JMU's DiNucci, Carter Headline 2019 CAA Football All-Conference Awards
Rob Washburn
RICHMOND, Va. (November 26, 2019) – CAA Football announced its 2019 post-season award winners on Tuesday, headlined by James Madison senior quarterback
Ben DiNucci being selected as the league’s Offensive Player of the Year and JMU senior defensive end
Ron’Dell Carter being chosen as the conference’s Defensive Player of the Year.
Other major award recipients included UAlbany’s
Greg Gattuso as CAA Coach of the Year, Maine senior kick returner/wide receiver
Earnest Edwards as Special Teams Player of the Year, UAlbany redshirt freshman quarterback
Jeff Undercuffler as Offensive Rookie of the Year and Richmond freshman linebacker
Tristan Wheeler as Defensive Rookie of the Year. Villanova senior safety
Chucky Smith was honored with the Chuck Boone Leadership and Excellence Award.
CAA Football’s all-conference awards are voted on by the league’s 12 head coaches. Conference champion James Madison led all teams with 18 selections, while Towson and Villanova each had 10 players recognized on the squad.
DiNucci leads the nation in completion percentage (70.3%), connecting on 187-of-266 passes for 2,552 yards. He’s thrown 22 touchdown passes with just four interceptions and ranks 3
rd nationally in pass efficiency. DiNucci passed for over 200 yards eight times and had eight games with multiple TD passes. He also contributed with his legs, rushing for 426 yards and four TD’s. DiNucci’s play has helped JMU average 42.3 points per game this season, which ranks second in FCS. He’s the third JMU quarterback in the past five years to be chosen as Offensive Player of the Year, joining Bryan Schor (2016) and Vad Lee (2015).
Carter caused havoc from his defensive end spot, ranking second in FCS with 22.5 tackles for loss. He recorded at least 2.0 TFL’s in seven of the Dukes’ 12 games. The senior is also third in the CAA and 16
th nationally with 9.5 sacks and has 10 quarterback hurries. Carter ranks third on the team with 53 total tackles and has one forced fumble. A finalist for the Buck Buchanan Award as the top defensive player in FCS, Carter has helped JMU lead the nation in rushing defense (62.8 ypg), which ranking third in scoring defense (15.7 ppg) and fourth in total defense (276.6 ypg). He joins Andrew Ankrah (2017) and Jimmy Moreland (2018) as Dukes who have been named Defensive Player of the Year in the past three seasons.
Picked to finish 12
th in the league’s preseason poll, Gattuso guided UAlbany to a best-ever second-place finish in the CAA with a 6-2 mark. The Great Danes went 8-4 overall, earned a berth in the FCS playoffs for the first time since 2011, and were ranked No. 25 in the final regular-season STATS FCS Top 25 poll. UAlbany won five of its final six games and achieved its highest victory total since 2012. Gattuso is a finalist for the STATS Eddie Robinson Award, which is presented to the top head coach in FCS football.
Edwards led the nation by averaging 28.5 yards on kick returns (20 ret., 570 yds). He tied his own CAA record by returning two kickoffs for touchdowns against Colgate on Sept. 21 and his six career TD’s on kick returns are a school record. Edwards, who also received first-team All-CAA accolades at wide receiver, ranked third in FCS in all-purpose yardage (169.4 ypg) and scored a touchdown in 18 of his final 19 games. He is Maine’s all-time leader in kickoff return yards (2,311) and receiving yards (2,641).
Undercuffler ranked second in the nation with a school-record 33 touchdown passes this season. The redshirt freshman completed 225-of-397 passes for a school-record 2,966 yards and was only picked off seven times. Undercuffler threw for over 300 yards four times and had seven games with at least three touchdown passes. He ranks 8
th in FCS in points responsible for and is 26
th in passing efficiency. Undercuffler is a finalist for the Jerry Rice Award as the top freshman in FCS.
Wheeler led all freshmen in FCS with 104 tackles despite not starting until the fourth game of the year. The Spiders’ linebacker is the first freshman in FCS to reach the 100-tackle plateau since 2017 and the first in the CAA since 2013. He recorded double-digit stops in six games and also contributed 3.5 tackles for loss and two forced fumbles. Wheeler is also a finalist for the Jerry Rice Award as the top freshman in FCS.
Smith was the recipient of the prestigious Chuck Boone Leadership and Excellence Award, an honor that embodies the highest standards of leadership, integrity, teamwork and sportsmanship in academics and athletics. The senior safety started saw action in all 12 games this season and recorded 43 tackles, 3.5 tackles for loss and a pass breakup. He will graduate in December with a degree in Biology (pre-medicine track) and a double minor in Economics and Naval Science. Smith has already been selected to attend Navy Flight School in Pensacola, Florida. A platoon leader with the Naval ROTC program at Villanova, Smith received the Jake Nevin Award for character, integrity and leadership. He serves as chair of RUIBAL, a volunteer program for tutoring underprivileged inner-city children.
2019 CAA Football First Team Offense
|
| Player, School |
Pos. |
Class |
Hometown |
| Ben DiNucci, James Madison |
QB |
Sr. |
Wexford, Pa. |
| Percy Agyei-Obese, James Madison |
RB |
Jr. |
Frederick, Md. |
| Karl Mofor, UAlbany |
RB |
Jr. |
Greenbelt, Md. |
| Evan Gray, New Hampshire |
FB/HB |
Sr. |
Centreville, Va |
| Earnest Edwards, Maine |
WR |
Sr. |
Rochester, N.Y. |
| Juwan Green, UAlbany |
WR |
Sr. |
Martinsburg, W.Va. |
| Aaron Parker, Rhode Island |
WR |
Sr. |
Prince George’s Co., Md. |
| Matt Foster, Elon |
TE |
Sr. |
Williamsville, N.Y. |
| Liam Dobson, Maine |
OL |
Jr. |
Ottawa, Ontario |
| Liam Fornadel, James Madison |
OL |
Jr. |
Wyckoff, N.J. |
| Paul Grattan, Villanova |
OL |
Jr. |
Pittsburgh, Pa. |
| Kyle Murphy, Rhode Island |
OL |
Sr. |
Attleboro, Mass. |
| Mac Patrick, James Madison |
OL |
Sr. |
Mechanicsville, Va. |
| Ethan Ratke, James Madison |
PK |
Jr. |
Mechanicsville, Va. |
| Earnest Edwards, Maine |
KR |
Sr. |
Rochester, N.Y. |
| D’Angelo Amos, James Madison |
PR |
Jr. |
Richmond, Va. |
2019 CAA Football First Team Defense
|
| Player, School |
Pos. |
Class |
Hometown |
| Ron’Dell Carter, James Madison |
DL |
Sr. |
Baltimore, Md. |
| John Daka, James Madison |
DL |
Sr. |
Upper Marlboro, Md. |
| Eli Mencer, UAlbany |
DL |
Sr. |
Altoona, Pa. |
| Kayon Whitaker, Maine |
DL |
Sr. |
Washington, D.C. |
| Tyler Dressler, Richmond |
LB |
Jr. |
Covington, Va. |
| Dimitri Holloway, James Madison |
LB |
Sr. |
Newport News, Va. |
| Taji Lowe, Maine |
LB |
Sr. |
Stewartsville, N.J. |
| Forrest Rhyne, Villanova |
LB |
Jr. |
Waynesboro, Pa. |
| Greg Liggs, Jr., Elon |
CB |
Sr. |
Greensboro, N.C. |
| Manny Patterson, Maine |
CB |
Sr. |
Baltimore, Md. |
| D’Angelo Amos, James Madison |
S |
Jr. |
Richmond, Va. |
| Adam Smith, James Madison |
S |
Sr. |
Charlotte, N.C. |
| Nate Fondacaro, Villanova |
P |
So. |
Sewell, N.J. |
| Yeedee Thaenrat, Towson |
SPEC |
Sr. |
Philadelphia, Pa. |
| 2019 Offensive Player of the Year: Ben DiNucci, James Madison |
| 2019 Defensive Player of the Year: Ron’Dell Carter, James Madison |
| 2019 Coach of the Year: Greg Gattuso, UAlbany |
| 2019 Special Teams Player of the Year: Earnest Edwards, Maine |
| 2019 Offensive Rookie of the Year: Jeff Undercuffler, UAlbany |
| 2019 Defensive Rookie of the Year: Tristan Wheeler, Richmond |
2019 Chuck Boone Leadership and Excellence Award: Chucky Smith, Villanova
|
2019 CAA Football Second Team Offense
|
| Player, School |
Pos. |
Class |
Hometown |
| Tom Flacco, Towson |
QB |
Sr. |
Voorhees, N.J. |
| Will Knight, Delaware |
RB |
Fr. |
Smyrna, Del. |
| Yeedee Thaenrat, Towson |
RB |
Sr. |
Philadelphia, Pa. |
| Owen Tyler, Delaware |
FB/HB |
Sr. |
West Hartford, Conn. |
| Isaiah Coulter, Rhode Island |
WR |
Jr. |
Brandywine, Md. |
| Shane Leatherbury, Towson |
WR |
Sr. |
Salisbury, Md. |
| Brandon Polk, James Madison |
WR |
Sr. |
Ashburn, Va. |
| Dylan Stapleton, James Madison |
TE |
Sr. |
Indiana, Pa. |
| Tim Coleman, Richmond |
OL |
Jr. |
Stone Mountain, Ga. |
| Mario Farinella, Delaware |
OL |
Gr. |
Bloomfield, N.J. |
| Aaron Grzymkowski, Towson |
OL |
Jr. |
Stevensville, Md. |
| Kyle Nunez, Stony Brook |
OL |
So. |
East Islip, N.Y. |
| Mark Williamson, William & Mary |
OL |
Sr. |
Greene County, Va. |
| Aidan O’Neill, Towson |
PK |
Sr. |
New Paltz, N.Y. |
| Ahmere Dorsey, Rhode Island |
KR |
Sr. |
Wilmington, Del. |
| Ahmere Dorsey, Rhode Island |
PR |
Sr. |
Wilmington, Del. |
2019 CAA Football Second Team Defense
|
| Player, School |
Pos. |
Class |
Hometown |
| Maurice Jackson, Richmond |
DL |
Sr. |
Levittown, Pa. |
| Cam Kitchen, Delaware |
DL |
Gr. |
Trenton, N.J. |
| Bill Murray, William & Mary |
DL |
Sr. |
Millington, N.J. |
| Marcus Willoughby, Elon |
DL |
Sr. |
Durham, N.C. |
| Augie Contressa, Stony Brook |
LB |
Jr. |
Commack, N.Y. |
| Robert Heyward, Towson |
LB |
Sr. |
Savannah, Ga. |
| Branyan Javier-Castillo, Rhode Island |
LB |
Sr. |
Rockville, Md. |
| Levi Metheny, UAlbany |
LB |
Jr. |
Bethel Park, Pa. |
| Rashad Robinson, James Madison |
CB |
Sr. |
Richmond, Va. |
| Prince Smith, Jr., New Hampshire |
CB |
Sr. |
Philadelphia, Pa. |
| Evan Horn, New Hampshire |
S |
Jr. |
Lebanon, Pa. |
| Daniel Jones, Richmond |
S |
Jr. |
Williamsburg, Va. |
| Nick Pritchard, Delaware |
P |
Sr. |
New Egypt, N.J. |
| Corey Parker, William & Mary |
SPEC |
Sr. |
Haymarket, Va. |
2019 CAA Football Third Team Offense
|
| Player, School |
Pos. |
Class |
Hometown |
| Daniel Smith, Villanova |
QB |
Jr. |
Leesburg, Va. |
| Justin Covington, Villanova |
RB |
Jr. |
Bronx, N.Y. |
| Jawon Hamilton, James Madison |
RB |
Jr. |
Miami, Fla. |
| Tyler Crist, William & Mary |
FB |
Jr. |
Hampton, Va. |
| Jaquan Blair, Maine |
WR |
Sr. |
Harrisburg, Pa. |
| Keyston Fuller, Richmond |
WR |
Gr. |
Griffin, Ga. |
| Changa Hodge, Villanova |
WR |
Jr. |
East Stroudsburg, Pa. |
| LJ Wesneski, UAlbany |
TE |
Jr. |
Forty Fort, Pa. |
| Chuka Ezeuzoh, Delaware |
OL |
Gr. |
Wilmington, Del. |
| Patrick Flynn, New Hampshire |
OL |
So. |
Hanover, Mass. |
| Colin Gamroth, Villanova |
OL |
Jr. |
Mercer Island, Wash. |
| Sean Kennedy, UAlbany |
OL |
Sr. |
Staten Island, N.Y. |
| Truvell Wilson, James Madison |
OL |
Jr. |
Richmond, Va. |
| Jason Hughes, New Hampshire |
PK |
Jr. |
Atkinson, N.H. |
| Aaron Dykes, Richmond |
KR |
Fr. |
Knoxville, Tenn. |
| Jordan Lowery, William & Mary |
PR |
Jr. |
Roanoke, Va. |
2019 CAA Football Third Team Defense
|
| Player, School |
Pos. |
Class |
Hometown |
| Malik Fisher, Villanova |
DL |
Jr. |
New York, N.Y. |
| Mike Greene, James Madison |
DL |
Jr. |
Highland Springs, Va. |
| Niko Kvietkus, New Hampshire |
DL |
So. |
Southington, Conn. |
| Charles Mitchell, Maine |
DL |
Sr. |
Piscataway, N.J. |
| Kobie Turner, Richmond |
DL |
So. |
Clifton, Va. |
| Keon Paye, Towson |
LB |
Sr. |
Columbia, Md. |
| Tristan Wheeler, Richmond |
LB |
Fr. |
Bethlehem, Pa. |
| Drew Wiley, Villanova |
LB |
Sr. |
Pennington, N.J. |
| Landan Word, James Madison |
LB |
Sr. |
Vienna, Va. |
| Jaquan Amos, Villanova |
CB |
Jr. |
Philadelphia, Pa. |
| Gavin Heslop, Stony Brook |
CB |
Sr. |
Yonkers, N.Y. |
| Coby Tippett, Towson |
S |
Jr. |
Sharon, Mass. |
| Kedrick Whitehead, Delaware |
S |
So. |
Middletown, Del. |
| Shane McDonough, Towson |
P |
So. |
Clearwater, Fla. |
| Billy Barber, Stony Brook |
SPEC |
Sr. |
Sound Beach, N.Y. |