HOUSTON – Six University of Houston football players have been named to Athlon’s preseason American Athletic All-Conference team, the national publication announced Tuesday.
The Cougars were represented on the first team by senior wide receiver Marquez Stevenson, who was also a first-team pick at kick returner. On the second-team unit, senior defensive Payton Turner earned a selection with senior linebacker Grant Stuard, junior tight end Christian Trahan and kicker Dalton Witherspoon selected to the third team. Senior running back Kyle Porter grabbed a fourth-team selection.
Stevenson led the Cougars in 2019 with 52 catches for 907 yards and a team-high nine touchdowns. The 6-0, 190-pound receiver from Shreveport, La., was a 2019 American All-Conference First Team selection at wide receiver. He also became just the third player in UH history to have multiple kickoff return touchdowns in the same season.
Turner, a 6-6, 288-pound senior defensive lineman from Houston, started 12 games last season at defensive end and finished with 34 tackles. As a junior, Turner added eight tackles for loss along with four sacks.
Stuard, a 6-1, 210-pound senior linebacker from Conroe, led the Cougars with 97 total tackles in 2019. He ranked third in The American in total tackles a year ago after making 12 starts at nickel. Stuard had a pair of double-digit tackle games, including a career-high 15 stops at UConn. Stuard was also an American Athletic All-Conference Second Team selection in 2019.
Trahan emerged as a reliable target in 2019 and made 12 starts at tight end. He recorded 22 receptions for 244 yards along with one touchdown. The Sulphur, La., native logged a career-high five catches at UCF a year ago.
Witherspoon set Houston’s single-season record with 15 consecutive field goals made last season and connected on 20-of-24 in field goal attempts in 2019. He finished with an 83.3% field goal percentage, the third-best mark in program single-season history. Witherspoon enters his senior season tied for eighth in UH history with 27 career field goals made.
In his first season at Houston, Porter led the Cougars in rushing attempts (130) and rushing yards (615). The Katy, Texas, native also logged three rushing touchdowns and recorded his first career 100-yard rushing game against Prairie View A&M with 120 yards on 19 attempts.