Athlon Announces Preseason All-Conference Football Teams for 2016

Ten Tulsa football players were named to the Athlon Sports preseason all-American Athletic Conference teams for 2016.

Senior receiver Keevan Lucas, who missed all but four games in 2105 after suffering a torn patella tendon vs. Houston, was named to the first team, while second-team selections included senior linebacker Matt Linscott and another injured Hurricane player in 2016, senior Blake Belcher, who returns to the offensive line.

Lucas had 409 receiving yards, five touchdowns and a 102.2 average per game on 26 receptions before the injury. He enters the 2016 season with 2,070 career yards and 17 TDs on 159 receptions for a 13.0 average.

Linscott, who moved from safety to linebacker in 2015 spring drills, had 107 tackles, 16 TFLs for -62 yards, five sacks for -30 yards, four pass breakups, one INT and one forced fumble in 2015. He ranked fourth in the AAC for TFLs, sixth for tackles and 13^th for sacks, while totaling five double-digit tackle games.

Belcher returns in 2016 after being sidelined for the 2015 season with an ACL injury that he suffered in the season opener against FAU. He has played in 22 career games and has 13 starts.

Third-team selections included two on offense and two players on defense, including senior receiver Josh Atkinson, sophomore center Chandler Miller and defensive seniors, linebacker Trent Martin and safety Jeremy Brady.

Martin was an honorable mention all-American Athletic Conference selection in 2015. He compiled 104 tackles, 14 TFLs for -31 yards, two sacks for -5 yards, four forced fumbles and three pass breakups in 2015.

Brady had 71 tackles in 2015, 48 of which were solos. He also had three pass breakups and two interceptions for 63 return yards. Brady was named the Defensive MVP of the 2015 Camping World Independence Bowl against Virginia Tech, while collecting six solo tackles, two PBUs and an interception return for 43 yards

Atkinson caught 76 passes for 1,071 yards, a 14.1 average and five TDs in 2015 and ranked fourth in the American Athletic Conference for receiving yards per game (82.4). He has six career 100+ receiving games, all coming in 2015.

Miller played and started all 13 games as a red-shirt freshman in 2015. Miller has also been named to the Rimington Award spring watch list, an award given to the nation's best offensive center at the end of the season.

Senior quarterback Dane Evans, junior running back D'Angelo Brewer and junior defensive end Jeremy Smith were named to the preseason fourth team. He finished the season with a 105-yard, 2-TD performance against Virginia Tech in the Camping World Independence Bowl

Evans completed 62.9-percent of his passes for 4,332 yards and 25 TDs in 2015 to rank second on the school's single-season passing list last year. He ranked first in the AAC for passing yards per game (333.2) and total offense (332.5), and third for passing efficiency (151.6). Evans enters the 2016 season needing 2,604 passing yards, 3,169 total yards and 31 passing touchdowns to tie for the school records.

Brewer gained a team-high 837 rushing yards for a 5.2 average and six TDs in 2015, while catching 15 passes for 107 yards and one TD in 11 games last year.

Smith had 43 stops, 6.5 TFLs for -15 yards and 2.5 sacks for -9 yards in 11 games in the 2015 campaign.

First-Team
Keevan Lucas, WR

Second-Team
Blake Belcher, OL
Matt Linscott, LB

Third-Team
Josh Atkinson, WR
Chandler Miller, C
Trent Martin, LB
Jeremy Brady, DB

Fourth-Team
Dane Evans, QB
D'Angelo Brewer, RB
Jeremy Smith, DE

Athlon Announces Preseason All-Conference Football Teams for 2016

Related News

Players Mentioned

Josh Atkinson

Blake Belcher

Jeremy Brady

D'Angelo Brewer

Dane Evans

Matt Linscott

Keevan Lucas

Trent Martin

Chandler Miller

Jeremy Smith

Related Videos