DALLAS — UTSA's Demetris Allen, Christian Clayton, Jamal Ligon and Ken Robinson have been named to the Conference USA Football All-Freshman Team in a vote by the league's head coaches, the league office announced Monday.
The four all-freshman team selections are the most in any single year in program history and the quartet joins previous honorees Codie Brooks (2013), Spencer Burford (2018), Jaylon Haynes (2017), Sincere McCormick (2019), Jared Sackett (2017), Josiah Tauaefa (2016) and Rashad Wisdom (2019).
Allen is a key member of an offensive line that has paved the way for the league's top rusher in McCormick. The Hattiesburg, Miss., native has helped UTSA average a school-record 214.7 rushing yards per game, which is second in C-USA and 23rd in the FBS. He helped UTSA post 330 rushing yards in the season-opening win over Texas State and 312 in the victory over UTEP, part of 600 yards of offense in that contest. The redshirt freshman has played in five games this fall with a pair of starts at guard, including his first career start versus No. 15 BYU. He has graded out at 86% and allowed only one sack in 100 pass-blocking snaps.
Clayton has registered 20 tackles, 7.5 tackles for loss, two sacks, two fumble recoveries and a forced fumble as a redshirt freshman. He is tied for second among all C-USA freshmen in TFL and he shares 11th place nationally in fumble recoveries. The Fort Worth South Hills High School product tallied a pair of tackles for loss versus UAB and also logged two stops behind the line, including a sack, against Army. He posted a TFL and forced a fumble in the 24-10 win over SFA and he recovered a fumble in the second half of UTSA's 27-26 win over LA Tech. Clayton had a 10-yard fumble return in the 52-21 triumph over UTEP and he recorded four tackles, including an 8-yard sack, in the 49-17 victory against North Texas.
Ligon has posted 72 tackles, 7.5 tackles for loss, four sacks, four QB hurries, two forced fumbles and two fumble recoveries in 11 games as a true freshman. The Tyler native shares the league lead among freshmen in sacks and is second in that group in total tackles and TFL. Ligon also stands second in the league and seventh nationally in fumble recoveries. He was named Athlon Sports Defensive Freshman and C-USA Defensive Player of the Week after recording 19 tackles, 1.5 sacks and a pair of hurries in the 37-35 victory over Middle Tennessee, the fourth-most tackles in a game in 2020. A starter in nine contests, he had nine tackles, a 12-yard sack and a fumble caused in the 23-20 win at Southern Miss.
Robinson emerged as a starter at cornerback during the last half of his redshirt freshman season. The South Grand Prairie High School product posted 27 tackles, two pass breakups, one tackle for loss and a forced fumble in eight games. Robinson made five starts and did not allow a reception in coverage in four different games. He had a breakout game with 10 tackles and a forced fumble in his first career start against Army and he also logged three stops at No. 15 BYU. Robinson had five tackles and a PBU in the 52-21 win over UTEP and he also broke up a pass in the 49-17 victory against North Texas. He made four tackles in the road triumph over Southern Miss.
The Roadrunners will make their second bowl game appearance this Saturday, Dec. 26, when they face No. 16 Louisiana in the SERVPRO First Responder Bowl. Kickoff is set for 2:30 p.m. at Gerald J. Ford Stadium in Dallas.
2020 Conference USA All-Freshman Team
OFFENSE
QB- Grant Wells, Marshall
RB- Frank Gore, Jr., Southern Miss
RB- Deion Hankins, UTEP
OL- Dakota White, Louisiana Tech
OL- Dorian Hinton, Middle Tennessee
OL- Steven Losoya, Middle Tennessee
OL- Jeremy Byers, UTEP
OL- Demetris Allen, UTSA
TE- Taylor Thompson, Charlotte
TE- Jake Roberts, North Texas
WR- LaJohntay Walker, Florida Atlantic
WR- Nate Jefferson, FIU
DEFENSE
DT- Immanuel Bush, Marshall
DT- Christian Clayton, UTSA
DE- Gabriel Murphy, North Texas
DE- Grayson Murphy, North Texas
LB- Maki Carabin, Louisiana Tech
LB- Tyler Grubbs, Louisiana Tech
LB- Jamal Ligon, UTSA
DB- Cedric Woods, Louisiana Tech
DB- Quincy Riley, Middle Tennessee
DB- Upton Stout, North Texas
DB- Damon Miller, UAB
DB- Ken Robinson, UTSA
SPECIAL TEAMS
K- Jacob Barnes, Louisiana Tech
P- Charlie Mendes, Rice
KR- Jaylin Lane, Middle Tennessee
PR- LaJohntay Walker, Florida Atlantic
LS- Colby Garfield, Charlotte
LS- Brody Butler, Middle Tennessee
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