Toledo, Ohio – Eight Rockets earned 10 All-MAC selections, including three first-team nods, the league office announced Wednesday in its post season awards release. Junior wide receiver Diontae Johnson was also named the Special Teams Player of the Year.
 
        Johnson was one of eight Rockets to earn all-conference honors and, for the second straight season, he did so at three different positions: wide receiver (first-team), punt returner (first-team), and kickoff returner (second-team). Senior wide receiver Cody Thompson was also named a first-team selection. Joining the two receivers as All-MAC honorees were offensive lineman Bryce Harris (second-team), tight end Reggie Gilliam (second-team), wide receiver Jon'Vea Johnson (third-team), kicker Jameson Vest (third-team), defensive end Tuzar Skipper (third-team), and safety Josh Teachey (third-team).
 
        Johnson has become arguably the most dangerous return man in the league. He leads the MAC with an average punt return of 18.3 yards, and he is second in kickoff return average at 25.8 yards per attempt. Johnson is the only player in the conference to return a punt and kickoff for a touchdown this season. As a receiver, he is tied for the team lead with 43 receptions, leads UT with 663 receiving yards, and has seven touchdown catches. For his career, he has averaged 23.4 yards per kickoff return, which would put him third all-time in UT history, and he is just the second Rocket ever to have at least two punt return TDs and two kickoff return TDs (Lance Moore, 2001-04). He is the fourth player in program history to be named the top special teams player in the MAC, joining Jeremiah Detmer (2013), Eric Page (2010), and Jason Robbins (2005).
 
            Joining Johnson on the MAC's first team was Cody Thompson. Thompson, who was also a first-team selection in 2016, is tied for the team lead with 43 receptions totaling 592 yards, and leads the Rockets with 10 touchdown catches. He has spent this season climbing the ranks in the Toledo record book, where he ranks atop the career touchdown reception list with 30. Thompson is second all-time with 3,257 receiving yards and second in yards per reception (18.5). Off the field, he earned Academic All-District honors for the second straight season.
 
        Bryce Harris was named a second-team recipient, his first All-MAC honor. The Rockets' starting center, Harris has helped pave the way for an offense that ranks second in the MAC in scoring (41.1), total offense (448.5), and rushing (223.6).
       
        Reggie Gilliam joined Harris on the second team, and it is also the first all-conference honor of his career. Gilliam has been Toledo's starting tight end for much of the season and ranks third on the team with three touchdown receptions. He has been an absolute force on special teams, where he leads the country in blocked kicks (four).
 
        Jon'Vea Johnson was one of four Rockets to earn third-team All-MAC distinctions. He ranks second on the team with 611 receiving yards and seven touchdowns, and third with 29 receptions. He leads Toledo in average yards per catch (21.1), a figure that ranks fifth in the country. This is Johnson's second All-MAC award; he was a second-team honoree in 2016.
 
        Jameson Vest is an All-MAC recipient for the second straight season, landing on the third team. Vest leads the MAC in scoring (8.6 points/game) and has cemented himself in Toledo football lore, breaking the school records for career field goals made (71) and extra points made (227). He is 14-for-19 on field goals this season, including 4-of-5 from 40 yards or longer.
 
       Tuzar Skipper was one of two UT defensive players to be placed on the All-MAC squad. A first-time honoree, Skipper has tallied 52 tackles this season and leads Toledo with 8.5 sacks, which rank third in the MAC. His 10.5 TFL rank second on the team, and he leads the Rockets with four QB hurries and two fumble recoveries.
 
        Josh Teachey rounds out Toledo's All-MAC selections with his first career all-conference accolade. Teachey is fourth on the team with 54 tackles and is among the leaders in the conference with 11 pass breakups. He leads the Rockets' defensive backs with four tackles for loss.
 
 2018 MAC Specialty Award Winners
Coach of the Year:  Lance Leipold, Buffalo
Offensive Player of the Year:  QB Tyree Jackson, Buffalo
Defensive Player of the Year:  DE Sutton Smith, Northern Illinois
Special Teams Player of the Year: KR/PR Diontae Johnson, Toledo
Freshman of the Year:  RB Jaret Patterson, Buffalo
Vern Smith Leadership Award Winner:  DE Sutton Smith, Northern Illinois
 
2018 FIRST TEAM ALL-MAC
2018 All-MAC First Team Offense
Position – Name - School
Quarterback – Tyree Jackson, Buffalo
Offensive Linemen – Max Scharping, Northern Illinois &@
Offensive Linemen – Luke Juriga, Western Michigan +
Offensive Lineman – Joe Lowery, Ohio +
Offensive Linemen – James O'Hagan, Buffalo %^
Offensive Linemen – Joe Anderson, Ohio +
Tight End – Tyler Mabry, Buffalo
Wide Receiver – Anthony Johnson, Buffalo &
Wide Receiver – Diontae Johnson, Toledo &
Wide Receiver – Cody Thompson, Toledo @
Wide Receiver – Papi White, Ohio +
Running Back – LeVante Bellamy, Western Michigan
Running Back – A.J. Ouellette, Ohio +
Placekicker – Matt Trickett, Kent State
 
2018 All-MAC First Team Defense
Position – Name - School
Outside Linebacker – Brad Koenig, Miami
Outside Linebacker – Antonio Jones-Davis, Northern Illinois
Inside Linebacker – Khalil Hodge, Buffalo &#
Inside Linebacker – Malik Fountain, Central Michigan +@
Down Lineman – Sutton Smith, Northern Illinois &
Down Lineman – Maxx Crosby, Eastern Michigan &
Down Lineman – Michael Danna, Central Michigan
Down Lineman – Chuck Harris, Buffalo %
Defensive Back – Alvin Davis, Akron +
Defensive Back – Sean Bunting, Central Michigan
Defensive Back – Javon Hagan, Ohio +#
Defensive Back – Xavier Crawford, Central Michigan
Punter – Michael Farkas, Ohio ^
 
2018 All-MAC First Team Specialists
Position – Name - School
Kickoff Return Specialist – Maurice Thomas, Miami ^
Punt Return Specialist – Diontae Johnson, Toledo &
 
2018 SECOND TEAM ALL-MAC
2018 All-MAC Second Team Offense
Position – Name - School
Quarterback – Nathan Rourke, Ohio +
Offensive Lineman – John Keenoy, Western Michigan &#
Offensive Lineman – Bryce Harris, Toledo
Offensive Lineman – Luke Shively, Northern Illinois
Offensive Lineman – Durrell Wood, Ohio
Offensive Lineman – Evin Ksiezarczyk, Buffalo
Tight End – Reggie Gilliam, Toledo
Wide Receiver – K.J. Osborn, Buffalo
Wide Receiver – Scott Miller, Bowling Green %@
Wide Receiver – Jayden Reed, Western Michigan
Wide Receiver – Riley Miller, Ball State
Running Back – Tre Harbison, Northern Illinois
Running Back – Jaret Patterson, Buffalo
Placekicker – Ryan Tice, Central Michigan
 
2018 All-MAC Second Team Defense
Position – Name - School
Outside Linebacker – Evan Croutch, Ohio
Outside Linebacker – Ulysees Gilbert III, Akron &@
Inside Linebacker – Kyle Pugh, Northern Illinois
Inside Linebacker – Kyle Rachwal, Eastern Michigan
Down Lineman – Josh Corcoran, Northern Illinois %
Down Lineman – Jamal Davis, Akron %
Down Lineman – Kalil Morris, Kent State
Down Lineman – Doug Costin, Miami
Defensive Back – Cameron Lewis, Buffalo
Defensive Back – Kevin McGill, Eastern Michigan
Defensive Back – Mykelti Williams, Northern Illinois
Defensive Back – Kyron Brown, Akron
Punter – Jake Julien, Eastern Michigan
 
2018 All-MAC Second Team Specialists
Position – Name - School
Kickoff Return Specialist – Diontae Johnson, Toledo +
Punt Return Specialist – Jayden Reed, Western Michigan
 
2018 THIRD TEAM ALL-MAC
2018 All-MAC Third Team Offense
Position – Name - School
Quarterback – Gus Ragland, Miami
Offensive Lineman – Jimmy Leatiota, Eastern Michigan +
Offensive Lineman – Danny Godlevske, Miami
Offensive Lineman – Steve Nielsen, Eastern Michigan
Offensive Lineman – Jack Kramer, Bowling Green
Offensive Lineman – Jordan Rigg, Miami %
Tight End – Giovanni Ricci, Western Michigan
Wide Receiver – Blake Banham, Eastern Michigan
Wide Receiver – Justin Hall, Ball State +
Wide Receiver – Jon'Vea Johnson, Toledo #
Wide Receiver – Jack Sorenson, Miami
Running Back – Andrew Clair, Bowling Green %
Running Back – Jamauri Bogan, Western Michigan !
Placekicker – Jameson Vest, Toledo &
 
2018 All-MAC Third Team Defense
Position – Name - School
Outside Linebacker – John Lako, Akron 
Outside Linebacker – Christian Albright, Ball State
Inside Linebacker – Brian Bell, Akron
Inside Linebacker – Jacob White, Ball State
Down Lineman – Tuzar Skipper, Toledo
Down Lineman – Jack Heflin, Northern Illinois
Down Lineman – Jeremiah Harris, Eastern Michigan +^
Down Lineman – Nate Brisson-Fast, Central Michigan
Defensive Back – Marcus Milton, Bowling Green
Defensive Back – Vince Calhoun, Eastern Michigan %
Defensive Back – Brody Hoying, Eastern Michigan &
Defensive Back – Josh Teachey, Toledo
Punter – Kyle Kramer, Miami
 
2018 All-MAC Third Team Specialists
Position – Name - School
Kickoff Return Specialist – Malik Dunner, Ball State %
Punt Return Specialist – K.J. Osborn, Buffalo
 
& 2017 First-Team All-MAC
+ 2017 Second-Team All-MAC
% 2017 Third-Team All-MAC
 
@ 2016 First-Team All-MAC
# 2016 Second-Team All-MAC
^ 2016 Third-Team All-MAC
 
= 2015 First-Team All-MAC
* 2015 Second-Team All-MAC
! 2015 Third-Team All-MAC