Includes 4 players from Tulsa...list is from the Orlando Sentinel...
It was a banner year for the American Athletic Conference, which continues to make strides in the college football landscape thanks to strong performances in 2015. Here are 25 players who could continue to make an impact in 2016:
Rodney Adams, WR, USF
The Buzz: Adams stepped into the primary receiver role for the Bulls last season, with the junior leading the team in receptions (44), receiving yards (816), receiving touchdowns (9) and targets (69).
Josh Atkinson, WR, Tulsa
The Buzz: Tulsa was the only team in the AAC to finish with a pair of 1,000-yard receivers in Keyarris Garrett and Joshua Atkinson. The duo combined for 172 receptions and close to 2,700 total yards.
Deyshawn Bond, C, Cincinnati
The Buzz: Bond returns to anchor a Cincinnati offensive line that combines for 60 career starts with guards Ryan Leahy and Idarius Ray. A second-team, all-conference selection, Bond is one of the key pieces to the Bearcats success this season.
Duke Catalon, RB, Houston
The Buzz: Houston featured the third-best rushing offense in the conference last season in part thanks to Greg Ward Jr. and Kenneth Farrow, who combined for more than 3,000 yards and 33 touchdowns.
Sean Chandler, CB, Temple
The Buzz: Temple featured the conference’s second-best passing defense in 2015 registering 16 interceptions. However, the secondary only returns one starter – Chandler – a second-team, all-conference selection who finished the season tied for third with 14 passes defended.
Matt Davis, QB, SMU
The Buzz: SMU made incremental strides offensively under first-year coach Chad Morris including Davis who was one of six quarterbacks to finish the season with 3,000-or-more yards of total offense.
Zach Edwards, SS, Cincinnati
The Buzz: Cincinnati finished with the third-best passing defense in the AAC with the Bearcats allowing just 217 yards per game through the air. Edwards led the team in interceptions (3) and passes defended (11) while finishing second in tackles (93) making him the anchor for the team’s secondary in 2016.
Dane Evans, QB, Tulsa
The Buzz: Seventeen quarterbacks finished with 4,000-or-more yards of total offense in 2015 – two of them were from the AAC – including Paxton Lynch (Memphis) and Evans. After finishing with 4,323 yards of total offense last season, Tulsa fans have to be salivating at what the senior can do for an encore.
Quinton Flowers, QB, USF
The Buzz: Flowers earned the starting job last fall and quickly rewarded his coach’s decision by setting school records for touchdown passes thrown (22) and rushing yards by a quarterback in a season (991). The sophomore finished with 3,287 total yards of offense in leading the Bulls to an eight-win season.
Justin Holman, QB, UCF
The Buzz: Injuries set Holman back in 2015 with the Knights quarterback playing in nine games, finishing with just 1,374 yards passing and seven touchdowns. A new season featuring a new coach and a new up-tempo offensive system could be just what the senior needs to reboot his career at UCF.
Isaiah Jones, WR, East Carolina
The Buzz: Jones was one of four players to finish the season with 1,000-or-more receiving yards in the AAC after accumulating 1,099 yards for the Pirates. He’s looking to become the first ECU player with back-to-back 1,000 yard receiving seasons since Just Hardy in 2013 and 2014.
Junior Joseph, LB, UConn
The Buzz: Joseph started 13 games for the Huskies last season at middle linebacker, finishing second on the team in total tackles (93). He’s part of an UConn defense that ranked second in the conference in total defense in 2015 and returns eight starters from the group in 2016.
Marlon Mack, RB, USF
The Buzz: Mack’s been one of the more consistent performers in the conference, leading the AAC in rushing the past two seasons. He set a school record with 1,381 yards and 6.6 yards per carry average last season, earning him his second consecutive first-team, all-conference selection.
Trent Martin, LB, Tulsa
The Buzz: Martin was one of nine players in the conference and the second of two Tulsa players to finish with 100-or-more tackles last season. Three times he registered double-digits in tackles in a game including a season-high 14 tackles against Navy on November 21.
Phil Mayhue, WR, Memphis
The Buzz: Mayhue finished third on the Tigers in receiving with 670 yards and 50 receptions, but was second on the team in targets (79) behind senior Mose Frazier. The junior will team up with Anthony Miller (694 yards) as one of the strongest receiving tandems heading into 2016.
Deatrick Nichols, CB, USF
The Buzz: He was a first-team, all-conference selection and a Thorpe Award candidate after starting 13 games in 2015. Nichols finished tied for fifth in the AAC with four interceptions while tallying 62 tackles for the Bulls.
Auggie Sanchez, LB, USF
The Buzz: USF finished the season with the fourth-best defense in the conference thanks in part to Sanchez, who led the team with 117 tackles. His teammates voted him defensive MVP and he earned a second-team, all-AAC selection after registering double-digit tackles in six games in 2015.
Tre’Quan Smith, WR, UCF
The Buzz: It’s hard to find many positives from a 0-12 season, but Smith’s emergence at the receiver position has to be encouraging for the future of the program. The freshman led the team in receptions (52), receiving yards (724) and touchdowns (4); and should be a major piece in Scott Frost’s new offense.
Jamar Summers, CB, UConn
The Buzz: He finished last season tied for second in the nation in interceptions (8) with five of those picks coming in the month of October. He’s part of one of the strongest secondaries in the conference along with Jhavon Williams and Obi Melifonwu.
Steven Taylor, LB, Houston
The Buzz: Houston finished the season ranked first in the conference in sacks (36) with Taylor leading the way with a league-best 10. He was also tied for second on the team in total tackles (92) while registering two interceptions and five passes defended.
Jahad Thomas, RB, Temple
The Buzz: Thomas was one of five 1,000-yard rushers last season after the junior ran for 1,262 yards and 17 touchdowns. Five times he rushed for more than 100-yards in a game and he’s looking to become the first Temple player to rush for 1,000-yards or more in two seasons since Bernard Pierce (2009, 2011).
Kerwin Thomas, CB, Tulsa
The Buzz: Tulsa snagged just 10 interceptions in 2015 with Thomas registering two of them. He was one of four players to score a touchdown on an interception. Thomas finished tied for third in the league in passes defended while tallying 60 tackles in 2015.
P.J. Walker, QB, Temple
The Buzz: Walker is one of six quarterbacks in the league to register 3,000-or-more yards of total offense in 2015 after putting up 3,180 yard for the Owls. With more than 7,300 yards passing under his belt, he’s one pace to become one the best quarterbacks in school history.
Greg Ward Jr., QB, Houston
The Buzz: Ward blossomed in Tom Herman’s offensive scheme last season, putting up nearly 4,000 yards of total offense with 38 total touchdowns. He helped lead the Cougars to a 13-win season which included an AAC title and a win over FSU in the Peach Bowl.
Eric Wilson, LB, Cincinnati
The Buzz: Seven of the nine players who registered 100 or more tackles last season in the AAC were linebacker including Wilson (106), who earned second-team, all-conference honors.
It was a banner year for the American Athletic Conference, which continues to make strides in the college football landscape thanks to strong performances in 2015. Here are 25 players who could continue to make an impact in 2016:
Rodney Adams, WR, USF
The Buzz: Adams stepped into the primary receiver role for the Bulls last season, with the junior leading the team in receptions (44), receiving yards (816), receiving touchdowns (9) and targets (69).
Josh Atkinson, WR, Tulsa
The Buzz: Tulsa was the only team in the AAC to finish with a pair of 1,000-yard receivers in Keyarris Garrett and Joshua Atkinson. The duo combined for 172 receptions and close to 2,700 total yards.
Deyshawn Bond, C, Cincinnati
The Buzz: Bond returns to anchor a Cincinnati offensive line that combines for 60 career starts with guards Ryan Leahy and Idarius Ray. A second-team, all-conference selection, Bond is one of the key pieces to the Bearcats success this season.
Duke Catalon, RB, Houston
The Buzz: Houston featured the third-best rushing offense in the conference last season in part thanks to Greg Ward Jr. and Kenneth Farrow, who combined for more than 3,000 yards and 33 touchdowns.
Sean Chandler, CB, Temple
The Buzz: Temple featured the conference’s second-best passing defense in 2015 registering 16 interceptions. However, the secondary only returns one starter – Chandler – a second-team, all-conference selection who finished the season tied for third with 14 passes defended.
Matt Davis, QB, SMU
The Buzz: SMU made incremental strides offensively under first-year coach Chad Morris including Davis who was one of six quarterbacks to finish the season with 3,000-or-more yards of total offense.
Zach Edwards, SS, Cincinnati
The Buzz: Cincinnati finished with the third-best passing defense in the AAC with the Bearcats allowing just 217 yards per game through the air. Edwards led the team in interceptions (3) and passes defended (11) while finishing second in tackles (93) making him the anchor for the team’s secondary in 2016.
Dane Evans, QB, Tulsa
The Buzz: Seventeen quarterbacks finished with 4,000-or-more yards of total offense in 2015 – two of them were from the AAC – including Paxton Lynch (Memphis) and Evans. After finishing with 4,323 yards of total offense last season, Tulsa fans have to be salivating at what the senior can do for an encore.
Quinton Flowers, QB, USF
The Buzz: Flowers earned the starting job last fall and quickly rewarded his coach’s decision by setting school records for touchdown passes thrown (22) and rushing yards by a quarterback in a season (991). The sophomore finished with 3,287 total yards of offense in leading the Bulls to an eight-win season.
Justin Holman, QB, UCF
The Buzz: Injuries set Holman back in 2015 with the Knights quarterback playing in nine games, finishing with just 1,374 yards passing and seven touchdowns. A new season featuring a new coach and a new up-tempo offensive system could be just what the senior needs to reboot his career at UCF.
Isaiah Jones, WR, East Carolina
The Buzz: Jones was one of four players to finish the season with 1,000-or-more receiving yards in the AAC after accumulating 1,099 yards for the Pirates. He’s looking to become the first ECU player with back-to-back 1,000 yard receiving seasons since Just Hardy in 2013 and 2014.
Junior Joseph, LB, UConn
The Buzz: Joseph started 13 games for the Huskies last season at middle linebacker, finishing second on the team in total tackles (93). He’s part of an UConn defense that ranked second in the conference in total defense in 2015 and returns eight starters from the group in 2016.
Marlon Mack, RB, USF
The Buzz: Mack’s been one of the more consistent performers in the conference, leading the AAC in rushing the past two seasons. He set a school record with 1,381 yards and 6.6 yards per carry average last season, earning him his second consecutive first-team, all-conference selection.
Trent Martin, LB, Tulsa
The Buzz: Martin was one of nine players in the conference and the second of two Tulsa players to finish with 100-or-more tackles last season. Three times he registered double-digits in tackles in a game including a season-high 14 tackles against Navy on November 21.
Phil Mayhue, WR, Memphis
The Buzz: Mayhue finished third on the Tigers in receiving with 670 yards and 50 receptions, but was second on the team in targets (79) behind senior Mose Frazier. The junior will team up with Anthony Miller (694 yards) as one of the strongest receiving tandems heading into 2016.
Deatrick Nichols, CB, USF
The Buzz: He was a first-team, all-conference selection and a Thorpe Award candidate after starting 13 games in 2015. Nichols finished tied for fifth in the AAC with four interceptions while tallying 62 tackles for the Bulls.
Auggie Sanchez, LB, USF
The Buzz: USF finished the season with the fourth-best defense in the conference thanks in part to Sanchez, who led the team with 117 tackles. His teammates voted him defensive MVP and he earned a second-team, all-AAC selection after registering double-digit tackles in six games in 2015.
Tre’Quan Smith, WR, UCF
The Buzz: It’s hard to find many positives from a 0-12 season, but Smith’s emergence at the receiver position has to be encouraging for the future of the program. The freshman led the team in receptions (52), receiving yards (724) and touchdowns (4); and should be a major piece in Scott Frost’s new offense.
Jamar Summers, CB, UConn
The Buzz: He finished last season tied for second in the nation in interceptions (8) with five of those picks coming in the month of October. He’s part of one of the strongest secondaries in the conference along with Jhavon Williams and Obi Melifonwu.
Steven Taylor, LB, Houston
The Buzz: Houston finished the season ranked first in the conference in sacks (36) with Taylor leading the way with a league-best 10. He was also tied for second on the team in total tackles (92) while registering two interceptions and five passes defended.
Jahad Thomas, RB, Temple
The Buzz: Thomas was one of five 1,000-yard rushers last season after the junior ran for 1,262 yards and 17 touchdowns. Five times he rushed for more than 100-yards in a game and he’s looking to become the first Temple player to rush for 1,000-yards or more in two seasons since Bernard Pierce (2009, 2011).
Kerwin Thomas, CB, Tulsa
The Buzz: Tulsa snagged just 10 interceptions in 2015 with Thomas registering two of them. He was one of four players to score a touchdown on an interception. Thomas finished tied for third in the league in passes defended while tallying 60 tackles in 2015.
P.J. Walker, QB, Temple
The Buzz: Walker is one of six quarterbacks in the league to register 3,000-or-more yards of total offense in 2015 after putting up 3,180 yard for the Owls. With more than 7,300 yards passing under his belt, he’s one pace to become one the best quarterbacks in school history.
Greg Ward Jr., QB, Houston
The Buzz: Ward blossomed in Tom Herman’s offensive scheme last season, putting up nearly 4,000 yards of total offense with 38 total touchdowns. He helped lead the Cougars to a 13-win season which included an AAC title and a win over FSU in the Peach Bowl.
Eric Wilson, LB, Cincinnati
The Buzz: Seven of the nine players who registered 100 or more tackles last season in the AAC were linebacker including Wilson (106), who earned second-team, all-conference honors.
