Toledo Takes Four Selections on HERO Sports Group of Five All-American Teams

TOLEDO, Ohio – HERO Sports has named Toledo football safety Maxen Hook, wide receivers Jerjuan Newton and Junior Vandeross III, and defensive tackle Darius Alexander among its Group of Five All-Americans on Thursday.

Hook was named to the first team, Newton to the second team, and both Vandeross and Alexander were third-team selections.

Hook became the third four-time All-MAC honoree in Toledo history this season with his first-team selection. He has 107 tackles, fourth-most in the MAC and tied for 25th in the country. Hook was named MAC Defensive Player of the Week after making 13 tackles and helping Toledo to six fourth-down stops against Northern Illinois. He also set a career high with 16 stops against Ohio.

Newton, a First-Team All-MAC pick, is tied for fifth in the country with 11 receiving touchdowns, is 28th with 79.1 yards per game and tied for 41st with 5.3 receptions per game. He has 949 total receiving yards, 51 away from becoming the ninth Rocket to record at least 1,000 receiving yards in a season. The senior set career highs with nine receptions and 164 receiving yards against Bowling Green on Oct. 26. He also holds Toledo's all-time career touchdown receiving mark with 32 touchdowns.

Vandeross III joined Newton and Hook as first-team all-conference selections. He sits third in the MAC and tied for 24th in the country with 73 total receptions. He is eighth in the league with 763 receiving yards and has scored four touchdowns, including a 73-yard strike against UMass. The 73 receptions thus far rank tied for 13th in Toledo single-season history. The Florida native has set single-game career highs with 11 receptions twice and also with 115 receiving yards against UMass.

Alexander turned in another solid regular season on the defensive line with 34 tackles, 6.5 tackles for loss and 2.5 sacks, and was named to the All-MAC second team. He was named the MAC Defensive Player of the Week after recording seven tackles, 3.0 TFLs and 2.0 sacks in a Homecoming victory against Miami on Oct. 5. Toledo's defense was fifth in the MAC in scoring defense (21.3) and allowed 20 or fewer points five times.

The Rockets (7-5) will face Pitt (7-5) in the 2024 GameAbove Bowl at Ford Field in Detroit, Mich. on Thursday, Dec. 26 at 2:00 p.m. The Rockets will play in a bowl game for a fourth straight year and have now reached bowl eligibility for a 15th consecutive season, the sixth-longest streak in the country.

Ticket Information
Tickets for the 2024 GameAbove Sports Bowl are on sale now at UTRockets.com/bowltix, by phone at 419-530-GOLD (4653) or at the Rocket Ticket Office in Savage Arena during normal business hours.

The deadline for priority seating is Tuesday, Dec. 17 at 5:00 p.m. After the deadline, assigned seat locations will be based on football season ticket, Rocket Fund and Toledo Athletics giving history. The deadline for all purchases is Monday. Dec. 23 at 12 noon. After that, all purchases must be made through Ford Field or at the gate on game day.

Alumni Pre-Game Events
Information about pre-game alumni events will be announced later this week. For more information and questions, call 419-530-2586.

Toledo Takes Four Selections on HERO Sports Group of Five All-American Teams

Players Mentioned

Darius Alexander

Maxen Hook

Jerjuan Newton

Junior Vandeross III

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