DALLAS – Old Dominion University football tight end Zack Kuntz led the way for the Monarchs on the All-Conference USA Team, earning first-team accolades. Twelve Monarchs earned honorable mention honors, while four were named to the conference all-freshman team.
A redshirt sophomore from Camp Hill, Pennsylvania, Kuntz leads the Monarchs and is second in the country among tight ends with 71 receptions. He is seventh in the country among tight ends in receiving yards with 674 and tied for 12th with five touchdowns.
A transfer from Penn State, Kuntz has led ODU in receiving nine times this season and has had eight or more catches in five games.
Four ODU offensive players earned honorable mention honors, including running back Blake Watson, wide receiver Ali Jennings III and offensive linemen Nick Saldiveri and Isaac Weaver.
A redshirt sophomore, Watson is second in Conference USA with 103.5 yards per game and fifth in the league with 1,035 rushing yards, despite missing two games. He rushed for more than 100 yards six times this year, including a streak of five-straight. He rushed 18 times for 105 yards and two scores in ODU's 56-34 bowl-clinching win over Charlotte.
A transfer from West Virginia, Jennings is second on the team with 56 catches and leads the Monarchs with 992 receiving yards and is tied with Kuntz for the team lead with five touchdown catches. In the bowl-clinching win against Charlotte, Jennings caught nine passes for 252 yards and three touchdowns to earn C-USA Offensive Player of the week.
Saldiveri and Weaver anchored the offensive line all season for ODU, each starting all 12 games. Saldiveri started all 12 games at right tackle and became the first ODU offensive lineman to score a touchdown, when he recovered a fumble in the end zone to get the Monarchs on the board first against Charlotte. Weaver started all 12 games, starting 10 at center and one each at left tackle and left guard. The honorable mention honor is the second of Weaver's career to go along with C-USA All-Freshman accolades in 2017.
Five members of the ODU defense receive honorable mention honors, including linebackers Ryan Henry and Jordan Young, cornerbacks Roger Cray and Tre Hawkins and safety R'Tarriun Johnson.
Young leads ODU with 93 tackles after securing 11 tackles, an interception and fumble recovery in ODU's 56-34 win over Charlotte. A Coatesville, Pennsylvania native, Young also has 3.5 tackles for loss and a sack this season. He is one tackle shy of passing Craig Wilkins to become ODU's all-time leading tackler. He led ODU in tackles four times so far this season and had a pair of double-digit tackle games.
Henry is third on the team in tackles with 72 tackles despite missing two games. He led the team in tackles four times and has four double-digit tackle games so far this season. He also has two tackles for loss and a forced fumble.
Johnson is second on the team with 78 tackles, while he is also tied for the team lead with two interceptions. He is third on the squad with six pass breakups and has two tackles for loss. Johnson entered this season with two career tackles.
The Monarchs had a trio of special teams receive honorable mentions, as kicker Nick Rice, kick returner LaMareon James and punt returner Isiah Paige earned the accolades.
Rice set a school record with 19 field goals on the year, including a 46-yard game-winner as time expired to give the Monarchs a 23-20 win over Louisiana Tech. He also kicked a career-long 50-yarder in the win at FIU. He holds the ODU record for career field goals made with 63. Rice was also 37-of-39 on extra points this season.
James ranks 19th in the country with a 26.3 kick return average and delivered a 100-yard kickoff return in ODU's 23-20 win over Louisiana Tech. The kick return touchdown was ODU's first since Isaiah Harper returned two kickoffs for touchdowns at North Texas in 2017.
Paige ranks 10th in the nation with a 10.9 punt return average. His longest return of the season was a 37-yarder in the win over Louisiana Tech. He also earned all-freshman accolades as a punt returner.
Santana Saunders, Amorie Morrison, Jason Henderson and Paige were named to the all-freshman team.
Saunders played in 10 games on the offensive line, including three starts at left tackle. He also saw time at right tackle when Saldiveri slid to guard.
Morrison is second among ODU defensive lineman with 31 tackles and leads ODU with five tackles for loss and is second on the team with three sacks. He is also one of six Monarchs to block a kick this season, a category which ODU is tied for the nation's lead.
Henderson is fifth on the team with 67 tackles. He registered 3.5 tackles for loss, one sack, two forced fumbles, one which clinched ODU's win over Middle Tennessee, and a fumble recovery. Like Morrison, Henderson also blocked a kick, an extra point that was returned 80 yards by R'Tarriun Johnson for a defensive extra point in ODU's 30-16 win over Florida Atlantic.
Old Dominion plays Tulsa on Dec. 20 at 2:30 p.m. on ESPN in the Myrtle Beach Bowl. For more information, click here for the BOWL CENTRAL page.
All-Conference USA
First Team
QB: Bailey Zappe, WKU
RB: Sincere McCormick, UTSA
RB: Rasheen Ali, Marshall
WR: Jerreth Sterns, WKU
WR: Jacob Cowing, UTEP
WR: Zakhari Franklin, UTSA
TE: Zack Kuntz, Old Dominion
OL: Alex Mollette, Marshall
OL: Cole Spencer, WKU
OL: Spencer Burford, UTSA
OL: Colby Ragland, UAB
OL: Mason Brooks, WKU
DE: Praise Amaewhule, UTEP
DT: Elijah Garcia, Rice
DT: Tyree Turner, UAB
DE: DeAngelo Malone, WKU
LB: KD Davis, North Texas
LB: Abraham Beauplan, Marshall
LB: Clarence Hicks, UTSA
DB: Reed Blankenship, Middle Tennessee
DB: Rashad Wisdom, UTSA
DB: Beanie Bishop, WKU
DB: Quincy Riley, Middle Tennessee
K: Hunter Duplessis, UTSA
P: Tommy Heatherly, FIU
LS: Reeves Blankenship, Louisiana Tech
KR: Camron Harrell, Southern Miss
PR: Jaylin Lane, Middle Tennessee
Second Team
QB: Frank Harris, UTSA
RB: DeWayne McBride, UAB
RB: DeAndre Torrey, North Texas
WR: Mitchell Tinsley, WKU
WR: Jason Brownlee, Southern Miss
WR: Tyrese Chambers, FIU
TE: Gerrit Prince, UAB
OL: Will Ulmer, Marshall
OL: Quantavious Leslie, WKU
OL: Ahofitu Maka, UTSA
OL: Manase Mose, North Texas
OL: Boe Wilson, WKU
DE: Jordan Ferguson, Middle Tennessee
DT: Dion Novil, North Texas
DT: Jaylon Haynes, UTSA
DE: Alex Wright, UAB
LB: Breon Hayward, UTEP
LB: Tyler Grubbs, Louisiana Tech
LB: DQ Thomas, Middle Tennessee
DB: Steven Gilmore, Marshall
DB: Micah Abraham, Marshall
DB: Grayson Cash, UAB
DB: Richard Dames, FIU
K: Braden Narveson, WKU
P: Lucas Dean, UTSA
LS: Caleb Cantrell, UTSA
KR: Jayden Harrison, Marshall
PR: Smoke Harris, Louisiana Tech
Honorable Mention:
QB: Gavin Hardison, UTEP
QB: Dylan Hopkins, UAB
QB: Chris Reynolds, Charlotte
QB: Grant Wells, Marshall
RB: Jermaine Brown, Jr., UAB
RB: Johnny Ford, Florida Atlantic
RB: Frank Gore, Jr., Southern Miss
RB: D'Vonte Price, FIU
RB: Blake Watson, Old Dominion
WR: Jake Bailey, Rice
WR: Joshua Cephus, UTSA
WR: Grant DuBose, Charlotte
WR: Corey Gammage, Marshall
WR: Smoke Harris, Louisiana Tech
WR: Tre Harris, Louisiana Tech
WR: Ali Jennings III, Old Dominion
WR: Willie Johnson, Marshall
WR: Trea Shropshire, UAB
TE: Joey Beljan, WKU
TE: Ryan Carriere, Charlotte
TE: Xavier Gaines, Marshall
TE: Jimmy Marshall, Middle Tennessee
TE: Jordan Myers, Rice
TE: Jason Pirtle, North Texas
OL: Shea Baker, Rice
OL: Jacob Brammer, North Texas
OL: Jeremiah Byers, UTEP
OL: Bobby DeHaro, UTEP
OL: Abraham Delfin, Louisiana Tech
OL: Ashton Gist, Charlotte
OL: Makai Hart, UTSA
OL: Terrell Haynes, UTSA
OL: Hunter Kelly, Charlotte
OL: Elijah Klein, UTEP
OL: Darta Lee, UTEP
OL: Andrew Meyer, UTEP
OL: Joshua Mote, Louisiana Tech
OL: Jordan Palmer, Middle Tennessee
OL: Nick Saldiveri, Old Dominion
OL: Andrew Smith, Jr., UAB
OL: Rusty Staats, WKU
OL: Kadeem Telfort, UAB
OL: Matthew Trehern, UAB
OL: Khal Washington, Southern Miss
OL: Isaac Weaver, Old Dominion
OL: Jovaun Woolford, Rice
DE: Josh Carr, Southern Miss
DE: Mykol Clark, Louisiana Tech
DE: Koby Cumberlander, Marshall
DE: Lorenzo Dantzler, UTSA
DE: Ikenna Enechukwu, Rice
DE: Antonio Moultrie, UAB
DE: Grayson Murphy, North Texas
DE: Jadrian Taylor, UTEP
DE: Markees Watts, Charlotte
DE: Charles Wiley, UTSA
DT: Evan Anderson, Florida Atlantic
DT: Brandon Brown, UTSA
DT: Jeremy Darvin, WKU
DT: Jamare Edwards, Marshall
DT: T.J. Johnson, Marshall
DT: Kelton Moss, UTEP
DT: Keivie Rose, Louisiana Tech
DT: Darius Shipp, WKU
DT: Mi'Cario Stanley, UAB
DT: Keenan Stewart, UTEP
DT: Davon Strickland, FIU
LB: Trey Baldwin, Louisiana Tech
LB: Ezekiel Barnett, Louisiana Tech
LB: Trevor Harmanson, UTSA
LB: Kyle Harrell, UAB
LB: Ryan Henry, Old Dominion
LB: Will Ignont, WKU
LB: Tyrice Knight, UTEP
LB: Santrell Latham, Southern Miss
LB: Jamal Ligon, UTSA
LB: Hayes Maples, Southern Miss
LB: Tyler Murray, Charlotte
LB: Eli Neal, Marshall
LB: Noah Wilder, UAB
LB: Jordan Young, Old Dominion
DB: Dennis Barnes, UTEP
DB: Will Boler, UAB
DB: A.J. Brathwaite, Jr., WKU
DB: Baylen Buchanan, Louisiana Tech
DB: Roger Cray, Old Dominion
DB: Zyon Gilbert, Florida Atlantic
DB: Gregory Grate, Middle Tennessee
DB: Kahlef Hailassie, WKU
DB: Tre Hawkins III, Old Dominion
DB: Jordan Helm, Florida Atlantic
DB: Dy'Vonne Inyang, UTEP
DB: Nazeeh Johnson, Marshall
DB: R'Tarriun Johnson, Old Dominion
DB: Antwon Kincade, WKU
DB: Khalil Ladler, Louisiana Tech
DB: Corey Mayfield, Jr., UTSA
DB: Cory McCoy, Marshall
DB: Naeem Smith, Rice
DB: Malik Shorts, Southern Miss
DB: Keondre Swoopes, UAB
DB: Gabe Taylor, Rice
DB: Starling Thomas V, UAB
DB: BeeJay Williamson, Louisiana Tech
DB: Tariq Woolen, UTSA
DB: Teja Young, Florida Atlantic
K: Gavin Baechle, UTEP
K: Jacob Barnes, Louisiana Tech
K: Ethan Mooney, North Texas
K: Nick Rice, Old Dominion
P: Kyle Greenwell, UAB
P: John Haggerty III, WKU
P: Matt Hayball, Florida Atlantic
P: Mason Hunt, Southern Miss
LS: Zach Appio, Marshall
LS: Jake Bowman, WKU
LS: Nate Durham, North Texas
LS: Cole Kizziah, UAB
LS: Cameron Lyons, Charlotte
LS: Nicholas Marino, Florida Atlantic
KR: Beanie Bishop, WKU
KR: Shadrick Byrd, Charlotte
KR: LaMareon James, Old Dominion
KR: Jaylin Lane, Middle Tennessee
KR: Dadrian Taylor, UTSA
PR: Isiah Paige, Old Dominion
PR: Starling Thomas V, UAB
Zack Kuntz Earns First-Team All-Conference USA, 12 Monarchs Receive Honorable Mention
