University of Richmond Athletics
Tristan Wheeler, Aaron Dykes & Kobie Turner Earn All-America Honors From HERO Sports
12/17/2019 | Football
RICHMOND, Va. – University of Richmond linebacker Tristan Wheeler (Bethlehem, Pa.), kickoff returner Aaron Dykes (Knoxville, Tenn.) and defensive lineman Kobie Turner (Clifton, Va.) earned All-America honors Tuesday morning from HERO Sports. Wheeler and Dykes were named First Team Freshman All-America while Turner was named First Team Sophomore All-America at the NCAA FCS level.
Wheeler keeps adding to his award total after being named the Colonial Athletic Association Defensive Rookie of the Year. He finished fourth overall in the Jerry Rice Award voting, the top vote getter among all defensive players in the country and among all true freshmen.
Wheeler finished his rookie campaign tied for the team lead and leading all freshmen in the country in tackles this year with 104, despite not starting until the fourth game of the year. He becomes the first freshman in the NCAA FCS to reach the 100-tackle mark in a season since 2017 when Bryson Armstrong of Kennesaw State accomplished the task.
Wheeler became the first true freshman in Colonial Athletic Association history to reach the 100-tackle mark in a single season and the first freshman of any kind since Gage Steele (redshirt freshman) of James Madison in 2013. He recorded six games with double-digit tackles this season, starting his career with a bang with a 12-tackle showing against Jacksonville. Wheeler was also named Third Team All-CAA, one of just three freshman on any of the three All-Conference teams, joining Dykes and Will Knight of Delaware.
Dykes was named First Team Freshman All-America in his redshirt freshman season. He earned Third Team All-CAA honors as a kickoff returner this year and was one of just three freshmen honored on the All-Conference teams. He becomes the first Spider returner to earn All-Conference honors since Justin Grant picked up second team accolades in 2012.
Dykes finished second in the CAA and eighth in NCAA FCS averaging 27.1 yards per kickoff return this year. He also was tied for the CAA and national lead with two kickoff returns for touchdown this year. He was named the CAA Special Teams and National Special Teams Player of the Week earlier this year when he became the first Spider in program history to have to kickoff returns for touchdowns in the same game against Delaware.
Turner was the Spiders' lone representative on the Sophomore All-America Teams, earning First Team accolades. Turner was named Third Team All-Conference in his first year as a full-time starter. Taking over for perennial All-Conference selection Andrew Clyde, Turner didn't miss a beat as a disruptive force at defensive tackle. He led all CAA defensive lineman with 71 total tackles on the year, averaging 5.9 tackles per game ranking 33rd in the conference.
Turner was second on the team and ranked sixth in the CAA overall with 7.0 sacks, including six solo sacks. He led the team and finished sixth in the CAA with 14.5 tackles for loss. He had six games with more than 1.0 tackle for loss and posted a career-high 12 tackles against No. 2 James Madison. He recorded a career-high 2.0 sacks against UAlbany this season.
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Wheeler keeps adding to his award total after being named the Colonial Athletic Association Defensive Rookie of the Year. He finished fourth overall in the Jerry Rice Award voting, the top vote getter among all defensive players in the country and among all true freshmen.
Wheeler finished his rookie campaign tied for the team lead and leading all freshmen in the country in tackles this year with 104, despite not starting until the fourth game of the year. He becomes the first freshman in the NCAA FCS to reach the 100-tackle mark in a season since 2017 when Bryson Armstrong of Kennesaw State accomplished the task.
Wheeler became the first true freshman in Colonial Athletic Association history to reach the 100-tackle mark in a single season and the first freshman of any kind since Gage Steele (redshirt freshman) of James Madison in 2013. He recorded six games with double-digit tackles this season, starting his career with a bang with a 12-tackle showing against Jacksonville. Wheeler was also named Third Team All-CAA, one of just three freshman on any of the three All-Conference teams, joining Dykes and Will Knight of Delaware.
Dykes was named First Team Freshman All-America in his redshirt freshman season. He earned Third Team All-CAA honors as a kickoff returner this year and was one of just three freshmen honored on the All-Conference teams. He becomes the first Spider returner to earn All-Conference honors since Justin Grant picked up second team accolades in 2012.
Dykes finished second in the CAA and eighth in NCAA FCS averaging 27.1 yards per kickoff return this year. He also was tied for the CAA and national lead with two kickoff returns for touchdown this year. He was named the CAA Special Teams and National Special Teams Player of the Week earlier this year when he became the first Spider in program history to have to kickoff returns for touchdowns in the same game against Delaware.
Turner was the Spiders' lone representative on the Sophomore All-America Teams, earning First Team accolades. Turner was named Third Team All-Conference in his first year as a full-time starter. Taking over for perennial All-Conference selection Andrew Clyde, Turner didn't miss a beat as a disruptive force at defensive tackle. He led all CAA defensive lineman with 71 total tackles on the year, averaging 5.9 tackles per game ranking 33rd in the conference.
Turner was second on the team and ranked sixth in the CAA overall with 7.0 sacks, including six solo sacks. He led the team and finished sixth in the CAA with 14.5 tackles for loss. He had six games with more than 1.0 tackle for loss and posted a career-high 12 tackles against No. 2 James Madison. He recorded a career-high 2.0 sacks against UAlbany this season.
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