July 21, 2009
LAS VEGAS--TCU placed a league-high seven players on the Preseason All-Mountain West Conference team with three Horned Frogs receiving Player of the Year accolades in voting by the league's media.
First-team consensus All-American Jerry Hughes was named the MWC's Preseason Defensive Player of the Year, while return specialist Jeremy Kerley was tabbed the Preseason Special Teams Player of the Year. Tailback Ed Wesley was selected as the Preseason Freshman of the Year.
TCU had four of the 11 players on the Preseason All-MWC defensive team. Hughes, a unanimous selection, was joined by linebacker Daryl Washington and cornerbacks Rafael Priest and Nick Sanders.
Offensive tackle Marshall Newhouse was the lone Horned Frog on the offensive side of the ball.
TCU had two of the three specialists in Kerley and punter Anson Kelton.
Hughes led the nation in sacks (15) and forced fumbles (six) last season and was one of five finalists for the Bronko Nagurski Trophy, recognizing the nation's top defensive player.
Washington is TCU's top returning tackler after totaling 63 stops last season. Priest and Sanders have started every game at cornerback the last three seasons.
Newhouse, a second-team All-MWC pick in 2008, has started every game at left tackle the last two years.
In 2008, Kerley became the fourth-straight Horned Frog, representing every year TCU has been in the Mountain West Conference, to be selected as the first-team return specialist. He ranked 13th nationally with a 13.9-yard punt return average.
Kelton placed 55.6 percent of his punts last season inside the opponent 20 with just seven touchbacks. He averaged 41.3 yards per attempt.
Wesley redshirted last season in his first year at TCU. His teammates selected him as the Scout Team Offensive Most Valuable Player. He rushed for 1,309 yards and 15 touchdowns as a senior at MacArthur High School in Irving, Texas.
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2009 Preseason All-Mountain West Football TeamOffenseQB Max Hall** Sr. BYU
WR Ryan Wolfe* Sr. UNLV
WR Rashaun Greer** Sr. Colorado State
WR Vincent Brown Jr. San Diego State
RB Harvey Unga** Jr. BYU
RB Matt Asiata Sr. Utah
OL Zane Beadles* Sr. Utah
OL Nick Charles** Sr. Air Force
OL Shelley Smith** Sr. Colorado State
OL Erik Cook** Sr. New Mexico
OL Marshall Newhouse** Sr. TCUTE Dennis Pitta*# Sr. BYU
Note: Three wide receivers were selected due to a tie in the voting.
DefenseDL Jan Jorgensen* Sr. BYU
DL Jerry Hughes*# Sr. TCUDL John Fletcher** Sr. Wyoming
DL Koa Misi** Sr. Utah
LB Daryl Washington Sr. TCULB Jason Beauchamp** Sr. UNLV
LB Stevenson Sylvester**# Sr. Utah
DB Chris Thomas** Sr. Air Force
DB Rafael Priest** Sr. TCU
DB Nick Sanders Sr. TCUDB Robert Johnson Sr. Utah
SpecialistsP Anson Kelton So. TCUPK Mitch Payne Jr. BYU
Ret. Jeremy Kerley* Jr. TCUOffensive Player of the Year: Max Hall, Sr., QB, BYU
Defensive Player of the Year: Jerry Hughes, Sr., DL, TCU
Special Teams Player of the Year: Jeremy Kerley, Jr., KR/PR, TCU
Freshman of the Year: Ed Wesley, RB, TCU
