College Football News All-American Athletic Conference Team
Preview 2020: Previewing and looking ahead to the American Athletic season with the College Football News All-American Athletic Conference Team & Top 30 players.
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2020 AAC Team Previews
Cincinnati | East Carolina | Houston | Memphis
Navy | SMU | Temple | Tulane | Tulsa | UCF | USF
Preseason Offensive Player of the Year: RB Kenneth Gainwell, Soph. Memphis
Justin Ford-USA TODAY Sports
The 2020 Memphis running game was supposed to revolve around Patrick Taylor, but he was never quite healthy and he only played in six games. He still finished second on the team with 78 carries.
Kenneth Gainwell, though, managed to fill the void, carrying the ball 231 times for 1,459 yards and 13 touchdowns – averaging over six yards per carry – and catching 51 passes for 610 yards and three scores.
The Memphis offense is strong enough – and the backfield is good enough – to keep the 5-11, 191-pound do-it-all star from being overused, but he’s too terrific to not have the ball in his hands as much as possible.
Preseason Defensive Player of the Year: S Richie Grant, Sr. UCF
Douglas DeFelice-USA TODAY Sports
How is he not in the NFL already?
The 6-0, 194-pound all-around playmaker followed up a 108-tackle, six-interception sophomore season with 78 stops and one pick, but with eight broken up passes as the star of a solid Knight secondary.
This year, he’s once again going to be among the nation’s best safeties and most dangerous defensive backs.
He might not be huge, but he’s a terrific hitter with outstanding speed and range. Throw in his all-conference smarts in the classroom along with the experience and talent, and he and UCF will be in for another huge season.
Preseason All-American Athletic Conference Team: Offense
Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports
QB – Shane Buechele, Sr. SMU (pictured)
RB – Shamari Brooks, Sr. Tulsa
RB – Kenneth Gainwell, Soph. Memphis
WR – Damonte Coxie, Sr. Memphis
WR – Marquez Stevenson, Sr. Houston
TE – Kylen Granson, Sr. SMU
OT – Isaac Moore, Jr. Temple
OG – Corey Dublin, Sr. Tulane
C – Dylan Parham, Jr. East Carolina (or OG)
OG – Cole Schneider, Jr. UCF
OT – Jaylon Thomas, Jr. SMU
Preseason All-American Athletic Conference Team: Defense
Justin Ford-USA TODAY Sports
DE – Joseph Dorceus, Sr. Memphis
DT – Ifeanyi Maijeh, Jr. Temple
DT – Elijah Ponder, Sr. Cincinnati
DE – Patrick Johnson, Sr. Tulane
LB – Dwayne Boyles, Jr. USF
LB – Zaven Collins, Jr. Tulsa
LB – Diego Fagot, Jr. Navy
CB – Ahmad Gardner, Soph. Cincinnati
S – Richie Grant, Sr. UCF
S – Ja’von Hicks, Jr. Cincinnati
CB – Aaron Robinson, Sr. UCF
Preseason All-American Athletic Conference Team: Special Teams
Maria Lysaker-USA TODAY Sports
PK – Riley Patterson, Sr. Memphis
P – James Smith, Sr. Cincinnati
KR – Marquez Stevenson, Sr. Houston (pictured)
PR – Otis Anderson, Jr. UCF
Preseason Top 30 American Athletic Conference Players
James Guillory-USA TODAY Sports
30. CB Ja’Quan McMillian, Soph. East Carolina
29. OG Cole Schneider, Jr. UCF
28. OT Jaylon Thomas, Jr. SMU
27. QB Dillon Gabriel, Soph. UCF
26. DE Turner Coxe, Sr. SMU
25. S Chase Kuerschen, Sr. Tulane
24. RB Otis Anderson, Sr. UCF
23. WR Jaden Blue, Jr. Temple
22. LB Zaven Collins, Jr. Tulsa
21. QB Holton Ahlers, Jr. East Carolina (pictured)
20. CB KJ Sails, Sr. USF
19. DE Joseph Dorceus, Sr. Memphis
18. CB Aaron Robinson, Sr. UCF
17. LB Dwayne Boyles, Jr. USF
16. WR Marquez Stevenson, Sr. Houston
15. DT Kenny Turnier, Sr. UCF
14. S Grant Stuard, Sr. Houston
13. DT Ifeanyi Maijeh, Jr. Temple
12. S Darrick Forrest, Sr. Cincinnati
11. CB Ahmad Gardner, Soph. Cincinnati
10. RB Shamari Brooks, Sr. Tulsa
9. LB Diego Fagot, Jr. Navy
8. WR Damonte Coxie, Sr. Memphis
7. QB Brady White, Sr. Memphis
6. S Ja’von Hicks, Jr. Cincinnati
5. DT Elijah Ponder, Sr. Cincinnati
4. DE Patrick Johnson, Sr. Tulane
3. QB Shane Buechele, Sr. SMU
2. S Richie Grant, Sr. UCF
1. RB Kenneth Gainwell, Soph. Memphis
2020 AAC Team Previews
Cincinnati | East Carolina | Houston | Memphis
Navy | SMU | Temple | Tulane | Tulsa | UCF | USF
