PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- UCF quarterback McKenzie Milton, who led the No. 7-ranked Knights to a second consecutive perfect regular season, has been chosen as the American Athletic Conference Offensive Player of the Year for the second straight year, while ECU defensive end Nate Harvey, the national leader in tackles for loss, was named as The American’s Defensive Player of the Year by the league’s 12 head coaches.
Temple wide receiver Isaiah Wright was named as The American’s Special Teams Player of the Year. Cincinnati quarterback Desmond Ridder was chosen as Rookie of the Year, while Bearcat head coach Luke Fickell was named as Coach of the Year.
Milton becomes the first player to repeat as The American’s Offensive Player of the Year as he served as the catalyst behind an offense that leads the conference and ranks fifth nationally at 531.5 yards per game and averaged 43.1 points per game, which ranks eighth. Milton, who suffered a serious injury in UCF’s win against USF last Friday, threw for 2,663 yards and 25 touchdowns with six interceptions and rushed for 307 yards and a team-high nine TDs in 2018. He ranks 10th nationally in pass efficiency (161.0), third in yards per completion (15.57) and sixth in points responsible for per game (20.4).
Harvey enjoyed a breakout season as a senior at ECU in 2018. After spending last season primarily on special teams, Harvey emerged as a starting defensive end and enters Saturday’s regular-season finale at North Carolina State as the national leader in tackles for loss (24.0). Harvey broke The American’s single-season record of 23.0 tackles for loss, set by Houston’s Ed Oliver last year, and enters Saturday’s game with 13.5 sacks, one shy of the conference’s single-season record (14.5 by Louisville’s Marcus Smith in 2013). In addition, Harvey has 59 tackles, two forced fumbles and a fumble recovery. He is the first ECU player to be chosen as The American’s Defensive Player of the Year.
Wright becomes the first Temple player to earn Special Teams Player of the Year honors from The American. Wright scored a nation-leading three special teams touchdowns in 2018 and enters the postseason as the conference leader in punt return average (13.9 yards per return). Wright is third in the conference in kickoff return average (25.9 ypr) and fifth in all-purpose yards (119.0 yards per game).
Ridder is the first Cincinnati player to be named as The American’s Rookie of the Year. Ridder took over as the Bearcats’ quarterback in the second quarter of the season-opening win at UCLA and has led Cincinnati to a 10-2 record. Ridder has thrown for 2,382 yards and 19 touchdowns with five interceptions and has rushed for 563 yards and five TDs as a redshirt freshman. He ranks fourth in The American in pass efficiency (145.7) and fifth in total offense (245.4 yards per game).
Fickell was chosen by his peers as The American’s Coach of the Year after he orchestrated a six-win improvement in his second year on the Cincinnati sideline. After going 4-8 in his first year, Fickell has led the Bearcats to a 10-2 overall record, a 4-0 in mark in nonconference games and a 6-2 conference mark in 2018. The Bearcats returned to the national polls for the first time since 2013, ranking as high as No. 19 in the Nov. 11 Associated Press poll.
In addition to the major award-winners, The American also named its first, second and honorable mention all-conference teams. Memphis running back Darrell Henderson, a finalist for the Doak Walker Award, became the eighth player in conference history to be unanimously named to the all-conference first team. Houston defensive tackle Ed Oliver, meanwhile, becomes the fourth player in league history to be chosen to the first team three times in a career. Oliver joins Milton, UCF center Jordan Johnson, Temple safety Delvon Randall and Cincinnati punter James Smith as repeat first-team selections from last season.
UCF set a league record with 17 selections to the all-conference teams, bettering its mark of 16 set last season.
2018 AMERICAN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE FOOTBALL AWARDS
AMERICAN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE OFFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR
McKenzie Milton, QB, UCF (Jr., Kapolei, Hawaii)
AMERICAN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Nate Harvey, DE, ECU (Sr., Knightdale, N.C.)
AMERICAN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE SPECIAL TEAMS PLAYER OF THE YEAR
Isaiah Wright, WR/KR, Temple (Jr., West Hartford, Conn.)
AMERICAN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE ROOKIE OF THE YEAR
Desmond Ridder, QB, Cincinnati (Fr., Louisville, Ky.)
AMERICAN ATHLETIC CONFERENCE COACH OF THE YEAR
Luke Fickell, Cincinnati
ALL-CONFERENCE FIRST TEAM
| Pos. |
Player |
School |
Cl. |
Ht. |
Wt. |
Hometown |
| WR |
Trevon Brown 2 |
ECU |
Sr. |
6-2 |
215 |
Wilmington, N.C. |
| WR |
Marquez Stevenson |
Houston |
So. |
6-0 |
190 |
Shreveport, La. |
| WR |
James Proche |
SMU |
Jr. |
5-11 |
190 |
Dallas, Texas |
| OT |
Dino Boyd |
Cincinnati |
Sr. |
6-4 |
300 |
Newark, N.J. |
| OT |
Jake Brown |
UCF |
Jr. |
6-3 |
305 |
Encinitas, Calif. |
| OG |
Cole Schneider |
UCF |
Fr. |
6-4 |
312 |
Fort Myers, Fla. |
| OG |
Dustin Woodard |
Memphis |
Jr. |
6-2 |
285 |
Chandler, Ariz. |
| C |
Jordan Johnson 1 |
UCF |
Jr. |
6-2 |
320 |
Jacksonville, Fla. |
| TE |
Mitchell Wilcox |
USF |
Jr. |
6-5 |
245 |
Tarpon Springs, Fla. |
| QB |
McKenzie Milton 1 |
UCF |
Jr. |
5-11 |
185 |
Kapolei, Hawaii |
| RB |
Darrell Henderson * 2 |
Memphis |
Jr. |
5-9 |
200 |
Batesville, Miss. |
| RB |
Ryquell Armstead |
Temple |
Sr. |
5-11 |
215 |
Millville, N.J. |
| DL |
Cortez Broughton 2 |
Cincinnati |
Sr. |
6-2 |
290 |
Warner Robbins, Ga. |
| DL |
Nate Harvey |
ECU |
Sr. |
6-1 |
225 |
Knightdale, N.C. |
| DL |
Ed Oliver 1 1 |
Houston |
Jr. |
6-3 |
292 |
Houston, Texas |
| DL |
Michael Dogbe |
Temple |
Gr. |
6-3 |
280 |
Morris Plains, N.J. |
| LB |
Nate Evans |
UCF |
Jr. |
6-1 |
241 |
Waggaman, La. |
| LB |
Perry Young |
Cincinnati |
Jr. |
5-11 |
215 |
Birmingham, Ala. |
| LB |
Austin Robinson |
Houston |
Sr. |
6-3 |
240 |
Pearland, Texas |
| LB |
Shaun Bradley |
Temple |
Jr. |
6-1 |
225 |
Mt. Holly, N.J. |
| CB |
Nevelle Clarke |
UCF |
Jr. |
6-1 |
187 |
Miami, Fla. |
| CB |
Rock Ya-Sin |
Temple |
Sr. |
6-2 |
190 |
Decatur, Ga. |
| S |
Richie Grant |
UCF |
So. |
6-0 |
194 |
Fort Walton Beach, Fla. |
| S |
Delvon Randall 1 |
Temple |
Sr. |
6-1 |
210 |
Pittsburgh, Pa. |
| K |
Jake Verity |
ECU |
Jr. |
6-1 |
185 |
Bremen, Ga. |
| P |
James Smith 1 |
Cincinnati |
So. |
6-5 |
220 |
Wangaratta, Australia |
| RS |
John “Pop” Williams |
Memphis |
Jr. |
5-9 |
172 |
Destrehan, La. |
| RS |
Isaiah Wright |
Temple |
Jr. |
6-2 |
220 |
West Hartford, Conn. |
* unanimous selection
ALL-CONFERENCE SECOND TEAM
| Pos. |
Player |
School |
Cl. |
Ht. |
Wt. |
Hometown |
| WR |
Gabriel Davis |
UCF |
So. |
6-3 |
212 |
Sanford, Fla. |
| WR |
Damonte Coxie |
Memphis |
So. |
6-3 |
200 |
Reserve, La. |
| WR |
Ventell Bryant |
Temple |
Gr. |
6-3 |
200 |
Tampa, Fla. |
| OT |
Wyatt Miller 2 |
UCF |
Sr. |
6-4 |
306 |
Douglas, Ga. |
| OT |
Trevon Tate 1 |
Memphis |
Jr. |
6-4 |
295 |
Houston, Texas |
| OG |
Jovahn Fair |
Temple |
Jr. |
6-2 |
300 |
Akron, Ohio |
| OG |
Tyler Bowling 2 2 |
Tulsa |
Jr. |
6-6 |
325 |
Yukon, Okla. |
| C |
Garrett Campell |
Cincinnati |
Sr. |
6-5 |
315 |
Cincinnati, Ohio |
| TE |
Josiah Deguara |
Cincinnati |
Jr. |
6-3 |
242 |
Folsom, Calif. |
| QB |
D’Eriq King |
Houston |
Jr. |
5-11 |
195 |
Manvel, Texas |
| RB |
Michael Warren II |
Cincinnati |
So. |
5-11 |
218 |
Toledo, Ohio |
| RB |
Adrian Killins Jr. 1 |
UCF |
Jr. |
5-8 |
164 |
Daytona Beach, Fla. |
| DL |
Titus Davis |
UCF |
Sr. |
6-3 |
250 |
Atlanta, Ga. |
| DL |
Marquise Copeland 2 |
Cincinnati |
Sr. |
6-3 |
290 |
Cleveland, Ohio |
| DL |
Brendon Hayes |
UCF |
Jr. |
6-3 |
293 |
New Orleans, La. |
| DL |
Kimoni Fitz |
Cincinnati |
Sr. |
6-3 |
257 |
Ringgold, Va. |
| DL |
Patrick Johnson |
Tulane |
So. |
6-3 |
255 |
Chattanooga, Tenn. |
| LB |
Pat Jasinski |
UCF |
Sr. |
6-1 |
236 |
Roswell, Ga. |
| LB |
Bryce Huff |
Memphis |
Jr. |
6-3 |
245 |
Mobile, Ala. |
| LB |
Khalid McGee |
USF |
Sr. |
5-10 |
213 |
Miami, Fla. |
| LB |
Zachery Harris |
Tulane |
Sr. |
6-0 |
220 |
New Orleans, La. |
| CB |
T.J. Carter 2 |
Memphis |
So. |
5-11 |
180 |
Nashville, Tenn. |
| CB |
Donnie Lewis Jr. H |
Tulane |
Sr. |
6-0 |
195 |
Baton Rouge, La. |
| S |
James Wiggins |
Cincinnati |
So. |
6-0 |
202 |
Homestead, Fla. |
| S |
Roderic Teamer Jr. |
Tulane |
Sr. |
6-0 |
205 |
New Orleans, La. |
| K |
Matthew Wright 2 |
UCF |
Sr. |
6-0 |
179 |
Lancaster, Pa. |
| P |
Thomas Bennett |
Tulsa |
Jr. |
6-3 |
180 |
Carlsbad, Calif. |
| RS |
Adrian Killins Jr. |
UCF |
Jr. |
5-8 |
164 |
Daytona Beach, Fla. |
ALL-CONFERENCE HONORABLE MENTION
| Pos. |
Player |
School |
Cl. |
Ht. |
Wt. |
Hometown |
| TE |
Michael Colubiale |
UCF |
Sr. |
6-1 |
223 |
Port Orange, Fla. |
| CB |
Brandon Moore |
UCF |
So. |
6-0 |
186 |
Sanford, Fla. |
| OG |
Mason Denley |
Houston |
Sr. |
6-5 |
310 |
Columbus, Texas |
| LB |
Curtis Akins |
Memphis |
Sr. |
6-2 |
235 |
Byhalia, Miss. |
| S |
Sean Williams H |
Navy |
Sr. |
6-1 |
197 |
Memphis, Tenn. |
| CB |
Mike Hampton |
USF |
So. |
6-1 |
168 |
Tampa, Fla. |
| LB |
Richard Moore |
SMU |
Jr. |
6-0 |
230 |
Cedar Hill, Texas |
| LB |
Cooper Edmiston |
Tulsa |
Jr. |
6-3 |
237 |
Gatesville, Texas |
1 2 H indicates previous selections to first team, second team, or honorable mention
| American Athletic Conference Offensive Players of the Year |
| 2013 Blake Bortles, QB, UCF |
| 2014 Shane Carden, QB, East Carolina |
| 2015 Keenan Reynolds, QB, Navy |
| 2016 Quinton Flowers, QB, USF |
| 2017 McKenzie Milton, QB, UCF |
| 2018 McKenzie Milton, QB, UCF |
| |
| American Athletic Conference Defensive Players of the Year |
| 2013 Marcus Smith, DE, Louisville |
| 2014 Jacoby Glenn, CB, UCF |
| Tank Jakes, LB, Memphis |
| 2015 Tyler Matakevich, LB, Temple |
| 2016 Shaquem Griffin, LB, UCF |
| 2017 Ed Oliver, DT, Houston |
| 2018 Nate Harvey, DE, ECU |
| |
| American Athletic Conference Special Teams Players of the Year |
| 2013 Demarcus Ayers, WR/KR, Houston |
| Tom Hornsey, P, Memphis |
| 2014 Jake Elliott, K, Memphis |
| 2015 Jake Elliott, K, Memphis |
| 2016 Tony Pollard, WR/RS, Memphis |
| 2017 Tony Pollard, WR/RS, Memphis |
| 2018 Isaiah Wright, WR/RS, Temple |
| |
| American Athletic Conference Rookies of the Year |
| 2013 John O’Korn, QB, Houston |
| 2014 Marlon Mack, RB, USF |
| 2015 Tre’Quan Smith, WR, UCF |
| 2016 Ed Oliver, DT, Houston |
| 2017 T.J. Carter, CB, Memphis |
| 2018 Desmond Ridder, QB, Cincinnati |
| |
| American Athletic Conference Coaches of the Year |
| 2013 George O’Leary, UCF |
| 2014 Justin Fuente, Memphis |
| 2015 Tom Herman, Houston |
| Ken Niumatalolo, Navy |
| 2016 Ken Niumatalolo, Navy |
| 2017 Scott Frost, UCF |
| 2018 Luke Fickell, Cincinnati |