NORFOLK, Va. – Old Dominion University had four student-athletes named to the Phil Steele preseason All-Conference USA team, the magazine announced on Wednesday.
Senior quarterback Taylor Heinicke, wide receivers Larry Pinkard and Antonio Vaughan were named to the second-team while junior linebacker Reece Schmidt was named to the fourth-team.
Heinicke, a senior from Atlanta, Ga., completed 340-of-486 passes for 4,025 yards and 33 touchdowns in 2013. Heinicke became the first FBS quarterback in Virginia to pass for 10,000 career yards and rush for 1,000 yards. He is the active leader in passing yards, touchdown passes and total offense. He won the 2012 Walter Payton Award given to the Best Player in the FCS when he passed for an FCS record 5,076 yards and 44 touchdowns while running for 11 more.
Pinkard caught a single-season high of 68 passes for 1,020 yards last season along with nine touchdowns. He set a single-game high with 156 receiving yards in the win over Campbell.
Vaughan had 60 receptions for 843 yards and nine touchdowns last year. He also played running back in the game at Pittsburgh, carrying 15 times for 70 yards and a touchdown. Vaughan and Pinkard are ranked No. 2 and No. 3 in school history in receiving yards and receptions.
Schmidt joined the Monarchs in January from LA Pierce College, where he was their leading tackler in 2013 with 63 stops and 10.5 tackles for loss.
ODU opens the 2014 season at home against Hampton on Aug. 30.