ST. LOUIS — QB Tirrell Rennie of UNI has been named the Missouri Valley Football Conference Newcomer of the Year, and QB Kurt Hess of Youngstown State is the league's Freshman of the Year. The duo heads a list of 26 student-athletes named to the 2010 Missouri Valley Football Conference All-Newcomer Team. League coaches, sports information directors and a media panel selected the team.
Rennie led the Panthers and ranked third in the conference with 1,291 rushing yards, setting a league single-season record for rushing yards by a QB. He became the first UNI quarterback to rush for 1,000 yards in a season and just the second ever in the league's 26-year history. He recorded 15 rushing touchdowns. He ranked fourth in the MFVC in passing efficiency, while tossing for 1,526 yards and eight touchdowns.
Hess completed 179-of-304 passes for 2,117 yards and 12 touchdowns and became the first YSU QB to throw for 200 yards in five straight games and first freshman in school history to pass for more than 2,000 in a season. He also set YSU freshman marks for attempts and completions. In league play, Hess completed 134-of-243 passes for 1,646 yards and 10 touchdowns, while he rushed for 107 yards on 49 carries with three TDs.
The league began recognizing a Newcomer of the Year in 1994, and the Freshman of the Year award started in 1999. Rennie is the third UNI Panther to win the top newcomer award, following Terrance Freeney in 2003 and Darian Williams in 2006. Hess is the first Youngstown State player to earn the league's Freshman of the Year award. RB Marcus Mason (2005), WR Ferlando Williams (2007) and QB Brandon Summers (2008) have previously won Newcomer of the Year awards for YSU.
OFFENSE
TB Shakir Bell, Indiana State 5-8 185 Fr. Indianapolis (Ind.) Warren Central High
TB Adaris Bellamy, Youngstown State 5-10 215 Fr. Dunedin (Fla.) Dunedin High
RB Bryce Flowers, Western Illinois 5-10 205 Fr. Pittsburg (Calif.) Pittsburg/Army Prep
QB Ronnie Fouch, Indiana State 6-2 215 Jr. Redlands (Calif.) East Valley High [Washington]
RB Shariff Harris, Southern Illinois 6-1 200 Jr. Newark (N.J.) St. Peter’s Prep [Pittsburgh]
QB Kurt Hess, Youngstown State 6-3 220 Fr. Dayton (Ohio) Chaminade-Julienne High
WR Justin Hilton, Indiana State 6-3 190 Jr. Kissimmee (Fla.) Harmony High [Butte Community College]
RB Ashton Leggett, Illinois State 5-11 230 Jr. Muskegon (Mich.) High [Michigan State]
OL Brian Palangi, UNI 6-2 305 So. Nahant (Mass.) Swapscott High [Northeastern]
RB Caulton Ray, Western Illinois 5-9 205 So. Southfield (Mich.) Brother Rice High [Michigan State]
QB Tirrell Rennie, UNI 6-0 201 Jr. North Lauderdale (Fla.) Coconut Creek [Ellsworth C.C.]
WR Marvon Sanders, Illinois State 5-9 175 Jr. Ypsilanti (Mich.) High [Michigan State]
RB Erik Smith, Illinois State 6-0 205 So. Bolingbrook (Ill.) High [Wisconsin]
DEFENSE
DL Zacharia Bowers, South Dakota State 6-0 235 Jr. Topeka (Kan.) Shawnee Heights High [Fort Scott C.C.]
DB Calvin Burnett, Indiana State 5-9 160 Fr. Orlando (Fla.) Freedom High [Hofstra]
LB Nick Canavan, Missouri State 6-0 205 Fr. Norman (Okla.) Northside High
DB Ryan Davis, Western Illinois 5-11 175 Jr. Elk Grove (Calif.) Franklin High [American River Junior College]
S Bo Flowers, Illinois State 6-2 225 Sr. Maywood (Ill.) Walther Lutheran High [Illinois]
DE Shelby Harris, Illinois State 6-3 265 Fr. Milwaukee (Wis.) Homestead High [Wisconsin]
SS Colten Heagle, North Dakota State 5-11 192 Fr. Appleton (Wis.) Kimberly High
DB Larry King, Indiana State 6-3 205 Fr. South Bend (Ind.) Riley High
P Nick Liste, Youngstown State 5-10 180 Fr. Niles (Ohio) Niles McKinley High
NG Leevon Perry, North Dakota State 6-3 268 Fr. Cottage Grove (Minn.) St. Paul Saint Agnes High
P Austin Pucylowski, Southern Illinois 6-4 240 Fr. New Berlin (Wis.) Catholic Memorial High
CB Marcus Williams, North Dakota St. 5-11 186 Fr. Minnetonka (Minn.) High
LB Chad Willson, North Dakota State 5-11 221 Jr. Layton (Utah) High [Snow (Utah) Junior College]