TicketsCINCINNATI – Eleven University of Cincinnati football student-athletes earned All-American Athletic Conference honors, including a school-record seven first-team selections, as the league announced its 2019 postseason awards Wednesday.
TE Josiah Deguara (Folsom, California/Folsom), CB Ahmad Gardner (Detroit, Michigan/Martin Luther King), S Darrick Forrest (Columbus, Ohio/Walnut Ridge), OG Morgan James (Highland, Michigan/Lakeland), DL Elijah Ponder (Atlanta, Georgia/South Cobb), LB Bryan Wright (New Castle, Delaware/Jirah Prep) and LB Perry Young (Birmingham, Alabama/Spain Park) earned first-team accolades while P James Smith (Wangaratta, Australia) and RB Michael Warren II (Toledo, Ohio/Central Catholic) were tabbed for second-team honors and K Sam Crosa (Columbus, Ohio/Dublin Scioto/Western Illinois) and S Ja'von Hicks (Cincinnati, Ohio/Colerain) grabbed honorable-mention status.
Smith earned his third All-AAC honor after taking first-team accolades in 2017 and 2018. Deguara, Young and Warren brought home awards for the second year-in-a-row. Young was a first-team selection a year ago while Deguara and Warren were placed on the second team.
The 11 overall honorees and seven first teamers are the most for the Bearcats since the formation of the American in 2013. UC also had 11 all-league honorees as a member of Conference USA in 1995, 1996 and 2004. UC's seven first-team selections are the most in school history.
No. 20 UC returns to Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium for a rematch against No. 16 Memphis with the AAC title on the line. The Bearcats (10-2) won the American's East Division and face the Tigers (11-1) on Saturday, Dec. 7, at 3:30 p.m. ET.
The game will be televised nationally on ABC and air on 700 WLW AM. The American Digital Network will have exclusive pregame and postgame coverage from Memphis Friday and Saturday.
FIRST TEAM ALL-CONFERENCE CAPSULES
Deguara's standout campaign has him leading the Bearcats in receiving and almost tripling the field in touchdown receptions. He has 34 catches for 470 yards and seven TDs and an average of 13.8 yards per reception. He is the second tight end in UC history to eclipse the career 1,000-yard receiving mark along with Brent Celek and Deguara needs five catches, 53 yards receiving or three TDs to become UC's all-time leader for tight ends in any of the three categories.
Forrest has been one of the leaders of UC's defense which led the American in scoring defense for the second-straight season and also forced an AAC best 24 turnovers. He led UC and ranked No. 7 in the league in tackles, averaging 7.7 per game and totaling 92 tackles and three interceptions in 12 starts. He finished with a career-high 16 tackles against UCF, reset his career high in tackles three times this year while finishing with seven or more stops in nine games. He had a career-long, 38-yard interception return against UConn and was the AAC Defensive Player of the Week on Nov. 25, 2019.
Gardner, a true freshman, erupted onto the scene in a huge way with a game-changing 16-yard interception return for a TD which gave UC a lead it would not relinquish in a 27-24 upset win over UCF at Nippert Stadium. Gardner added a second pick-6 at ECU, becoming the fifth UC player all time to have a pair of interception returns for a TD in the same season and first since UC corners coach Mike Mickens in 2007. He played in all 12 games and moved into the starting lineup against UConn. Pro Football Focus tabbed him as a third-team All-America selection.
James, a mainstay on UC's offensive line, started 10 games and missed two due to injury. The former hockey player helped UC rank in the top half of the league in rushing offense as Warren became the first UC back to run for 1,000 or more yards in back-to-back seasons since 2010-11.
Ponder earned his first all-conference honor after starting all 12 games in the middle for the defensive line. Through the regular season, he finished with 28 tackles, including 6.5 for a loss, 2.5 sacks and is tied for the team lead with eight QB hurries. He had one of the best games of his career in the win over UCF with six tackles and 2.0 sacks.
Wright was a force in the middle of UC's defense, which led the league in scoring defense for the second-straight campaign. He was second on the team with 85 stops along with 8.5 tackles for a loss, seven QB hurries, four pass break ups, two forced fumbles and one fumble recovery. He earned a spot on the AAC weekly honor roll twice, had seven or more tackles in eight games and set a career mark with 12 tackles against Tulsa.
Young returned to the lineup after missing the last part of 2018 with a torn ACL. He started all 12 games at linebacker and is third on the team with 69 tackles, including 8.5 tackles for a loss, four QB hurries, three pass break ups and a sack. He has two interceptions on the season, including one returned for a TD in the waning moments of a win at Houston.
SECOND TEAM ALL-CONFERENCE CAPSULES
Smith ranked among the top-three punters in the AAC for the third-straight year after averaging 43.0 yards per kick on 62 boots. He was the AAC Special Teams Player of the Week on Oct. 7 and earned a spot on the Ray Guy Award's weekly Ray's 8 list on three occasions. Thirty-two of his 62 punts were fair caught, 21 were landed inside the 20-yard line and 10 went for 50 yards or more with only one touchback. Only 17 of his punts were returned, for an average of 5.2 yards per return with a long return of 12 yards.
Warren started all 12 games, racking up his second-straight 1,000-yard campaign. He had 1,061 yards on the ground, averaging 4.9 yards per rush with 12 touchdowns and an 88.4 yards per game average. He broke the 100-yard plateau six times, including the final three games of the regular season. Named to the AAC weekly honor roll four times, Warren is only the fourth UC back to rush for 1,000 or more yards in back-to-back seasons and the first since Isaiah Pead in 2010-11. His 35 total career TDs ranks and 32 rushing TDs rank second in UC's record book.
HONORABLE MENTION ALL-CONFERENCE CAPSULES
Crosa joined the team in fall camp as a graduate transfer, won the place-kicking job at Higher Ground and finished the season with 12 field goals and a 43-for-43 mark on extra points. He hit game winners in consecutive road contests, 32 yards at ECU and 37 yards at USF, and earned AAC Special Teams Player of the Week honors on Nov. 18.
Hicks made his first career start in the opener against UCLA, had an interception and a fumble recovery and never looked back, becoming a stalwart in the lineup after James Wiggins preseason injury. He was the AAC Defensive Player of the Week after having a hand in three turnovers at Houston, finishing with two interceptions and a fumble recovery. His four fumble recoveries led the American while his four interceptions tied for the conference lead. He had a career high nine tackles at USF, finished with 47 stops during the regular season and also forced a pair of fumbles.
2019 ALL-AMERICAN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE
FIRST TEAM ALL-CONFERENCE
Josiah Deguara, TE
Darrick Forrest, S
Ahmad Gardner, CB
Morgan James, OG
Elijah Ponder, DL
Bryan Wright, LB
Perry Young, LB
SECOND TEAM ALL-CONFERENCE
James Smith, P
Michael Warren II, RB
HONORABLE MENTION ALL-CONFERENCE
Sam Crosa, K
Ja'Von Hicks, S
2020 SEASON TICKET DEPOSITS
The Athletics Ticket Office is now accepting deposits for season tickets in the 2020 season. Any fan who was not a season ticket holder in 2019 should click here to place their deposit for the 2020 season. New season ticket holders who make a deposit will have access to season ticket locations ahead of the general public during the spring 2020 selection window. Deposits are only needed for fans who did not have season tickets in 2019.
FOLLOW THE BEARCATS
For all the latest information on Cincinnati football, please visit GoBEARCATS.com. For up-to-the-minute updates, follow Cincinnati football (@GoBearcatsFB) and Coach Fickell (@CoachFick) on Twitter. You can also find the Bearcats on Instagram and Facebook.
TE Josiah Deguara (Folsom, California/Folsom), CB Ahmad Gardner (Detroit, Michigan/Martin Luther King), S Darrick Forrest (Columbus, Ohio/Walnut Ridge), OG Morgan James (Highland, Michigan/Lakeland), DL Elijah Ponder (Atlanta, Georgia/South Cobb), LB Bryan Wright (New Castle, Delaware/Jirah Prep) and LB Perry Young (Birmingham, Alabama/Spain Park) earned first-team accolades while P James Smith (Wangaratta, Australia) and RB Michael Warren II (Toledo, Ohio/Central Catholic) were tabbed for second-team honors and K Sam Crosa (Columbus, Ohio/Dublin Scioto/Western Illinois) and S Ja'von Hicks (Cincinnati, Ohio/Colerain) grabbed honorable-mention status.
Smith earned his third All-AAC honor after taking first-team accolades in 2017 and 2018. Deguara, Young and Warren brought home awards for the second year-in-a-row. Young was a first-team selection a year ago while Deguara and Warren were placed on the second team.
The 11 overall honorees and seven first teamers are the most for the Bearcats since the formation of the American in 2013. UC also had 11 all-league honorees as a member of Conference USA in 1995, 1996 and 2004. UC's seven first-team selections are the most in school history.
No. 20 UC returns to Liberty Bowl Memorial Stadium for a rematch against No. 16 Memphis with the AAC title on the line. The Bearcats (10-2) won the American's East Division and face the Tigers (11-1) on Saturday, Dec. 7, at 3:30 p.m. ET.
The game will be televised nationally on ABC and air on 700 WLW AM. The American Digital Network will have exclusive pregame and postgame coverage from Memphis Friday and Saturday.
FIRST TEAM ALL-CONFERENCE CAPSULES
Deguara's standout campaign has him leading the Bearcats in receiving and almost tripling the field in touchdown receptions. He has 34 catches for 470 yards and seven TDs and an average of 13.8 yards per reception. He is the second tight end in UC history to eclipse the career 1,000-yard receiving mark along with Brent Celek and Deguara needs five catches, 53 yards receiving or three TDs to become UC's all-time leader for tight ends in any of the three categories.
Forrest has been one of the leaders of UC's defense which led the American in scoring defense for the second-straight season and also forced an AAC best 24 turnovers. He led UC and ranked No. 7 in the league in tackles, averaging 7.7 per game and totaling 92 tackles and three interceptions in 12 starts. He finished with a career-high 16 tackles against UCF, reset his career high in tackles three times this year while finishing with seven or more stops in nine games. He had a career-long, 38-yard interception return against UConn and was the AAC Defensive Player of the Week on Nov. 25, 2019.
Gardner, a true freshman, erupted onto the scene in a huge way with a game-changing 16-yard interception return for a TD which gave UC a lead it would not relinquish in a 27-24 upset win over UCF at Nippert Stadium. Gardner added a second pick-6 at ECU, becoming the fifth UC player all time to have a pair of interception returns for a TD in the same season and first since UC corners coach Mike Mickens in 2007. He played in all 12 games and moved into the starting lineup against UConn. Pro Football Focus tabbed him as a third-team All-America selection.
James, a mainstay on UC's offensive line, started 10 games and missed two due to injury. The former hockey player helped UC rank in the top half of the league in rushing offense as Warren became the first UC back to run for 1,000 or more yards in back-to-back seasons since 2010-11.
Ponder earned his first all-conference honor after starting all 12 games in the middle for the defensive line. Through the regular season, he finished with 28 tackles, including 6.5 for a loss, 2.5 sacks and is tied for the team lead with eight QB hurries. He had one of the best games of his career in the win over UCF with six tackles and 2.0 sacks.
Wright was a force in the middle of UC's defense, which led the league in scoring defense for the second-straight campaign. He was second on the team with 85 stops along with 8.5 tackles for a loss, seven QB hurries, four pass break ups, two forced fumbles and one fumble recovery. He earned a spot on the AAC weekly honor roll twice, had seven or more tackles in eight games and set a career mark with 12 tackles against Tulsa.
Young returned to the lineup after missing the last part of 2018 with a torn ACL. He started all 12 games at linebacker and is third on the team with 69 tackles, including 8.5 tackles for a loss, four QB hurries, three pass break ups and a sack. He has two interceptions on the season, including one returned for a TD in the waning moments of a win at Houston.
SECOND TEAM ALL-CONFERENCE CAPSULES
Smith ranked among the top-three punters in the AAC for the third-straight year after averaging 43.0 yards per kick on 62 boots. He was the AAC Special Teams Player of the Week on Oct. 7 and earned a spot on the Ray Guy Award's weekly Ray's 8 list on three occasions. Thirty-two of his 62 punts were fair caught, 21 were landed inside the 20-yard line and 10 went for 50 yards or more with only one touchback. Only 17 of his punts were returned, for an average of 5.2 yards per return with a long return of 12 yards.
Warren started all 12 games, racking up his second-straight 1,000-yard campaign. He had 1,061 yards on the ground, averaging 4.9 yards per rush with 12 touchdowns and an 88.4 yards per game average. He broke the 100-yard plateau six times, including the final three games of the regular season. Named to the AAC weekly honor roll four times, Warren is only the fourth UC back to rush for 1,000 or more yards in back-to-back seasons and the first since Isaiah Pead in 2010-11. His 35 total career TDs ranks and 32 rushing TDs rank second in UC's record book.
HONORABLE MENTION ALL-CONFERENCE CAPSULES
Crosa joined the team in fall camp as a graduate transfer, won the place-kicking job at Higher Ground and finished the season with 12 field goals and a 43-for-43 mark on extra points. He hit game winners in consecutive road contests, 32 yards at ECU and 37 yards at USF, and earned AAC Special Teams Player of the Week honors on Nov. 18.
Hicks made his first career start in the opener against UCLA, had an interception and a fumble recovery and never looked back, becoming a stalwart in the lineup after James Wiggins preseason injury. He was the AAC Defensive Player of the Week after having a hand in three turnovers at Houston, finishing with two interceptions and a fumble recovery. His four fumble recoveries led the American while his four interceptions tied for the conference lead. He had a career high nine tackles at USF, finished with 47 stops during the regular season and also forced a pair of fumbles.
2019 ALL-AMERICAN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE
FIRST TEAM ALL-CONFERENCE
Josiah Deguara, TE
Darrick Forrest, S
Ahmad Gardner, CB
Morgan James, OG
Elijah Ponder, DL
Bryan Wright, LB
Perry Young, LB
SECOND TEAM ALL-CONFERENCE
James Smith, P
Michael Warren II, RB
HONORABLE MENTION ALL-CONFERENCE
Sam Crosa, K
Ja'Von Hicks, S
2020 SEASON TICKET DEPOSITS
The Athletics Ticket Office is now accepting deposits for season tickets in the 2020 season. Any fan who was not a season ticket holder in 2019 should click here to place their deposit for the 2020 season. New season ticket holders who make a deposit will have access to season ticket locations ahead of the general public during the spring 2020 selection window. Deposits are only needed for fans who did not have season tickets in 2019.
FOLLOW THE BEARCATS
For all the latest information on Cincinnati football, please visit GoBEARCATS.com. For up-to-the-minute updates, follow Cincinnati football (@GoBearcatsFB) and Coach Fickell (@CoachFick) on Twitter. You can also find the Bearcats on Instagram and Facebook.