A trio of senior standouts headline the list of 2014 preseason Conference USA Football award winners, as chosen by the league's 13 head coaches. Marshall senior QB Rakeem Cato was tabbed the preseason Offensive Player of the Year, Marshall senior DL James Rouse was named the Defensive Player of the Year and UAB senior P Hunter Mullins earned Special Teams Player of the Year honors.
2014 C-USA FOOTBALL COACHES PRESEASON AWARDS
Offensive Player of the Year
Rakeem Cato, Sr., QB, Marshall
Defensive Player of the Year
James Rouse, Sr., DL, Marshall
Special Teams Player of the Year
Hunter Mullins, Sr., P, UAB
First Team Offense
QB Rakeem Cato, Sr., Marshall
RB Kenneth Dixon, Jr., Louisiana Tech
RB Aaron Jones, So., UTEP
OL Scott Inskeep, Sr., UTSA
OL Chris Jasperse, Sr., Marshall
OL Cyril Lemon, Sr., North Texas
OL Clint Van Horn, Jr., Marshall
OL Mason Y'Barbo, Sr., North Texas
WR Jamarcus Nelson, Sr., UAB
WR Tommy Shuler, Sr., Marshall
WR Jordan Taylor., Sr., Rice
TE Eric Tomlinson, Sr., UTEP
First Team Defense
DL Vernon Butler, Jr., Louisiana Tech
DL Christian Covington, Jr., Rice
DL Ra'Shawde Myers, Sr., Marshall
DL James Rouse, Sr., Marshall
LB T.T. Barber, Sr., Middle Tennessee
LB Evan McKelvey, Sr., Marshall
LB Andrae Kirk, Jr., Florida Atlantic
DB Kevin Byard, Jr., Middle Tennessee
DB Bryce Callahan, Sr., Rice
DB D'Joun Smith, Sr., Florida Atlantic
DB Triston Wade, Sr., UTSA
First Team Special Teams
K Sean Ianno, Sr., UTSA
P Hunter Mullins, Sr., UAB
KR Autrey Golden, Jr., UTEP
PR Kenny Harrison, Sr., UTSA
LS Jesse Medrano, Sr., UTSA
PREDICTED ORDER OF FINISH
EAST DIVISION Pts
1. Marshall 91
2. Middle Tennessee 73
3. Florida Atlantic 60
4. WKU 57
5. Old Dominion 33
6. UAB 31
7. FIU 19
WEST DIVISION Pts
1. North Texas 66
2. Rice 65
3. UTSA 62
4. Louisiana Tech 38
5. Southern Miss 24
6. UTEP 18
http://www.conferenceusa.com/sports/m-fo...14aaf.html