As we approach the beginning of the 2023 college football season, we want to highlight some of the top players in each conference by announcing our SIS Preseason All-Conference teams. We used our all-encompassing player value stat, Total Points, along with other metrics and our scouting work as leading references in putting together our selections.

You can learn more about Total Points and the statistics referenced here.

Offense

The nation’s leader in passing yards in 2022 (4,743 yards) Western Kentucky’s Austin Reed returns to the new look C-USA and is ready to dominate the air once again with his returning receivers Malachi Corley and Michael Mathison. 

Middle Tennessee’s RB Frank Peasant leads all returning C-USA backs in 2022 Total Points (24 Total Points) and is T-1st in TDs with 9. Peasant was also 2nd in C-USA in Broken + Missed Tackles on rushing attempts (43) last season and gained 78% of his yards after contact. We also wanted to highlight a newcomer to the conference in Jacksonville State’s RB Anwar Lewis, who brings in a 2022 campaign of 814 passing yards and 8 TD. Liberty TE Jacob Jenkins gets our nod to round out the skill position players.

UTEP is well represented on the offensive line with OT Steven Hubbard and OC Andrew Meyer joining with Liberty OT X’Zauvea Galin. The two highest returning offensive linemen from 2022 are the two Western Kentucky Guards Quantavious Leslie and Vincent Murphy (40 and 37 Total points respectively) who look to continue their dominant performance and anchor down the interior of the Hilltoppers’ line.

Defense

The secondary looks quite different than our 2022 postseason all-conference team due to graduating players, transfers, and a new-look conference. Middle Tennessee is bringing back Teldrick Ross who led the FBS in Passes Defensed last season with 19, and Tra Fluellen who showed his value as a run defender, collecting 16 Run Defense Total Points. Kobe Singleton, AJ Odums, and JoJo Evans Jr. round out the group, all poised for big seasons.

The top two returning players in Total Points on defense are the UTEP ED Praise Amaewhule and Western Kentucky ED JaQues Evans. Evans finished 2022 T-2nd in the conference in total sacks with 9 and outright 2nd in total pressures with 42. Our other defensive lineman include Liberty’s Kendy Charles and Middle Tennessee’s Marley Cook. Cook led C-USA with an Average Tackle Depth of -1.8 Yards (minimum 10 tackles).

To round out our defensive team we have the Liberty LB Aakil Washington and UTEP LB Tyrice Knight.

Specialists

Louisiana Tech’s returner Smoke Harris gets the nod here after he finished the 2022 season with 784 total return yards for his contributions on kickoffs and punts. He ranked 3rd in FBS in total yards.

Middle Tennessee’s kicker Zeke Rankin finished 3rd in the conference in FG% (minimum 15 attempts) with an 84.2% rate on 19 total attempts. Western Kentucky’s punter Tom Ellard finished his 2022 campaign with 10 Total Points.