RICHMOND, Va. – Announced Tuesday, Nov. 26, Elon University football standouts Matt Foster, Greg Liggs, Jr. and Marcus Willoughby have been named postseason All-CAA Football honorees with Foster and Liggs garnering first-team honors and Willoughby picking up second-team accolades.
Foster, a 2019 Preseason All-CAA Football honoree, posted 246 receiving yards for the year on 19 receptions with three touchdown grabs, setting career highs in all three categories. His output in 2019 tops his previous Division I program record for most receiving yards in a season by a tight end, beating his previous career high of 242 in 2017. The Williamsville, N.Y., native played in 10 of Elon’s 11 games and caught touchdowns against CAA foes Richmond, Delaware and William & Mary, each of which came in big situations. Against the Spiders and Blue Hens, his four- and 47-yard touchdown grabs, respectively, both put Elon up by margins of 14-0 on the way to big wins while his scoring catch against William & Mary came in the third extra session to tie the game and send it to the fourth period of a five overtime game on Homecoming.
A 2019 Buck Buchanan Award finalist for the nation’s best FCS defensive player, Liggs led the nation in interceptions with eight during the regular season to set an Elon Division I program record for most interceptions in a campaign on the way to etching his name atop Elon’s Division I career interception list with 15. A Second Team All-CAA Football honoree in 2018, Liggs was tabbed a Preseason All-American by Phil Steele this August while being named a Preseason All-CAA Football honorable mention. In being named a Buchanan Award finalist, Liggs is the third Elon athlete to earn the distinction, joining Warren Messer in 2017 and Chad Nkang in 2005 and 2006.
A Third Team All-CAA honoree in 2018 before moving up a team in 2019, Willoughby closed his career in maroon and gold setting new career highs across the board with 65 tackles – 32 solo stops – to go with 13.5 tackles for loss and 7.0 sacks. Within the conference, Willoughby’s 7.0 sacks rank as the seventh-most and his 13.5 TFL is the 10th-best total in the league for the campaign. Throughout the year, he was named CAA Football and STATS FCS Defensive Player of the Week on Sept. 9 after his 14-tackle afternoon in the home opener against The Citadel, a game in which he helped the Elon defense hold the Bulldogs to just 156 rushing yards for the fewest in a game since its contest against No. 2 Clemson in 2017.
With the 2019 season in the books, Elon turns its attention to the offseason and will sign the newest members of the program with Early Signing Day on Wednesday, Dec. 18, before looking ahead to Signing Day the first week of February.
With the 2020 football schedule announced last week, Elon will next be back on the field Sept. 5 for a road matchup against The Citadel. Next season, Elon will open with two on the road at The Citadel and Duke (Sept. 12) before playing at Rhodes Stadium on Sept. 19 against Campbell. For the full schedule, click here.
2019 CAA Football All-Conference Teams
First Team Offense
QB – Ben DiNucci, James Madison
RB – Percy Agyei-Obese, James Madison
RB – Karl Mofor, UAlbany
FB/HB – Evan Gray, New Hampshire
WR – Earnest Edwards, Maine
WR – Juwan Green, UAlbany
WR – Aaron Parker, Rhode Island
TE – Matt Foster, Elon
OL – Liam Dobson, Maine
OL – Liam Fornadel, James Madison
OL – Paul Grattan, Villanova
OL – Kyle Murphy, Rhode Island
OL – Mac Patrick, James Madison
PK – Ethan Ratke, James Madison
KR – Earnest Edwards, Maine
PR – D’Angelo Amos, James Madison
First Team Defense
DL – Ron’Dell Carter, James Madison
DL – John Daka, James Madison
DL – Eli Mencer, UAlbany
DL – Kayon Whitaker, Maine
LB – Tyler Dressler, Richmond
LB – Dimitri Holloway, James Madison
LB – Taji Lowe, Maine
LB – Forrest Rhyne, Villanova
CB – Greg Liggs, Jr., Elon
CB – Manny Patterson, Maine
S – D’Angelo Amos, James Madison
S – Adam Smith, James Madison
P – Nate Fondacaro, Villanova
SPEC – Yeedee Thaenrat, Towson
2019 Offensive Player of the Year: Ben DiNucci, James Madison
2019 Defensive Player of the Year: Ron’Dell Carter, James Madison
2019 Coach of the Year: Greg Gattuso, UAlbany
2019 Special Teams Player of the Year: Earnest Edwards, Maine
2019 Offensive Rookie of the Year: Jeff Undercuffler, UAlbany
2019 Defensive Rookie of the Year: Tristan Wheeler, Richmond
2019 Chuck Boone Leadership and Excellence Award: Chucky Smith, Villanova
Second Team Offense
QB – Tom Flacco, Towson
RB – Will Knight, Delaware
RB – Yeedee Thaenrat, Towson
FB/HB – Owen Tyler, Delaware
WR – Isaiah Coulter, Rhode Island
WR – Shane Leatherbury, Towson
WR – Brandon Polk, James Madison
TE – Dylan Stapleton, James Madison
OL – Tim Coleman, Richmond
OL – Mario Farinella, Delaware
OL – Aaron Grzymkowski, Towson
OL – Kyle Nunez, Stony Brook
OL – Mark Williamson, William & Mary
PK – Aidan O’Neill, Towson
KR – Ahmere Dorsey, Rhode Island
PR – Ahmere Dorsey, Rhode Island
Second Team Defense
DL – Maurice Jackson, Richmond
DL – Cam Kitchen, Delaware
DL – Bill Murray, William & Mary
DL – Marcus Willoughby, Elon
LB – Augie Contressa, Stony Brook
LB – Robery Heyward, Towson
LB – Branyan Javier-Castillo, Rhode Island
LB – Levi Metheny, UAlbany
CB – Rashad Robinson, James Madison
CB – Prince Smith, Jr. – New Hampshire
S – Evan Horn, New Hampshire
S – Daniel Jones, Richmond
P – Nick Pritchard, Delaware
SPEC – Corey Parker, William & Mary
Third Team Offense
QB – Daniel Smith, Villanova
RB – Justin Covington, Villanova
RB – Jawon Hamilton, James Madison
FB – Tyler Crist, William & Mary
WR – Jaquan Blair, Maine
WR – Keyston Fuller, Richmond
WR – Changa Hodge, Villanova
TE – LJ Wesneski, UAlbany
OL – Chuka Ezeuzoh, Delaware
OL – Patrick Flynn, New Hampshire
OL – Colin Gamroth, Villanova
OL – Sean Kennedy, UAlbany
OL – Truvell Wilson, James Madison
PK – Jason Hughes, New Hampshire
KR – Aaron Dykes, Richmond
PR – Jordan Lowery, William & Mary
Third Team Defense
DL – Malik Fisher, Villanova
DL – Mike Greene, James Madison
DL – Niko Kvietkus, New Hampshire
DL – Charles Mitchell, Maine
DL – Kobie Turner, Richmond
LB – Keon Paye, Towson
LB – Tristan Wheeler, Richmond
LB – Drew Wiley, Villanova
LB – Landan Word, James Madison
CB – Jaquan Amos, Villanova
CB – Gavin Heslop, Stony Brook
S – Coby Tippett, Towson
S – Kedrick Whitehead, Delaware
P – Shane McDonough, Towson
SPEC – Billy Barber, Stony Brook