Tech
OL Xavior Gray, Liberty
OL Justin Mayers, UTEP
OL Will O'Steen, Jax State
OL Vincent Murphy, WKU
Defense
DE J-Rock Swain, Jax State
DT Jeff Marks, Jax State
DT Izaiah Reed, NM State
DE CJ Bazile, Jr., Liberty
LB Quae Drake, Jax State
LB Jeslord Boatang, LA Tech
LB James Neal, UTEP
DB Anthony Johnson, Jr., WKU
DB Tra Fluellen, MTSU
DB Kobe Hylton, UTEP
DB Jordan Vincent, NM State
Special Teams
K Lucas Carneiro, WKU
P Jack Dawson, Jax State
KR Easton Messer, WKU
PR Torrance Burgess, Jr., UTEP
LS Trey Naughton, WKU
The Blue Raiders had three first team selections, four on the second team, an honorable mention pick, and one on the all-freshman team.
Tight end/wide receiver Holden Willis, offensive lineman Keylan Rutledge, and long snapper Brody Butler were the three Blue Raiders on the first unit.
Willis, a redshirt junior from Greenback, Tenn., played in 11 games and had 10 starts on his way to 46 receptions for 697 yards and five touchdowns (all career season best marks). Willis had three 100-yard receiving games, including a nine-catch, 118-yard effort against Colorado State.
Rutledge, a sophomore from Royston, Ga., started all 11 games he played and earned the team's offensive lineman of the game award four times. Voted a permanent team captain, Rutledge averaged 74 snaps played per game.
Butler, who was also a first team pick in 2022, was a key player in the Blue Raiders enjoying another solid year in the punting and field goal department. Butler was perfect on his 118 opportunities while also adding four tackles.
The second team is made up of Blue Raiders Elijah Metcalf, Quindarius Dunnigan, Sam Brumfield and Teldrick Ross.
Metcalf, a redshirt sophomore receiver, led the Blue Raiders with a career-best 54 receptions for 634 yards and five touchdowns. Averaging a receiver-high 60 snaps per game, Metcalf had a 115-yard, two touchdown game against Jax State.
Redshirt junior defensive end Dunnigan enjoyed a career year with 35 tackles, a team-high 10.0 TFLs, three sacks and five hurries. He also collected a personal-best eight pass breakups to rank tied for third in CUSA and first nationally among defensive linemen.
Brumfield, a redshirt junior linebacker, led the team with 81 tackles, including 6.5 TFLs, 3.5 sacks, two forced fumbles and a team-high eight hurries. A CUSA Defensive Player of the Week winner, Brumfield led all MTSU linebackers with 642 snaps played.
Redshirt senior cornerback Ross earned his second straight second team honor after coming up with 49 tackles, five pass breakups and a forced fumble. Ross ended his career with 40 pass breakups to establish a new school career record.
Senior safety Tra Fluellen earned Honorable Mention recognition after missing the final two games with a season-ending injury. Fluellen ranked third on the team with 64 tackles, including 2.5 TFLs, a team-high three interceptions and three pass breakups.
GUEVARA ON ALL-FRESHMAN TEAM
Conference USA also announced the All-Freshman Team and MTSU's Mateo Guevara was honored as one of five offensive linemen.
Guevara, a redshirt freshman from Flowery Branch, Ga., played in nine games. He averaged 28 snaps per game and graded out a winner from the coaches seven times during the season. Guevara was the team's offensive lineman of the week following the win over UTEP.
First Team
Offense
QB Kaidon Salter, Liberty
RB Quinton Cooley, Liberty
RB Malik Jackson, Jax State
WR Smoke Harris, LA Tech
WR Kelly Akharaiyi, UTEP
WR Malachi Corley, WKU
TE Holden Willis, MTSU
OL X'Zauvea Gadlin, Liberty
OL Andrew Meyer, UTEP
OL Keylan Rutledge, MTSU
OL Shiyazh Pete, NM State
OL Elijah Klein, UTEP
Defense
DE Maurice Westmoreland, UTEP
DT Jordan Guerad, FIU
DT Sterling Webb, NM State
DE Chris Hardie, Jax State
LB Tyrice Knight, UTEP
LB Tyren Dupree, Liberty
LB Trevor Williams, Sam Houston
DB Willie Roberts, LA Tech
DB Kobe Singleton, Liberty
DB Brylan Green, Liberty
DB Da'Marcus Crosby, Sam Houston
Special Teams
K Ethan Albertson, NM State
P Blake Ochsendorf, LA Tech
KR Aaron Bedgood, Liberty
PR Smoke Harris, LA Tech
LS Brody Butler, MTSU
Second Team
Offense
QB Diego Pavia, NM State
RB Deion Hankins, UTEP
RB Star Thomas, NM State
WR Kris Mitchell, FIU
WR CJ Daniels, Liberty
WR Elijah Metcalf, MTSU
TE Sean Brown, Jax State
OL Jonathan Graham, Liberty
OL Jordan White, Liberty
OL Treylen Brown, Jax State
OL Clay Webb, Jax State
OL Canaan Yarro, NM State
Defense
DE Praise Amaewhule, UTEP
DT Hosea Wheeler, WKU
DT Jay Hardy, Liberty
DE Quindarius Dunnigan, MTSU
LB Donovan Manuel, FIU
LB Sam Brumfield, MTSU
LB Keyshaun Elliot, NM State
DB Kendrick Simpkins, WKU
DB Teldrick Ross, MTSU
DB Jeremiah Harris, Jax State
DB Derek Carter, Jax State
Special Teams
K Jacob Barnes, LA Tech
P Joshua Sloan, UTEP
KR Demarcus Griffin-Taylor, LA Tech
PR Dean Patterson, FIU
LS Charlie Eberle, NM State
Honorable Mention
Offense
QB Austin Reed, WKU
RB Torrance Burgess, Jr., UTEP
RB Billy Lucas, Liberty
WR Perry Carter, Jax State
WR Cyrus Allen, LA Tech
WR Noah Smith, Sam Houston
TE Eli Stowers, NM State
OL Carson Bruno, LA Tech
OL Xavior Gray, Liberty
OL Justin Mayers, UTEP
OL Will O'Steen, Jax State
OL Vincent Murphy, WKU
Defense
DE J-Rock Swain, Jax State
DT Jeff Marks, Jax State
DT Izaiah Reed, NM State
DE CJ Bazile, Jr., Liberty
LB Quae Drake, Jax State
LB Jeslord Boatang, LA Tech
LB James Neal, UTEP
DB Anthony Johnson, Jr., WKU
DB Tra Fluellen, MTSU
DB Kobe Hylton, UTEP
DB Jordan Vincent, NM State
Special Teams
K Lucas Carneiro, WKU
P Jack Dawson, Jax State
KR Easton Messer, WKU
PR Torrance Burgess, Jr., UTEP
LS Trey Naughton, WKU
Players Mentioned
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