University of Houston Athletics
Phil Steele Names 13 to All-Conference Teams
12/18/2015 12:00:00 AM | Football
HOUSTON - An American Athletic Conference-leading 13 players from the Houston Football program, including all four captains, were named to Phil Steele's All-American Athletic Conference teams this week.
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Demarcus Ayers received two first-team honors, as both a receiver and punt returner, two of Houston's league-best seven first-team selections. Ayers was joined on the league's first team by defensive tackle B.J. Singleton, linebacker Elandon Roberts, cornerback William Jackson III, safety Trevon Stewart and kick returner Brandon Wilson.
Houston placed three players on the league's second team in running back Kenneth Farrow, offensive tackle Alex Cooper and linebacker Steven Taylor. Quarterback Greg Ward Jr., center Will Noble and safety Adrian McDonald were all named to the league's third team by Steele.
Ranking second in The American with 89 receptions for 1,140 yards with six touchdowns, Ayers is sixth nationally with his 89 receptions while also adding 19 rushing attempts for 130 yards and one touchdown along with one pass for a 29-yard touchdown. Ayers had four 100-yard receiving games on the year including a career-high 161 yards receiving in Houston's win over Navy.
Steele also named Ayers the American's first-team return specialist as he led the league with 282 punt return yards off 25 returns for an average of 11.3 yards return, a number that ranks 24th nationally. He is one of two players in The American with a punt return touchdown this season, breaking off a 73-yard return vs. Tulane.
Singleton has started all 13 games this season at defensive tackle, part of 24 career games started for the junior. He has 20 tackles on the year, including two for a loss and one sack with three pass breakups, but has made his presence known even more by occupying multiple blockers throughout the year in Houston's 3-4 defensive scheme. Singleton's selfless play, and that of the defensive line, has allowed Houston's starting linebackers to combine for 309 tackles, 40.5 tackles for loss and 21 sacks.
The American's leading tackler despite missing 54 minutes of one game, Roberts leads the league with 132 tackles and 17 tackles for loss. The captain's 86 solo tackles are second nationally while his 132 total tackles are seventh nationally. He has six sacks on the year, ranking seventh in The American, and picked off his first career pass vs. Memphis while also breaking up four passes on the year and forcing two fumbles.
The nation's leader in passes broken up with 21 despite missing the Memphis game with an injury, Jackson has also added three interceptions from his corner role, returning two for touchdowns. The senior, who broke the Houston single-game record with seven pass breakups vs. Temple in The American Championship, also has one fumble recovery on the year, returned 13 yards vs. Texas State.
Stewart has been spotted all over the field this season for the Houston defense, ranking seventh in the league with six sacks, part of his 9.5 tackles for loss on the year, while picking off two passes and recovering three fumbles, to give him Houston's career record with nine fumble recoveries. Stewart also has a forced fumble and a pass breakup on the year while recording Houston's lone safety, sacking Cincinnati's Gunner Kiel for two points.
Wilson led The American with two kickoff returns for touchdowns, part of his six total touchdowns on the year, and was one of just nine players nationally with multiple kickoff returns for touchdowns. He finished the year with 23 returns for 611 yards, an average of 26.6 yards per return.
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An offensive captain, Cooper has started 26 straight games across the Houston offensive line and has started at three different positions (LT, RG, RT) along a line that has seen nine different starting combinations this season due to injuries. Despite the ever-changing rotation, Cooper and his line mates lead a Houston team that is 13th nationally in rushing offense at 239.5 yards per game. Houston's leader along the line with 952 snaps, Cooper has not allowed a single sack this season and just eight quarterback pressures.
Farrow ranks fifth among running backs in The American in rushing yards with 949, despite missing Houston's final two games of the regular season and is just 51 yards away from becoming just the third player in Houston history with multiple 1,000-yard rushing seasons. His 12 rushing touchdowns this season is eighth-best in Houston single-season history while his 34 career rushing touchdowns is second all-time at Houston. Farrow has also added 10 receptions for 199 yards this season.
Taylor is one of Houston's starting linebackers benefitting from the play of the UH defensive line, leading The American with nine sacks. The junior is second on the team behind Roberts with 86 tackles and 16 tackles for loss, the second-best total in the league. A nuisance in the backfield, Taylor also has 12 quarterback hurries to go along with two interceptions, three pass breakups and one forced fumble. Taylor also blocked Louisville's attempt at a game-tying field goal as Houston defeated the Cardinals, 34-31, in the season's second week.
Ward leads The American in points responsible for with 16 passing touchdowns and 19 rushing touchdowns, a total that is second in the league and third nationally. Ward ranks in the top 20 in five of the NCAA's recognized stat categories: completion percentage (10th), passing efficiency (18th), points responsible for (11th), points responsible for per game (15th) and rushing TDs (second). He is fifth nationally in scoring among non-kickers with 114 points. The electrifying Ward is fourth nationally with 16 rushing attempts of at least 20 yards and nine rushing attempts of at least 30 yards and. Both numbers lead all FBS quarterbacks.
Named a Freshman All-American by ESPN and USA Today, Noble ripped off his redshirt in the sixth game of the season, Houston's win at Tulane, and never looked back, starting seven straight games at center. Commanding the center of a line that has seen 10 different starting combinations, Noble has helped lead a unit that ranks 13th nationally in rushing offense at 239.5 yards per game. Playing 565 snaps on the year, Noble led the Houston offensive line with an 85 percent grade.
Houston's fourth captain on the team, McDonald is third in The American with four interceptions and third on the Houston team with 85 tackles. The safety has 3.5 tackles for loss including one sack and has also recovered two fumbles on the year. The Lawton, Okla., native has added two forced fumbles while breaking up two passes.
No. 14/16/18 Houston faces No. 9/8/9 Florida State in the Chick-fil-A Peach Bowl on Thursday, Dec. 31, at 11 a.m. CT in Atlanta.
