ANNAPOLIS, Md.—The Navy football team, coming off a school-record tying 11-win season that saw the Mids win the Commander-In-Chief's Trophy, win the Liberty Bowl and earn a share of the American Athletic Conference West Division title, has 10 players on the preseason Athlon Sports All-American Athletic Conference teams. 
 
Navy has one player on the first team, three on the second, two on the third and four on the fourth team.  The 10 selections are tied for the fifth most in the AAC.  UCF has the most players selected with 17, while Cincinnati and Memphis have 13 each, Tulane has 12 and Navy and Temple have 10 each.
 
Junior linebacker Diego Fagot is the only Navy player named to the first team.  Fagot was a starter in all 13 contests a year ago and led the Mids in tackles with 100 (52 solo).  He was second on team in tackles for a loss (12) and sacks (5.5), while forcing two fumbles, breaking up two fumbles and returning his only interception for a touchdown.  He recorded at least one tackle for a loss in 10 of 13 games as he garnered First-Team All-AAC honors.
 
The second team features junior fullback Jamale Carothers and senior offensive linemen Billy Honaker and Peter Nestrowitz. 
 
Carothers was one of the great stories in college football in 2019, going from the junior varsity team to start the year to being named All-East at the end of the year.  Carothers started in six of the 10 games he played in and finished the year as Navy's second-leading rusher with 734 yards on 111 carries, while scoring 14 touchdowns. He also caught four passes for 105 yards and two touchdowns. Carothers ranked 16^th in the nation in rushing touchdowns with 14 and finish 11^th nationally in points per game with 9.6.  His 6.6 yards per carry was the seventh best average in the country.
 
Honaker (tackle) and Nestrowitz (guard) started every game for the Mids last year and were part of an offensive line that helped Navy set a school record for rushing yards per game (360.5), single-season rushing yards (4,687), single-season rushing yards per attempt (6.1), single-season total offense yards per game (360.5) and tie the record for single-season total offense yards per attempt (6.8).  The line also helped block for Malcolm Perry, who broke the FBS record for rushing yards by a quarterback in a season with 2,017.
 
Navy's representation on the third team includes junior defensive lineman J'arius Warren and junior safety Kevin Brennan.
 
Warren started in 10 of the 13 games in which he played in 2019, finishing the year with 44 tackles, 3.5 tackles for a loss and two sacks. He also recovered two fumbles and forced two fumbles.
 
Brennan was an All-East selection last year as he started in 11 of the 13 games in which he played, finishing second on the team in tackles with 81.  Brennan also recorded 2.5 tackles for a loss, intercepted two passes and broke up four passes.
 
Senior defensive lineman Jackson Perkins, senior safety Evan Fochtman, senior slot back CJ Williams and junior corner Michael McMorris were named to the fourth team.
 
Perkins started in all 10 games in which he played last year, finishing the season with 24 tackles, four tackles for a loss and a sack.  He also broke up a pair of passes and picked off a pass.
 
Fochtman was an All-East selection in 2019, as he was a starter in all 13 games for the Mids and finished the year with 53 tackles, broke up five passes, had 2.5 tackles for a loss, picked off two tackles and had a sack.
 
Williams was a started in eight of the 13 games in which he played, rushing for 298 yards and three touchdowns on 56 carries, while catching seven passes for 210 yards and two touchdowns and completing three out of his four pass attempts for 90  yards and a touchdown.
 
McMorris was a started in all 13 games last year, leading the team in pass breakups with nine. He finished the year with 47 tackles, 2.5 tackles for a loss, forced a fumble and picked off a pass.
 
American Athletic Football 2020 All-Conference Team
 
First-Team Offense  
 
QB       Shane Buechele, SMU
RB       Shamari Brooks, Tulsa
RB       Gerrid Doaks, Cincinnati
AP       Kenneth Gainwell, Memphis
WR      Marquez Stevenson, Houston
WR      Damonte Coxie, Memphis
TE       Kylen Granson, SMU
C         Dylan Parham, Memphis
OL       Cole Schneider, UCF
OL       Jaylon Thomas, SMU
OL       Vincent Picozzi, Temple
OL       James Hudson, Cincinnati
           
First-Team Defense 
 
DL       Elijah Ponder, Cincinnati
DL       Ifeanyi Maijeh, Temple
DL       Kenny Turnier, UCF
DL       Myjai Sanders, Cincinnati
LB       Diego Fagot, Navy
LB       Patrick Johnson, Tulane
LB       Zaven Collins, Tulsa
CB       Ahmad Gardner, Cincinnati
CB       K.J. Sails, USF
S         Richie Grant, UCF
S         James Wiggins, Cincinnati
           
First-Team Specialists          
 
K         Riley Patterson, Memphis
P         James Smith, Cincinnati
KR       Marquez Stevenson, Houston
PR       Otis Anderson, UCF
 
Second-Team Offense 
        
QB       Dillon Gabriel, UCF
RB       Corey Dauphine, Tulane
RB       Jamale Carothers, Navy
AP       Keylon Stokes, Tulsa
WR      C.J. Johnson, East Carolina
WR      Reggie Roberson, SMU
TE       Sean Dykes, Memphis
C         Brad Cecil, USF
OL       D'Ante Smith, East Carolina
OL       Corey Dublin, Tulane
OL       Billy Honaker, Navy
OL       Peter Nestrowitz, Navy
           
Second-Team Defense  
       
DL       O'Bryan Goodson, Memphis
DL       Joseph Dorceus, Memphis
DL       Daniel Archibong, Temple
DL       Payton Turner, Houston
LB        Richard McBryde, SMU
LB        Eric Mitchell, UCF
LB        Jarell White, Cincinnati
CB       T.J. Carter, Memphis
CB       Aaron Robinson, UCF
S          Antwan Collier, UCF
S          Darrick Forrest, Cincinnati
           
Second-Team Specialists
    
K         Jake Verity, East Carolina
P         Trent Schneider, USF
KR       Tyler Snead, East Carolina
PR       Pop Williams, Memphis
 
Third-Team Offense
 
QB       Brady White, Memphis
RB       Greg McCrae, UCF
RB       Re'Mahn Davis, Temple
AP       Otis Anderson, UCF
WR      Jadan Blue, Temple
WR      Tre Nixon, UCF
TE       Christian Trahan, Houston
C         Jakari Robinson, Cincinnati
OL       Samuel Jackson, UCF
OL       Chris Paul, Tulsa
OL       Manuel Orona-Lopez, Memphis
OL       Isaac Moore, Temple
           
Third-Team Defense  
         
DL       J'arius Warren, Navy
DL       Cameron Sample, Tulane
DL       Randy Charlton, UCF
DL       Turner Coxe, SMU
LB        Grant Stuard, Houston
LB        Xavier Smith, East Carolina
LB        Dwayne Boyles USF
CB       Christian Braswell, Temple
CB       Jaylon Monroe, Tulane
S          Kevin Brennan, Navy
S          Davondre Robinson, East Carolina
           
Third-Team Specialists      
  
K         Dalton Witherspoon, Houston
P         Adam Williams, Memphis
KR       Amare Jones, Tulane
PR       Ryan Montgomery, Cincinnati
 
Fourth-Team Offense
 
QB       Holton Ahlers, East Carolina
RB       Johnny Ford, USF
RB       Amare Jones, Tulane
RB       Kyle Porter, Houston
AP       CJ Williams, Navy
WR      Alec Pierce, Cincinnati
WR      Tyler Snead, East Carolina
C         Gerard Wheeler, Tulsa
OL       Joey Claybrook, Tulane
OL       Donovan Jennings, USF
OL       Adam Klein, Temple
OL       Hayden Howerton, SMU
OL       Parker Boudreaux, UCF
           
Fourth-Team Defense
 
DL       De'Andre Williams, Tulane
DL       Jaxson Player, Tulsa
DL       Jackson Perkins, Navy
DL       Curtis Brooks, Cincinnati
DL       Kalia Davis, UCF
LB        Marvin Moody, Tulane
LB        Isaiah Graham-Mobley, Temple
LB        JJ Russell, Memphis
CB       Tay Gowan, UCF
CB       Ja'Quan McMillian, East Carolina
CB       Michael McMorris, Navy
S          Amir Tyler, Temple
S          Evan Fochtman, Navy
           
Fourth-Team Specialists
 
K         Merek Glover, Tulane
P         Andrew Osteen, UCF
KR       Keylon Stokes, Tulsa
PR       Amare Jones, Tulane