Sixteen Roadrunners named to Athlon Sports Preseason All-AAC Team

NASHVILLE, Tenn. — A total of 16 Roadrunners have been named to the Athlon Sports Preseason All-American Athletic Conference Team, the publication announced this month. UTSA and defending AAC champion Tulane are tied for the most overall selections with 16 apiece, while the Roadrunners' 11 first-team picks pace the league, five more than the Green Wave's six first-team choices. The Roadrunners, who officially join the league on July 1, placed six on the first-team offense with quarterback Frank Harris, wide receivers Joshua Cephus and De'Corian Clark, tight end Oscar Cardenas and offensive lineman Makai Hart all earning a spot. Defensive lineman Brandon Brown, linebackers Jamal Ligon and Trey Moore and safety Rashad Wisdom landed on the first-team defense, while Lucas Dean was chosen at punter. Nicktroy Fortune was picked for the second team at cornerback, while offensive lineman Terrell Haynes, defensive lineman Nick Booker-Brown and safety Kelechi Nwachuku all made the third team. Chris Carpenter earned the nod as the kick returner on the fourth team. The Roadrunners will kick off their 13th season of play on Saturday, Sept. 2, when travel to Houston to face the Cougars at 6 p.m. at TDECU Stadium. UTSA will face Texas State for the home opener at 2:30 p.m. the following Saturday at the Alamodome. The Roadrunners also will host Army at 6 p.m. Friday, Sept. 15, UAB on Oct. 14, East Carolina on Oct. 28, Rice on Nov. 11 and South Florida at 8 p.m. Friday, Nov. 17. Season tickets are on sale now by calling 210-458-UTSA (8872) or visiting goUTSA.com/tickets. Season ticket prices start at $90 per seat. Payment plans for all season ticket packages are available. Current UTSA students receive free admission to all home games by downloading tickets via their Account Manager. Under the direction of two-time conference coach of the year Jeff Traylor, the Roadrunners are coming off an 11-3 campaign that saw them capture their second straight Conference USA Championship and play in a bowl game for the third year in a row. UTSA has been ranked in the top 25 in each of the last two seasons and boasts a combined 23 wins over that span, the fourth-best total among all FBS teams behind only Georgia (29), Michigan (25) and Alabama (24). 2023 Athlon Sports Preseason All-AAC Team (UTSA selections only)