Conference USA announced its 2016 All-Conference football teams today, as selected by the league’s 13 head football coaches.  Eleven of the 13 schools placed at least one player on the first team, with West Division Champion Louisiana Tech producing a league-high seven selections, followed by C-USA Champion WKU with six.  WKU had the most combined first and second-team members with 14, followed by Louisiana Tech with 13 and Middle Tennessee and Old Dominion with six.

2016 All-Conference Teams
 
WKU’s six first-team selections include three from the league’s top scoring offense, two on defense and one from the special teams unit. Highlighting the Hilltopper players are WR Taywan Taylor (school’s all-time leading receiver who has 89 receptions for a C-USA-leading 1,586 yards (fifth nationally) and 16 touchdowns (tied for fourth in the FBS), a pair of offensive linemen, including OT Forrest Lamp, and senior LB Keith Brown (the conference’s leading tackler with 123). 
 
The seven honorees produced by Louisiana Tech include four offensive standouts, two defensive members and one special teams player.  Carlos Henderson earned spots as a wide receiver (1,406 yards and a league-high 19 TD receptions) and a kick returner (30.4 avg. and two returns for TDs), and is joined by WR Trent Taylor (C-USA-record 124 catches for 1,570 yards and 10 TDs), QB Ryan Higgins (4,208 yards and 37 TD passes), OL Darrell Brown, DE Jaylon Ferguson (C-USA-leading 14,5 sacks) and senior S Xavier Woods (league-best five interceptions and 81 tackles).
 
Two members of Middle Tennessee’s high-powered offense are included on the first team in RB I’Tavious Mathers (1,504 rushing yards and 19 total touchdowns) and WR Richie James (1,463 receiving yards and 15 total TDs).  They are joined by Blue Raiders first teamers DB Jeremy Cutrer (13 passes defended, 3 interceptions), K Canon Rooker (107 points) and LS William Eads.
 
UTEP placed three offensive standouts on the first team in RB Aaron Jones (league-leading 1,773 rushing yards and 20 total touchdowns), TE Hayden Plinke (UTEP single-season record 8 TD catches) and OL Will Hernandez.
 
Southern Miss also produced a trio of first team choices, including OL Cameron Tom (second-straight first team selection), DL Dylan Bradley (seven sacks, 14 TFLs) and DB D’Nerius Antoine (82 tackles).
 
Charlotte, Florida Atlantic, North Texas, Old Dominion, Rice and UTSA each produced one first team selection.  Charlotte is represented by senior DL Larry Ogunjobi (the 49ers career record-holder for tackles (217), TFLs (49) and sacks [13]), Florida Atlantic lists DE Trey Hendrickson (the school’s all-time sack leader with 29.5, seventh in C-USA history) and North Texas placed P Eric Keena (43.8 avg. with league-highs of 20 kicks inside the 20 and 21 punts of 50 yards or longer). 
 
Old Dominion first teamer T.J. Ricks (93 tackles) headlines four members of the Monarchs defense that earned all-conference recognition, Rice is represented by LB Emmanuel Ellerbee (seven double-digit tackle games and 118 total), and UTSA put LB Josiah Tauaefa (third among the nation’s freshmen with 104 tackles) on the squad.
 
WKU had the most second-team designations with eight, while Louisiana Tech had six and Old Dominion produced five. 
 
The league’s individual awards will be released Wednesday, December 7.  Conference USA will conclude the 2016 season by sending a league-record seven teams to bowl games.

   
HONORABLE MENTION

OFFENSE
QB – Brent Stockstill, So., Middle Tennessee
QB – David Washington, Sr., Old Dominion
QB – Nick Mullens, Sr., Southern Miss
RB – Kalif Phillips, Sr., Charlotte
RB – Alex Gardner, Jr., FIU
RB – Devin Singletary, Fr., Florida Atlantic
RB – Jarred Craft, Jr., Louisiana Tech
RB – Ray Lawry, Jr., Old Dominion
OL – Nate Davis, So., Charlotte
OL – Dieugot Joseph, Sr., FIU
OL – Michael Montero, Sr., FIU
OL – Dillon DeBoer, Sr., Florida Atlantic
OL – Antonyo Woods, Jr., Florida Atlantic
OL – Chandler Brewer, So., Middle Tennessee
OL – Josh Chester, Sr., Middle Tennessee
OL – Maurquice Shakir, Sr., Middle Tennessee
OL – Jordan Murray, So., North Texas
OL – Sam Rice, Sr., North Texas
OL – Calvin Anderson, So., Rice
OL – Trey Martin, Jr., Rice
OL – Jevonte Domond, Sr., UTSA
TE – Kam McKnight, So., Louisiana Tech
TE – Ryan Yurachek, Jr., Marshall
TE – Julian Allen, Jr., Southern Miss
WR – Austin Duke, Sr., Charlotte
WR – Thomas Owens, Jr., FIU
WR – Kalib Woods, Jr., Florida Atlantic
WR – Dennis Andrews, Sr., Middle Tennessee
WR – Ty Lee, Fr., Middle Tennessee
WR – Jonathan Duhart, Jr., Old Dominion
WR – Allenzae Staggers, Jr., Southern Miss
WR – Josh Stewart, Jr., UTSA
 
DEFENSE
DL – Brandon Banks, Sr., Charlotte
DL – Aaron Brown, Sr., Louisiana Tech
DL – Deldrick Canty, Jr., Louisiana Tech
DL – Ryan Bee, So., Marshall
DL – Gary Thompson, Sr., Marshall
DL – Chris Hale, Sr., Middle Tennessee
DL – Shaquille Huff, Sr., Middle Tennessee
DL – Jimal McBride, Sr., Middle Tennessee
DL – Steven Rhodes, Sr., Middle Tennessee
DL – Bunmi Rotimi, Jr., Old Dominion
DL – Xavier Thigpen, Jr., Southern Miss
DL – Chris Johnson, Jr., WKU
LB – Nick Cook, Sr., Charlotte
LB – Treyvon Williams, Jr., FIU
LB – Azeez Al-Shaair, So., Florida Atlantic
LB – Russell Farris, Jr., Louisiana Tech
LB – Chris Melton, So., Middle Tennessee
LB – D.J. Sanders, Jr.., Middle Tennessee
LB – Joshua Wheeler, Jr., North Texas
LB – Anthony Wilson, Sr., Old Dominion
LB – Alex Lyons, Sr., Rice
LB – Elijah Parker, Sr., Southern Miss
LB – Nick Usher, Sr., UTEP
LB – Joel Iyiegbuniwe, So., WKU
LB – T.J. McCollum, Jr., WKU
DB – Niko Gonzalez, Jr., FIU
DB – Raekwon Williams, Jr., Florida Atlantic
DB – Jalen Young, So., Florida Atlantic
DB – Secdrick Cooper, Jr., Louisiana Tech
DB – Prince Sam, Sr., Louisiana Tech
DB – Rodney Allen, Jr., Marshall
DB – Nate Brooks, So., North Texas
DB – Eric Jenkins, Jr., North Texas
DB – Tabari McGaskey, Sr., Rice
DB – Jordan Moore, Sr., UTSA
DB – Leverick Johnson, Jr., WKU
 
SPECIAL TEAMS
K – Austin Taylor, Sr., FIU
K – Greg Joseph, Jr., Florida Atlantic
K – Trevor Moore, Jr., North Texas
K – Skyler Simcox, So., WKU
P – Dalton Schomp, Sr., Florida Atlantic
P – Jack Fox, So., Rice
P – Tyler Sarrazin, Sr., Southern Miss
P – Alan Luna, Jr., UTEP
KR – Chris Montgomery, Jr., Charlotte
KR – Kerrith Whyte, Fr., Florida Atlantic
KR – Tyler Wilson, Fr., North Texas
PR – Terry Juniel, So., UTEP
LS – Keaston Sinicki, Sr., Charlotte
LS – Sam Medlock, Sr., FIU
LS – Reed Buce, Jr., Old Dominion
LS – Matt Bayliss, Jr., UTSA
LS – Nolan Dowling, Sr., WKU