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.

2018_Preseason_Awards
 
"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.
 
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.
 
The C-USA Media Poll (Predicted Order of Finish) will be released on Tuesday.
 
 

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