The University of Akron Athletics
Four Zips Earn All-MAC Honors
November 30 | Football
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CLEVELAND– Four Akron football players have earned Mid-American Conference honors, the MAC announced on Wednesday.
Earning first-team All-MAC recognition were sophomore LB Ulysees Gilbert III (Ocala, Fla.) and punt returner redshirt senior JoJo Natson, Jr. (Fort Lauderdale, Fla.). Natson also garnered second-team All-MAC honors at wide receiver. Junior WR Jerome Lane (Akron, Ohio) and redshirt sophomore PK Tom O'Leary (Tucker, Ga.) were third-team All-MAC honorees. All are first-time recipients.
Gilbert started all 12 games at Will linebacker. He led the defense with 122 tackles, 11.5 TFL, eight hurries, four sacks, and two forced fumbles. A CoSIDA Academic All-America candidate, Gilbert earned MAC Defensive Player of the Week and Zips' Student-Athlete of the Week honors on Oct. 3 following UA's Wagon Wheel win over Kent State. Gilbert led the defense with a career-high 16 tackles, including a career-best 10 solo stops and a career-high 3.0 TFL.
Natson appeared in all 12 games with 11 starts at wide receiver. The Zips' leading scorer with 12 touchdowns for 72 points, he finished second in receiving with 59 receptions for 837 yards and a team-best 10 touchdowns. On special teams, Natson had 16 punt returns for 261 yards and two touchdowns. At No. 10 Wisconsin, Natson put Akron on the scoreboard with a 55-yard return for a touchdown, UA's first PR for a touchdown since 2004 en route to MAC Specialist of the Week honors.
Named to the Biletnikoff Award Watch List, Lane started all 12 games at wide receiver. The Zips' leading receiver finished with 1,018 yards and six touchdowns on 62 receptions. Lane has a team-best five 100-yard receiving games in his collegiate career, four of which came during the 2016 season, including a career-high 196 yards receiving in the win over VMI.
O'Leary finished second in team scoring with 69 points. Entering the final game of the season at a perfect 9-for-9, he went 10-11 in field goals and 39-of-42 in extra points. He kicked off 46 times for 2,644 yards (57.5 avg.) with six touchbacks. He earned the coaches' specialist of the week honor twice during the season.
The Zips, under the guidance of fifth-year head coach Terry Bowden, finished the 2016 season at 5-7 overall and 3-5 in MAC play.
2016 MID-AMERICAN CONFERENCE HONORS
MAC Specialty Award Winners
Coach of the Year: P.J. Fleck, Western Michigan
Offensive Player of the Year: WR Corey Davis, Western Michigan
Defensive Player of the Year: DE Tarell Basham, Ohio
Special Teams Player of the Year: KR Darius Phillips, Western Michigan
Freshman of the Year: S Javon Hagan, Ohio
Vern Smith Leadership Award Winner: QB Zach Terrell, Western Michigan
2016 All-MAC First Team Offense
Quarterback – Logan Woodside, Toledo
Offensive Linemen – Taylor Moton, Western Michigan !
Offensive Linemen – Storm Norton, Toledo ^
Offensive Lineman – Chukwuma Okorafor, Western Michigan
Offensive Linemen – Max Scharping, Northern Illinois
Offensive Linemen – Mike Ebert, Toledo
Tight End – Michael Roberts, Toledo
Wide Receiver – Corey Davis, Western Michigan ^&@
Wide Receiver – Kenny Golladay, Northern Illinois *
Wide Receiver – Cody Thompson, Toledo
Wide Receiver – Scott Miller, Bowling Green
Running Back – Kareem Hunt, Toledo *&
Running Back – James Gilbert, Ball State
Placekicker – Louis Zervos, Ohio
2016 All-MAC First Team Defense
Outside Linebacker – Blair Brown, Ohio
Outside Linebacker – Ulysees Gilbert, Akron
Inside Linebacker – Quentin Poling, Ohio !
Inside Linebacker – Malik Fountain, Central Michigan
Down Lineman – Tarell Basham, Ohio %
Down Lineman – Terence Waugh, Kent State ^
Down Lineman – John Stepec, Toledo
Down Lineman – Pat O'Connor, Eastern Michigan &
Defensive Back – Darius Phillips, Western Michigan *
Defensive Back – Amari Coleman, Central Michigan
Defensive Back – Heath Harding, Miami
Defensive Back – Najee Murray, Kent State
Punter – Joe Davidson, Bowling Green ^
2016 All-MAC First Team Specialists
Kickoff Return Specialist – Aregeros Turner, Northern Illinois ^
Punt Return Specialist – JoJo Natson, Akron
2016 All-MAC Second Team Offense
Quarterback – Zach Terrell, Western Michigan !+
Offensive Lineman – John Keenoy, Western Michigan
Offensive Lineman – Troy Watson, Ohio
Offensive Lineman – Levon Myers, Northern Illinois *
Offensive Lineman – Collin Buchanan, Miami
Offensive Lineman – Cole Gardner, Eastern Michigan
Tight End – Mason Schreck, Buffalo
Wide Receiver – Corey Willis, Central Michigan
Wide Receiver – KeVonn Mabon, Ball State !%
Wide Receiver – Jon'Vea Johnson, Toledo
Wide Receiver – JoJo Natson, Akron
Running Back – Jarvion Franklin, Western Michigan &
Running Back – Joel Bouagnon, Northern Illinois ^
Placekicker – Paul Fricano, Eastern Michigan
2016 All-MAC Second Team Defense
Outside Linebacker – Trenton Greene, Bowling Green *
Outside Linebacker – Asantay Brown, Western Michigan !
Inside Linebacker – Robert Spillane, Western Michigan
Inside Linebacker – Khalil Hodge, Buffalo
Down Lineman – Joe Ostman, Central Michigan %
Down Lineman – JT Jones, Miami !
Down Lineman – Treyvon Hester, Toledo +#
Down Lineman – Keion Adams, Western Michigan
Defensive Back – Shawun Lurry, Northern Illinois ^
Defensive Back – Dejuan Rogers, Toledo !
Defensive Back – Javon Hagan, Ohio
Defensive Back – Jerrell Foster, Kent State
Punter – Austin Barnes, Eastern Michigan
2016 All-MAC Second Team Specialists
Kickoff Return Specialist – Darius Phillips, Western Michigan *%
Punt Return Specialist – Darius Phillips, Western Michigan
2016 All-MAC Third Team Offense
Quarterback – Cooper Rush, Central Michigan *
Offensive Lineman – Andrew Wylie, Eastern Michigan
Offensive Lineman – Jake Pruehs, Ohio
Offensive Lineman – Tim McAuliffe, Bowling Green
Offensive Lineman – Logan Dietz, Bowling Green
Offensive Lineman – James O'Hagan, Buffalo
Tight End – Donnie Ernsberger, Western Michigan
Wide Receiver – Jerome Lane, Akron
Wide Receiver – Sebastian Smith, Ohio !
Wide Receiver – Sergion Bailey II, Eastern Michigan
Wide Receiver – James Gardner, Miami
Running Back – Jordan Johnson, Buffalo
Running Back – Fred Coppet, Bowling Green
Placekicker – Tom O'Leary, Akron
2016 All-MAC Third Team Defense
Outside Linebacker – Sean Wiggins, Ball State ^
Outside Linebacker – De'Andre Montgomery, Miami
Inside Linebacker – Ju'Wuan Woodley, Toledo
Inside Linebacker – Junior McMullen, Miami
Down Lineman – Jeremiah Harris, Eastern Michigan
Down Lineman – Jon Cunningham, Kent State
Down Lineman – Casey Sayles, Ohio
Down Lineman – Anthony Winbush, Ball State
Defensive Back – Justin Ferguson, Western Michigan
Defensive Back – Josh Cox, Central Michigan
Defensive Back – DaQuan Pace, Eastern Michigan
Defensive Back – Jamari Bozeman, Bowling Green
Punter – Michael Farkas, Ohio
2016 All-MAC Third Team Specialists
Kickoff Return Specialist – Maurice Thomas, Miami
Punt Return Specialist – Corey Jones, Toledo ^
^ 2015 First-Team All-MAC
* 2015 Second-Team All-MAC
! 2015 Third-Team All-MAC
& 2014 First-Team All-MAC
+ 2014 Second-Team All-MAC
% 2014 Third-Team All-MAC
@ 2013 Second-Team All-MAC
# 2013 Third-Team All-MAC
