Darden Named to C-USA First Team

[Harry]

MEAN GREEN FOOTBALL

Darden Named to C-USA First Team

DALLAS - North Texas junior wide receiver Jaelon Darden was named First Team All-Conference USA, while three more members of the Mean Green were voted to the conference's second team and 10 others were named as honorable mention selections, the league announced Tuesday.

Darden led the Mean Green in every major receiving category and was among the nation's most productive receivers. The junior finished with 76 receptions for 736 yards and 12 touchdowns. His 12 receiving scores ranked ninth in FBS (his 12 touchdowns were three more than anyone else in the conference), and he ranked 21st in the country in receptions per game (6.3). Darden tied for the most three-touchdown games by any receiver in the country with two. Darden is fourth in program history in single season receiving touchdowns and his 76 catches tie for fifth-most in a single season in program history (John Love, 1965). Darden concluded his junior season with 156 career catches, which ranks sixth in program history, and his 19 career touchdowns are seventh in program history.

Senior quarterback Mason Fine, senior offensive lineman Elex Woodworth and redshirt junior kick returner Deion Hair-Griffin were all selected to the second team.

Fine, a semifinalist for the Johnny Unitas Golden Arm Award, was also on the watch lists for the Davey O'Brien, Earl Campbell Tyler Rose, Manning and Walter Camp and CFPA National Performer of the Year Awards during his senior season. He completed over 62% of his passes, going 257 of 414 for 3,088 yards with 29 touchdowns to only nine interceptions and added two scores on the ground. Fine is the FBS active leader in passing yards (12,505), and finished the year second among all active FBS quarterbacks in career passing touchdowns (93). He led C-USA in passing touchdowns and was third in passing yards. Fine concludes his career as the program's leader in career passing yards, touchdowns, touchdowns responsible for, completions, attempts, passing efficiency, 300-yard passing games, and consecutive 200-yard passing games. Additionally, Fine owns single season program records for passing yards, passing touchdowns, completions, and attempts.

Woodworth was part of a much-improved offensive line that helped North Texas to become Conference USA's fourth-best offense in terms of scoring (30.6 ppg) and fourth-most effective in terms of total offense (418.6 yards per game). Woodworth showed his versatility, having started 10 games at either left tackle or left guard, was graded by Pro Football Focus a 76.3 in pass protection and allowed just two sacks and only 16 total pressures in 704 snaps. He's was also key in paving the way for over 1,600 rushing yards through 12 games.

Hair-Griffin is the national leader in kick return average at 40.8 yards per return. He also had one kick return for a touchdown, which was a 96-yard score in the season-opener against Abilene Christian on 8/31. That 96-yard return tied for the ninth-longest return in program history. Hair-Griffin had five returns this season of 50-plus yards, four of which are of 60 or more yards (96, 71, 63, 61 and 50).

The 10 players who earned honorable mention status are: redshirt sophomore running back Tre Siggers, redshirt junior tight end Jason Pirtle, redshirt freshman receiver Jyaire Shorter, junior defensive lineman Dion Novil, senior defensive end LaDarius Hamilton, sophomore linebacker KD Davis, junior linebacker Tyreke Davis, sophomore kicker Ethan Mooney, redshirt senior punter Alvin Kenworthy and junior long snapper Nate Durham.

First Team
WR Jaelon Darden

Second Team
QB Mason Fine
OL Elex Woodworth
KR Deion Hair-Griffin

Honorable Mention
RB Tre Siggers
TE Jason Pirtle
WR Jyaire Shorter
DT Dion Novil
DE LaDarius Hamilton
LB KD Davis
LB Tyreke Davis
K Ethan Mooney
P Alvin Kenworthy
DS Nate Durham

 

[Cerebus]

Surprising. We were told by some on this board he was "just another player", and "easily replaceable".

🙄

[El Paso Eagle]

Happy to see  Pirtle get a little recognition. 

[DB4Life]

Darden is a straight DAWG! He is explosive and one of the toughest match ups to cover at the slot position. The only comparable slot to Darden in college football is Jaylen Waddle who plays for Alabama Crimson Tide. Great character kid. Don’t count this kid out from being drafted. Kid is HUNGRY!

[Harry]

47 minutes ago, DB4Life said:

Darden is a straight DAWG! He is explosive and one of the toughest match ups to cover at the slot position. The only comparable slot to Darden in college football is Jaylen Waddle who plays for Alabama Crimson Tide. Great character kid. Don’t count this kid out from being drafted. Kid is HUNGRY!

Agree 100%.  He’s a star!

[greenminer]

Love Darden.  Hope his senior year is 10 wins and a championship.

[UNTLifer]

2 hours ago, DB4Life said:

Darden is a straight DAWG! He is explosive and one of the toughest match ups to cover at the slot position. The only comparable slot to Darden in college football is Jaylen Waddle who plays for Alabama Crimson Tide. Great character kid. Don’t count this kid out from being drafted. Kid is HUNGRY!

He makes the difficult look routine. 

[MeanGreenTexan]

Once Darden gets the ball in space, I move to the edge of my seat.  He's so skillful in finding angles to beat guys, and slippery when eluding tackles.   So glad he's in Green!

[UNT Texas Hooligan]

Definitely one of the few bright spots this year. He has continually been on the rise

[NorthTexasSportsNetwork]

That moment when I knew he was gonna be huge this year was the MTSU game. Mainly that insane catch to put us in better FG range