NORFOLK, Va. – Old Dominion University Football placed nine student-athletes on the Phil Steele Preseason All-Conference USA Team, the publication announced on Monday.
The Monarchs did not have a player named to the first team but had three players on second-team in Ray Lawry, Zach Pascal, Tyler Fisher and TJ Ricks; while David Washington, Poncho Barnwell and Fellonte Misher received third-team honors and Melvin Vaughn and Rashaad Coward were selected to the fourth team.
Lawry rushed for a single-season ODU record 947 yards along with 16 touchdowns and a Division I best for freshman 7.1 yards per carry en route to Conference USA Freshman of the Year honors in 2014.
Pascal finished second on the Monarchs with 59 receptions with 743 yards and seven touchdown grabs. He was named Conference USA honorable mention last season.
Fisher started 11 games at left guard last season as a sophomore after starting the final six games of his true freshman season in 2013. He also earned C-USA honorable mention in 2014.
Ricks is ODU’s returning leading tackler with 80 stops, seven tackles for loss and a league best four forced fumbles.
In his first season as a full-time wide receiver, Washington caught 47 passes for 599 yards and four touchdowns, including the game-winning touchdown in ODU’s overtime triumph against Louisiana Tech.
A senior from Rochester, N.Y., Barnwell led the Monarchs with 3.5 sacks and was third on the team with 6.5 tackles for loss.
Misher finished third on the Monarchs in tackles last season with 79 stops, two interceptions and a pair of fumble recoveries.
A 6-2, 248 pound junior, Vaughn was named to the fourth team C-USA preseason team. He notched 30 receptions for 315 yards in three touchdowns last season while Coward recorded 26 tackles and 2.5 tackles for loss last season as a sophomore.