Courtesey UCF Athletics
Ranked third in the nation with seven interceptions and third with 18 passes defended, UCF sophomore cornerback Jacoby Glenn received a spot on the Associated Press All-America Second Team on Tuesday. East Carolina wide receiver Justin Hardy, the NCAA FBS all-time leader in receptions, was named to the Third Team.
A native of Prichard, Ala., Glenn is the first Knight since running back Kevin Smith in 2007 to be named to an Associated Press All-America Team.
Since UCF joined the FBS in 1996, Glenn is the first defensive player to see his name on an All-America squad (excluding honorable mention and freshmen teams). It is the program’s first overall defensive All-American since linebacker Bobby Spitulski was on the AP All-America Third Team in 1991 when the Knights were an FCS member.
This year, there were a total of 50 student-athletes on the AP First or Second Teams. Glenn was one of just 13 underclassmen (12 sophomores, one freshman) to earn one of those spots.
Glenn is not a stranger to national attention. As a redshirt freshman in 2013, he was selected to the Football Writers Association of America (FWAA) as well as the CollegeFootballNews.com Freshman All-America Teams.
When it comes to league awards, Glenn has been on the All-American Athletic Conference First Team in each of his first two years with the Knights. To top that off, he was voted as the 2014 AAC Co-Defensive Player of the Year.
Glenn sits in sixth in UCF history with nine interceptions. His seven picks this season, even with opposing quarterbacks limiting their throws in his direction, are one shy of tying Keith Evans (1986) for the single-season record. Glenn also has 26 break-ups in less than two campaigns, which already puts him only two short of the career top-10.
In 2014, Glenn also has 45 tackles with a forced fumble. He has produced at least one pass defense in 10 of 12 games this year.
Glenn and the 9-3 Knights are preparing to face NC State in St. Petersburg Dec. 26.
Hardy, who last week accepted the Burlsworth Trophy as the nation's top player who was formerly a walk-on, enters the Pirates' matchup against Florida in the Birmingham Bowl with an NCAA-record 355 career receptions.
Hardy was a unanimous selection to the American Athletic Conference First Team and has committed to play in the 2015 Reese's Senior Bowl.
Hardy leads The American with 110 receptions for 1,334 yards and nine touchdowns in 2014. He averaged 111.2 receiving yards per game in the regular season and was the conference's leader in all-purpose yards, averaging 118.2 yards per game.
Hardy helped East Carolina to an 8-4 record in the regular season. He is the first East Carolina player named to an AP All-America team since punter Andrew Bayes' first-team selection in 1999.
The Associated Press All-America team.
FIRST TEAM
OFFENSE
Quarterback — Marcus Mariota, junior, 6-foot-4, 219 pounds, Oregon
Running backs — Melvin Gordon, junior, 6-1, 213, Wisconsin; Tevin Coleman, junior, 6-1, 210, Indiana.
Tackles — Brandon Scherff, senior, 6-5, 320, Iowa; Spencer Drango, junior, 6-6, 310, Baylor.
Guards — Tre Jackson, senior, 6-4, 330, Florida State; Laken Tomlinson, senior, 6-3, 320, Duke.
Center — Reese Dismukes, senior, 6-3, 296, Auburn.
Tight End — Nick O'Leary, senior, 6-3, 247, Florida State.
Wide receivers — Amari Cooper, junior, 6-1, 210, Alabama; Rashard Higgins, sophomore, 6-2, 188, Colorado State.
Kicker — Roberto Aguayo, sophomore, 6-1, 203, Florida State.
All-purpose player — Shaq Thompson, junior, 6-1, 228, Washington.
DEFENSE
Ends — Joey Bosa, sophomore, 6-5, 278, Ohio State; Vic Beasley, senior, 6-3, 235, Clemson.
Tackles — Malcolm Brown, junior, 6-2, 320, Texas; Danny Shelton, junior, 6-2, 339, Washington.
Linebackers — Scooby Wright III, sophomore, 6-1, 246, Arizona; Hau'oli Kikaha, senior, 6-3, 246, Washington; Paul Dawson, senior, 6-2, 230, TCU.
Cornerbacks — Senquez Golson, senior, 5-9, 176, Mississippi; Ifo Ekpre-Olomu, senior, 5-10, 195, Oregon.
Safeties — Landon Collins, junior, 6-0, 222, Alabama; Gerod Holliman, sophomore, 6-2, 213, Louisville.
Punter — Tom Hackett, junior, 5-11, 187, Utah.
SECOND TEAM
OFFENSE
Quarterback — Trevone Boykin, junior, TCU
Running backs — James Conner, sophomore, Pittsburgh; Ameer Abdullah, senior, Nebraska.
Tackles — La'el Collins, senior, LSU; Andrus Peat, junior, Stanford.
Guards — Arie Kouandjio, senior, Alabama; A.J. Cann, senior, South Carolina.
Center — Hroniss Grassu, senior, Oregon.
Tight End — Maxx Williams, sophomore, Minnesota.
Wide receivers — Kevin White, senior, West Virginia; Rashad Greene, senior, Florida State.
Kicker — Brad Craddock, junior, Maryland.
All-purpose player — Tyler Lockett, senior, Kansas State.
DEFENSE
Ends — Shane Ray, junior, Missouri; Nate Orchard, senior, Utah.
Tackles — Leonard Williams, junior, Southern California; Robert Nkemdiche, sophomore, Mississippi.
Linebackers — Eric Kendricks, senior, UCLA; Benardrick McKinney, junior, Mississippi State; Jaylon Smith, sophomore, Notre Dame.
Cornerbacks — Vernon Hargreaves III, sophomore, Florida; Jacoby Glenn, sophomore, UCF.
Safeties — Jalen Ramsey, sophomore, Florida State; Cody Prewitt, senior, Mississippi.
Punter — JK Scott, freshman, Alabama.
THIRD TEAM
OFFENSE
Quarterback — J.T. Barrett, redshirt freshman, Ohio State.
Running backs — Jay Ajayi, junior, Boise State; Samaje Perine, freshman, Oklahoma.
Tackles — Cedric Ogbuehi, senior, Texas A&M; Jake Fisher, senior, Oregon.
Guards — Shaquille Mason, senior, Georgia Tech; Ben Beckwith, senior, Mississippi State.
Center — Jack Allen, junior, Michigan State.
Tight End — Clive Walford, senior, Miami.
Wide receivers — Justin Hardy, senior, East Carolina; Nelson Agholor, junior, Southern California.
Kicker — Josh Lambert, sophomore, West Virginia.
All-purpose player — J.J. Nelson, senior, UAB.
DEFENSE
Ends — Shawn Oakman, junior, Baylor; Randy Gregory, junior, Nebraska.
Tackles — Michael Bennett, senior, Ohio State; Eddie Goldman, junior, Florida State.
Linebackers — Denzel Perryman, senior, Miami; Mike Hull, senior, Penn State; Eric Striker, junior, Oklahoma.
Cornerbacks — Trae Waynes, junior, Michigan State; Kendall Fuller, sophomore, Virginia Tech.
Safeties — Kurtis Drummond, senior, Michigan State; Su'a Cravens, sophomore, Southern California.
Punter — Austin Rehkow, sophomore, Idaho.