Football Places Eight On All-CAA Teams, Including CAA Defensive Player of the Year

RICHMOND, Va. – The University of Richmond football team placed eight members on the Colonial Athletic Association Football All-Conference Teams the league office announced Wednesday, highlighted by redshirt junior Kobie Turner (Clifton, Va.) being named the Co-Defensive Player of the Year. The Spiders placed five members on the First Team All-CAA and three members on the Second Team All-CAA. Richmond's eight members were third most in the CAA this season.

First Team All-CAA selections included Turner, sophomore linebacker Tristan Wheeler (Bethlehem, Pa.), senior linebacker Tyler Dressler (Covington, Va.), graduate tight end John Fitzgerald (Baltimore, Md.) and center Clayton McConnell (Foley, Ala.). The Spiders placed three on the Second Team All-CAA in redshirt senior offensive tackle Tim Coleman (Stone Mount, Ga.), senior defensive end Darius Reynolds (Yorktown, Va.) and redshirt sophomore cornerback Tyrek Funderburk (Indian Trail, N.C.).

Turner becomes just the fifth Spider in program history to earn CAA Defensive Player of the Year accolades and the first since 2010 when Eric McBride was Co-Defensive Player of the Year. Turner, who shared the award this year with Mike Greene of James Madison, becomes the first interior defensive lineman in the CAA to earn the award since 2011 (Ronnie Cameron, ODU).

Turner finished the Spiders' four-game season with 19 total tackles, including 10 solo tackles. He was tied for the team lead with 6.0 tackles for loss and was second on the team with 3.5 sacks. His 1.50 tackles for loss per game ranked third in the CAA while his 0.88 sacks per game ranked fourth. He closed out the year with nine tackles, including 2.0 for loss against No. 1 James Madison.

Wheeler picks up his first-ever All-CAA Honors. The 2019 CAA Defensive Rookie of the year, Wheeler was recently named one of 18 finalist for the Buck Buchanan Award given to the top defender in all of NCAA FCS Football. He led the Spiders and the entire Colonial Athletic Association averaging 9.5 tackles per game in the 2021 spring season. He ranked 21^st in the country in tackles per game, finishing the Spiders' four-game season with a team-high 38 tackles. Wheeler finished the season with 25 tackles in his last two games, posting a career-high 14 tackles in the Spiders' win over Elon (March 27) before closing out the season with an 11-tackle performance against No. 1 James Madison.

Dressler records his second-straight First Team All-CAA Football honor. Dressler and Wheeler both earning First Team accolades marks the first time since 2009 that the Spiders have placed two linebackers on the first team (McBride & Collin McConaghy). Dressler was second on the team with 29 tackles, including 15 solo. He ranked seventh in the CAA at 7.2 tackles per game. He also added 3.5 tackles for loss, one sack and one interception on the year.

McConnell earns the first All-Conference honor of his career and becomes the Spiders first offensive lineman to earn First Team All-CAA honors since Alex Light in 2017. He helped the Spiders offense finish fifth in the conference in rushing at 153.2 yards per game and allowed quarterback Joe Mancuso to rank second in the league in total offense at 224.0 yards per game.

Fitzgerald, a transfer from Cornell, was named First Team All-CAA in his first year at Richmond. He led all tight ends in the conference with 14 receptions while leading the position with 131 yards receiving. He scored his first career touchdown against William & Mary in the season opener, giving the Spiders the lead for good in the fourth quarter.

Coleman was named Second Team All-CAA, notching his second-straight selection after earning accolades in 2019. He was part of the Spiders' offensive line that helped Richmond have three rushers over 180 yards in four games this season. His play helped the Spiders rank fourth in the CAA in time of possession at 31:07.

Reynolds earns his first career honor with a Second Team All-CAA nod. In his first full healthy season since 2019, Reynolds led the Spiders with 5.0 sacks in four games and was tied for the team lead with 6.0 tackles for loss. He led the CAA in overall sacks and sacks per game at 1.25. He finished fifth on the team overall with 17 tackles. Reynolds also earned a CAA Defensive Player of the Week honor earlier this year for his play against Elon.

Funderburk rounds out the Spiders' eight selections with the first award of his young career. He becomes the first Spiders cornerback to earn All-CAA honors since Ayo Ogunniyi in 2015. He finished second in the CAA and led the team with two interceptions in four games while also leading the team with a pair of pass breakups. He recorded interceptions in both games against Elon this year. Funderburk added 13 tackles on the year, including one for loss.

2020 CAA FOOTBALL POSTSEASON HONORS
Offensive Player of the Year: Dejoun Lee, Delaware
Co-Defensive Players of the Year: Kobie Turner, Richmond and Mike Greene, James Madison
Special Teams Player of the Year: Ethan Ratke, James Madison
Coach of the Year: Danny Rocco, Delaware
Offensive Rookie of the Year: Kevin Brown, Jr., Rhode Island
Defensive Rookie of the Year: Jared Verse, UAlbany

All-CAA First Team - Offense
QB – Nolan Henderson, Delaware
RB – Dejoun Lee, Delaware
RB – Percy Agyei-Obese, James Madison
FB – Joe Kenny, Rhode Island
WR – Andre Miller, Maine
WR – Thyrick Pitts, Delaware
WR – Kris Thornton, James Madison
TE – John Fitzgerald, Richmond
OL – David Kroll, Delaware
OL – Kyle Nunez, Stony Brook
OL – Clayton McConnell, Richmond
OL – Truvell Wilson, James Madison
OL – Michael Corbi, Villanova
OL – Raymond Gillespie, James Madison
PK – Ethan Ratke, James Madison
RET – Dejoun Lee, Delaware

ALL-CAA First Team – Defense

DL – Mike Greene, James Madison
DL – Kobie Turner, Richmond
DL – Malik Fisher, Villanova
DL – Sam Kamara, Stony Brook
LB – Tristan Wheeler, Richmond
LB – Deshawn Stevens, Maine
LB – Tyler Dressler, Richmond
LB – Johnny Buchanan, Delaware
LB – Forrest Rhyne, Villanova
CB – Nijuel Hill, Delaware
CB – Christian Benford, Villanova
S – Kedrick Whitehead, Delaware
S – MJ Hampton, James Madison
P – Hunter Stephenson, Elon
SPEC – Anthony Del Negro, Stony Brook

All-CAA Second Team – Offense

QB – Joe Fagnano, Maine
RB – Karl Mofor, UAlbany
RB – Justin Covington, Villanova
WR – Ivory Frimpong, Rhode Island
WR – Rayjoun Pringle, Villanova
WR – Gene Coleman II, Delaware
TE – Bryce DeMaille, Delaware
OL – Colin Gamroth, Villanova
OL – Andrew Trainer, William & Mary
OL – Tim Coleman, Richmond
OL – Mickey Henry, Delaware
OL – Nick Correia, Rhode Island
PK – Ryan Coe, Delaware
RET – Dez Boykin, Villanova

All-CAA Second Team – Defense

DL – Chase McGowan, Delaware
DL – Jared Verse, UAlbany
DL – Darius Reynolds, Richmond
DL – Will Kiely, William & Mary
LB – Kelvin Azanama, James Madison
LB – Danny Damico, UAlbany
LB – Diamonte Tucker-Dorsey, James Madison
LB – Augie Contressa, Stony Brook
CB – Jalen Greene, Elon
CB – Tyrek Funderburk, Richmond
S – Coby Tippett, Rhode Island
S – Cole Coleman, Elon
S – Noah Plack, Delaware
P – Harry O'Kelly, James Madison
SPEC – Kyle Davis, James Madison
SPEC – Bryce Colee, Maine

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Football Places Eight On All-CAA Teams, Including CAA Defensive Player of the Year

Players Mentioned

Tim Coleman

Tyler Dressler

John Fitzgerald

Tyrek Funderburk

Joe Mancuso

Clayton McConnell

Darius Reynolds

Kobie Turner

Tristan Wheeler

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