49ers' Ben DeLuca Named Preseason All-CUSA

A trio of standouts headline the list of 2018 preseason Conference USA Football award winners, as chosen by the league’s 14 head coaches. Florida Atlantic junior RB Devin Singletary was selected as the C-USA Offensive Player of the Year, Florida Atlantic senior LB Azeez Al-Shaair was tabbed the Defensive Player of the Year, while Southern Miss senior K Parker Shaunfield earned Special Teams Player of the Year honors.

"Motor" Singletary was named C-USA Most Valuable Player last season after scoring a nation-leading 32 rushing touchdowns last season (nine more than any other player) and 33 total TDs (five more than any other player). He scored more rushing touchdowns last year (32) than previous school career record-holder Alfred Morris had in four years from 2008-11 (27). Singletary also topped 100 yards in each of the final 11 games of the season for the Owls. Both the rushing TD’s and total TD’s are new C-USA records in those categories, breaking records held by UCF RB Kevin Smith, now his running backs coach. Singletary finished fifth nationally with 1,920 rushing yards and FAU was sixth nationally in rushing at 285.9 yards per game.

Ben DeLuca

Al-Shaair was a first-team All-Conference USA selection in 2017 after he set a new Florida Atlantic single-season record with 147 tackles. He posted nine games with double-digit stops and also helped the defense with 11 tackles for loss, 2.5 sacks, four passes defended and one forced fumble. Al-Shaair already holds the schools’ career tackles mark with 354.

Shaunfield converted the first 89 extra-point attempts to start his career (a school record) and is now 104-for-106 all-time as a Golden Eagle. The first team All-C-USA performer converted 17-of-20 field goals last season, including 15 in a row at one point. Shaunfield was a semifinalist for the Lou Groza Award in 2017.

Defending conference champion Florida Atlantic had the most overall preseason selections with six, while Marshall produced five and Louisiana Tech and Middle Tennessee each had players comprising four spots. Eight schools had multiple players named to the squad.

The league’s 23rd football season begins on Thursday, August 30. The 14th annual Conference USA Football Championship Game, pitting the champions of the East and West Divisions, will be held Saturday, Dec. 1.

2018 C-USA FOOTBALL COACHES PRESEASON AWARDS

OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Devin Singletary, Jr., RB, Florida Atlantic

DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Azeez Al-Shaair, Sr., LB, Florida Atlantic

SPECIAL TEAMS PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Parker Shaunfield, Sr., K, Southern Miss

Offense

QB	Mason Fine, Jr., North Texas
QB	Brent Stockstill, Sr., Middle Tennessee
RB	Spencer Brown, So., UAB
RB	Devin Singletary, Jr., Florida Atlantic
OL	Reggie Bain, Sr., Florida Atlantic
OL	Chandler Brewer, Sr., Middle Tennessee
OL	Jordan Budwig, Sr., FIU
OL	Levi Brown, Jr., Marshall
OL	O'Shea Dugas, Sr., Louisiana Tech
TE	Harrison Bryant, Jr., Florida Atlantic
WR	Tyre Brady, Sr., Marshall
WR	Jalen Guyton, Sr., North Texas
WR	Ty Lee, Jr., Middle Tennessee
WR	Teddy Veal, Sr., Louisiana Tech

Defense

DL	Jaylon Ferguson, So., Louisiana Tech
DL	Fermin Silva, Sr., FIU
DL	Kevin Strong, Jr., Sr., UTSA
DL	Oshane Ximines, Jr., Old Dominion
LB	Azeez Al-Shaair, Sr., Florida Atlantic
LB	Khalil Brooks, Jr., Middle Tennessee
LB	Chase Hancock, Sr., Marshall
LB	Josiah Tauaefa, Jr., UTSA
DB	Ben DeLuca, Jr., Charlotte
DB	Malik Gant, Jr., Marshall
DB	Shelton Lewis, Sr., Florida Atlantic
DB	Amik Robertson, So., Louisiana Tech
DB	Jalen Young, Sr., Florida Atlantic

Special Teams

K	Parker Shaunfield, Sr., Southern Miss
P	Jack Fox, Sr., Rice
KR	Isaiah Harper, Sr., Old Dominion
PR	Darrell Brown, Jr., Old Dominion
LS	Matt Beardall, Jr., Marshall