Ohio senior Nathan Rourke (12) evades a Kent State defender, during the Bobcats’ Oct. 19 victory at Peden Stadium in Athens, Ohio.
Alex Hawley|OVP Sports
Ohio senior Javon Hagan (7) celebrates a third-down stop, during the Bobcats’ 39-36 loss to NIU on Oct. 12 in Athens, Ohio.
Alex Hawley|OVP Sports
CLEVELAND, Ohio — A truly magnificent seven.
The Ohio football team landed seven players — all seniors — on the 2019 All-Mid-American Conference football teams, as selected by the coaches from within the league.
The Bobcats — who were 6-6 overall — finished as one of four teams in the MAC with a 5-3 conference record this season, joining Western Michigan, Buffalo and Kent State.
Ohio claimed a pair of first team spots, as well as two second team choices and three third team picks.
OU redshirt senior safety Javon Hagan is on the first team defense for a second straight season, after being picked to the second team in his freshman and sophomore seasons. In his final campaign, Hagan recorded a team-best 99 tackles, 20 more than the closest Bobcat, while also breaking up seven passes, the most on the team.
After back-to-back seasons on second team, Ohio senior quarterback Nathan Rourke was named to the first team this fall. Rourke completed 191-of-311 (61.4 percent) of his pass attempts, for 2,676 yards and 20 touchdowns, against just five interceptions this season. Rourke’s 780 rushing yards were second most on the team, with his 12 rushing scores as a team-high.
A pair of redshirt seniors represent Ohio on second team, with offensive lineman Austen Pleasants and punter Michael Farkas. Pleasants — a Coal Grove graduate — was a team captain this fall and earned his first All-MAC honor. Farkas completes his tour of the All-MAC teams, as he was a first team selection last season and a third team choice in 2016.
The Bobcats on third team were redshirt senior offensive linemen Steven Hayes and Marques Grimes, as well as redshirt senior kickoff return specialist DL Knock. This is the first all-conference honor for Hayes, Grimes and Knock.
2019 MAC Specialty Award Winners
Coach of the Year: Jim McElwain, Central Michigan
Offensive Player of the Year: RB LeVante Bellamy, Western Michigan
Defensive Player of the Year: OLB Treshaun Hayward, Western Michigan
Special Teams Player of the Year: K Matthew Trickett, Kent State
Freshman of the Year: QB Brett Gabbert, Miami
Vern Smith Leadership Award Winner: RB LeVante Bellamy, Western Michigan
2019 ALL-MAC football teams
First Team Offense
QB – Nathan Rourke, Ohio +#
Offensive Linemen – Danny Pinter, Ball State
Offensive Linemen – Luke Juriga, Western Michigan &#
OL – Jordan Steckler, Northern Illinois
Offensive Linemen – Evin Ksiezarczyk, Buffalo +
Offensive Linemen – Tommy Doyle, Miami
TE – Giovanni Ricci, Western Michigan %
WR – Kalil Pimpleton, Central Michigan
WR – Justin Hall, Ball State %#
WR – Skyy Moore, Western Michigan
WR – JaCorey Sullivan, Central Michigan
RB – LeVante Bellamy, Western Michigan &
RB – Jaret Patterson, Buffalo +
PK – Matt Trickett, Kent State &
First Team Defense
OLB – Treshaun Hayward, Western Michigan
OLB – Troy Brown, Central Michigan
ILB – Jacob White, Ball State %
ILB – John Lako, Akron %
DL – Sean Adesanya, Central Michigan
DL – Taylor Riggins, Buffalo
DL – Malcolm Koonce, Buffalo
DL – Doug Costin, Miami +
DB – Joey Banks, Buffalo
DB – Javon Hagan, Ohio &#*
DB – Vince Calhoun, Eastern Michigan %^
DB – Antonio Phillips, Ball State
P – Kyle Kramer, Miami %
First Team Specialists
Kickoff Return – Keith Mixon Jr., Western Michigan
Punt Return – Kalil Pimpleton, Central Michigan
Second Team Offense
QB – Mike Glass III, Eastern Michigan
OL – Austen Pleasants, Ohio
OL – Jaylon Moore, Western Michigan
OL – Kayode Awosika, Buffalo
OL – Mike Caliendo, Western Michigan
OL – Paul Nosworthy, Buffalo
TE – Tony Poljan, Central Michigan
WR – Riley Miller, Ball State +
WR – Arthur Jackson, Eastern Michigan
WR – Bryce Mitchell, Toledo
WR – Quintin Morris, Bowling Green
RB – Bryant Koback, Toledo
RB – Caleb Huntley, Ball State
PK – Sam Sloman, Miami
Second Team Defense
OLB – Brody Hoying, Eastern Michigan %@ (as DB)
OLB – Kadofi Wright, Buffalo
ILB – Michael Oliver, Central Michigan
ILB – Drake Spears, Western Michigan
DL – Ali Fayad, Western Michigan
DL – Jack Heflin, Northern Illinois %
DL – Ledarius Mack, Buffalo
DL – Kameron Butler, Miami
DB – Jamal Parker, Kent State
DB – Mykelti Williams, Northern Illinois +
DB – Amechi Uzodinma, Ball State
DB – Tyrone Hill, Buffalo
P – Michael Farkas, Ohio &!
Second Team Specialists
Kickoff Return – Malik Dunner, Ball State %^
Punt Return – Maurice Thomas, Miami
Third Team Offense
QB – Jon Wassink, Western Michigan
OL – Nick Rosi, Toledo
OL – Danny Godlevske, Miami %
OL – Curtis Blackwell, Ball State
OL – Marques Grimes, Ohio
OL – Steven Hayes, Ohio
TE – Mitchell Brinkman, Northern Illinois
WR – Isaiah McKoy, Kent State
WR – Antonio Nunn, Buffalo
WR – Mike Carrigan, Kent State
WR – Dylan Drummond, Eastern Michigan
RB – Jonathan Ward, Central Michigan
RB – Tre Harbison, Northern Illinois +
PK – John Richardson, Northern Illinois
Third Team Defense
OLB – Myles Reid, Miami
OLB – Kholbe Coleman, Bowling Green
ILB – Kobie Beltram, Eastern Michigan
ILB – Jaylin Thomas, Ball State
DL – Jamal Hines, Toledo
DL – Chibueze Onwuka, Buffalo
DL – Theo Majette, Kent State
DL – Robi Stuart, Central Michigan
DB – Alvin Davis, Akron &#
DB – Emmanuel Rugamba, Miami
DB – Patrick Lupro, Western Michigan
DB – Kevin McGill, Eastern Michigan +
P – Derek Adams, Kent State
Third Team Specialists
Kickoff Return – DL Knock, Ohio
Punt Return – Keith Mixon Jr., Western Michigan
& 2018 First-Team All-MAC
+ 2018 Second-Team All-MAC
% 2018 Third-Team All-MAC
@ 2017 First-Team All-MAC
# 2017 Second-Team All-MAC
^ 2017 Third-Team All-MAC
= 2016 First-Team All-MAC
* 2016 Second-Team All-MAC
! 2016 Third-Team All-MAC
Alex Hawley can be reached at 740-446-2342, ext. 2100.
