ORLANDO – The American Athletic Conference announced its all-conference teams for the 2019 season on Wednesday, and the UCF football team hauled in three first-team, five second-team and four honorable mention honors.
Junior wide receiver Gabriel Davis, senior offensive tackle Jake Brown and junior safety Richie Grant earned first-team accolades for their performances during the regular season, helping to lead UCF to a 9-3 overall record and 6-2 mark in league play.
Davis (Sanford, Fla.), who was a second-team selection last season, led the Knights with 72 receptions for 1,241 yards and 12 receiving touchdowns in 2019. His yardage set a new UCF single-season record, topping the previous best of 1,237 by Doug Gabriel back in 2002.
With 12 touchdowns, Davis was two-shy of the program record of 14 receiving scores in a season. He had five games of 100 or more receiving yards on the season, four of which came in consecutive games, which is tied for the second longest streak by a UCF receiver. He ranks eighth in the nation in receiving touchdowns and fifth in receiving yards.
Brown (Encinitas, Calif.), earning his second straight first-team selection, protected left-handed quarterback Dillon Gabriel's blindside all season long, starting all 12 games at right tackle. The UCF offensive line allowed just 23 sacks in 2019, as Gabriel threw for a Knights freshman record 3,393 yards.
The offensive line also allowed the offense to rush for 2,599 yards and 32 touchdowns on the ground. Brown and crew assisted in four different backs totaling over 400 yards on the ground and at least five touchdowns.
Grant (Fort Walton Beach, Fla.), also a back-to-back first-team honoree, led the UCF defense in a big improvement from a year ago. The team ranked 34th in the nation in total defense, allowing just 344.8 yards per game, and 38th in scoring defense, giving up 22.8 points per contest.
In his third season on the field, Grant totaled 68 tackles, 4.0 tackles for loss, and eight pass break-ups, while the Knights help opponents to just 28 percent on third-down conversions, which ranks sixth in the nation.
Sophomore offensive guard Cole Schneider, senior running back Adrian Killins Jr., senior defensive end Brendon Hayes, senior linebacker Nate Evans and junior cornerback Aaron Robinson all received second-team honors on Wednesday.
There were also four Knights that collected honorable mention all-conference accolades; junior running back Otis Anderson, senior cornerback Nevelle Clarke, junior wide receiver Tre Nixon, and junior defensive tackle Kenny Turnier.
With 12 overall honors in 2019 and 16 selections in 2018, the Knights have picked up 28 all-conference nods over the last two seasons under Josh Heupel, which is the most for any team in The American during that span.
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