DALLAS, Texas — WKU Football had four players voted to the 2019 All-Conference USA First Team, as selected by the league’s 14 head football coaches, it was announced on Tuesday afternoon. Senior wide receiver Lucky Jackson, senior offensive tackle Miles Pate, junior defensive end DeAngelo Malone and junior punter John Haggerty make up the quartet of Hilltoppers named to the C-USA First Team.
Head coach Tyson Helton's WKU club also had three Second Team members, nine Honorable Mention players and three on the All-Freshman Team for a total of 19 honors for 18 players. Three Hilltoppers on the All-Freshman Team tied for second in C-USA, while the four First Teamers, as well as seven First and Second Teamers combined, are third-most in the league. In comparison, WKU had only five First and Second Teamers overall in 2017 and 2018 combined.
Jackson has tallied a league-high 77 receptions for 985 yards and three touchdowns in 12 games. His 985 yards ranks third in the conference, while his four 100-yard performances tie for second among C-USA receivers. The Lexington native finished the regular season on fire, with 52 receptions for 772 yards and three touchdowns in the final six games after recording only 25 catches for 263 yards and zero scores in the first six contests. Jackson had an all-time program record 16 receptions at Marshall and a career-high 194 yards vs. Florida Atlantic.
Pate appears on the First Team after earning Preseason All-Conference recognition and Second Team honors in 2018. The Lawrenceville, Ga., native played 828 offensive snaps for the Hilltoppers and was not called for one penalty all season. According to Pro Football Focus (PFF), he ranks third among C-USA offensive tackles with a 78.8 overall rating, fourth with a 79.1 pass block rating and fifth with a 73.0 run block rating. Pate is also part of a WKU offensive line that owns the top pass block rating in the nation at 89.8, according to PFF.
Malone anchored the top scoring defense in the league, ranking tied for fourth in the country with 21.0 tackles for loss and 11th in the nation with 11.5 sacks. The Atlanta, Ga., native set the WKU FBS Era record (since 2009) in tackles for loss, while becoming only the fourth defender in all-time Hilltopper history with double-digit quarterback takedowns. Malone ranks tied for 87th in the country with 7.5 total tackles per game, which is 1.5 more than the next-best trench defender (Jessie Lemonier of Liberty, who ranks tied for 251st with 6.0 per game).
Haggerty made an immediate impact in his first season playing American football after coming to The Hill from Sydney, Australia. He boomed 42 punts for 1,941 yards in 12 games, for a gross average of 46.2 yards, which leads C-USA and currently stands as the all-time, single-season program record. He has pinned 16 punts inside the 20-yard line compared to only two touchbacks, while his 16 punts of 50-plus yards lead the league despite having only the 12th-most total attempts. Additionally, WKU leads the league with a 41.7 net punting average.
The Hilltoppers' representatives on the Second Team are junior running back Gaej Walker, junior wide receiver Jahcour Pearson and graduate senior long snapper Jared Nash; a trio of Florida natives who have taken full advantage of the first full-time opportunities of their collegiate careers.
After moving from defensive back to running back in the spring, Walker ranks second in C-USA with 226 carries and 1,115 yards, while adding a team-best eight rushing touchdowns. Meanwhile, his seven 100-yard performances tie for the most in the league this season. On the national scope, the Tampa, Fla., native ranks tied for 21st in carries and 29th in yards. Walker made a statement on his very first collegiate carry, rushing for a 68-yard touchdown on the Hilltoppers' first offensive play of the season in the opener vs. Central Arkansas.
In a slot receiver role, Pearson has become a reliable and explosive target for WKU's quarterbacks this season, ranking second on the team with 71 receptions and 772 yards, while leading the Hilltoppers with six receiving touchdowns. He had touchdown catches of 69 and 64 yards in back-to-back weeks at Arkansas and Southern Miss. The Fort Lauderdale, Fla., native ranks tied for 26th nationally in receptions with Alabama's Jerry Jeudy; Pearson and Lucky Jackson represent only 1-of-4 schools with multiple players with 70-plus catches.
After spending the majority of Fall Camp as a WKU Communications intern, Nash was invited to the squad less than two weeks before the season opener and has made all 105 special teams snaps for the Hilltoppers this year. Nash – with holder John Haggerty – have helped freshman kicker Cory Munson make 14 field goals and 37-of-38 extra points. As previously mentioned, WKU leads the league with a 41.7 net punting average. In terms of operation time, the Hilltoppers are only 1-of-30 teams nationally and 1-of-2 C-USA clubs with zero kicks blocked.
Honorable Mention players, who received at least one All-Conference vote, for WKU include (alphabetically):
Junior linebacker Kyle Bailey (Carrolton, Ga.)
Senior nickelback Ta'Corian Darden (Russellville)
Junior defensive tackle Jeremy Darvin (Nashville, Tenn.)
Senior defensive tackle Jaylon George (Atlanta, Ga.)
Junior safety Devon Key (Lexington)
Junior safety Antwon Kincade (Valdosta, Ga.)
Junior cornerback Trae Meadows (Greensboro, N.C.)
Junior offensive guard Jordan Meredith (Bowling Green)
Freshman tight end Joshua Simon (Dalzell, S.C.)
Simon was also voted to the All-Freshman Team, becoming the second-straight Hilltopper to earn both distinctions (Juwuan Jones in 2018). Defensive tackle Ricky Barber (Louisville) and offensive tackle Gunner Britton (Conway, S.C.) also earned All-Freshman recognition.
Conference USA's superlative awards will be announced by the league office on Wednesday, Dec. 11 at 1 p.m. Hilltoppers have won three such awards since joining the league in 2014 (Most Valuable Player Brandon Doughty in 2014 and 2015, and Newcomer of the Year Mike White in 2016).
