Conference USA selects 12 from FAU for honors

Twelve Florida Atlantic players earned accolades from Conference USA on Tuesday afternoon, including defensive end Trey Hendrickson garnering first-team status.

Hendrickson finished his senior season with 50 tackles, 15 tackles for loss and 9.5 sacks. He leaves FAU as the program leader in career sacks, tackles for loss, quarterback hurries, forced fumbles, yards from sacks and yards from tackles for loss.

The Owls named Hendrickson their MVP for this past season, when the team went 3-9 and fired coach Charlie Partridge. Hendrickson also earned firstteam all-conference honors last season and was named the league’s Preseason Defensive Player of the Year entering 2016.

Running back Devin “Motor” Singletary, kick returner Kerrith Whyte Jr. and tight end Harrison Bryant were each named to Conference USA’s AllFreshman team.

The following Owls were honorable mentions for the all-conference team: Singletary, receiver Kalib Woods, linemen Dillon DeBoer and Antonyo Woods on offense; linebacker Azeez Al-Shaair, safety Jalen Young and cornerback Raekwon Williams on defense; Whyte, kicker Greg Joseph and punter Dalton Schomp on special teams.

Singletary posted one of the best seasons in FAU history, rushing for 1,021 yards and 12 touchdowns on just 152 carries. He garnered only one start this season and burst out in the second half after totaling 14 carries in the first four games. Singletary twice went over 200 rushing yards in a game, including a school-record 257 yards in a win over Rice.

Whyte averaged 25.7 yards per kick return, ranking 21st nationally. His longest return was 63 yards. Whyte was also FAU’s fourth-leading rusher, racking up 145 yards on the ground.

Bryant caught six passes for 63 yards this season, the second-most receiving yards among Conference USA freshman tight ends. Bryant played in all 12 games this season, primarily as graduate student Tyler Cameron’s backup.

—Matthew DeFranks Hot Peppers

Florida State coach

Jimbo Fisher knows the Seminoles will have their hands full trying to limit the impact of Heisman Trophy finalist Jabrill Peppers of Michigan in the Dec. 30 Orange Bowl.

“We remember Jabrill from high school, and just watching him as an offensive player, defensive player, special teams player,” Fisher said.

“He’s one of the unique guys that are physical enough to play where he does at the line of scrimmage, almost as a nickelback, like a linebacker, but can go play safety or corner. And to be able to run the jet sweeps, and return the kicks and punts, and the ball skills he has.

“He’s one of the very, very unique players in college football — there’s no doubt about that.”

Peppers has 72 tackles with 16 tackles for loss as a fixture on Michigan’s defense, which ranks second nationally, surrendering an average of 12.5 points and 252.7 yards per game. He also averages 14.8 yards per punt return, the fourthmost nationally, and has accounted for 27 carries for 167 yards with three touchdowns on offense.

“He’s very deserving of everything he’s receiving reward-wise,” Fisher said.

—Safid Deen