Razorback Freshmen Continue to Rack Up National Awards
FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. – Arkansas’ freshman class continues to gain national recognition for its outstanding play in the 2005 football season. On Wednesday, Scout.com honored tailback Darren McFadden and kick returner Felix Jones on its first-team freshman All-America squad while recognizing linebacker Freddie Fairchild as a second-team All-America selection.
The website noted that Northwestern tailback Tyrell Sutton narrowly edged McFadden in voting for national freshman of the year. Sutton led the nation’s freshmen with 126.4 yards per game while McFadden racked up 101.2 yards per outing.
McFadden is a consensus freshman All-America selection and has garnered SEC Freshman of the Year honors from The Associated Press, SEC coaches, College Football News.com and ESPN.com. The North Little Rock, Ark., running back also earned first-team All-SEC honors from The Associated Press and SEC coaches after rushing for a school-record 1,113 yards and 11 touchdowns in his freshman campaign.
Jones is pacing the nation in kickoff returns with a 31.9 yard-per-attempt average. He returned 17 kickoffs for 543 yards and one touchdown. The Tulsa, Okla., product was named to the College Football News.com All-America team as a kickoff returner earlier this week. Jones is the only freshman in UA history to earn first-team All-America honors.
Fairchild has collected his fair share of accolades for his freshman season as well. The Little Rock, Ark., native tallied 59 tackles including six tackles for loss (-28) and two sacks (-16). He made his collegiate starting debut at linebacker against No. 1 USC and never relinquished his starting position. College Football News.com, ESPN.com and Rivals.com named Fairchild to their first-team freshman All-America squads.
The Scout.com Freshman All-America Teams
First Team Offense
QB Pat White – West Virginia – Redshirt Freshman
RB Tyrell Sutton – Northwestern – True Freshman
RB Darren McFadden – Arkansas – True
WR Sidney Rice – South Carolina – Redshirt
WR Earl Bennett – Vanderbilt – True
TE Chase Coffman – Missouri – True
OT Jared Gaither – Maryland – True
OG Antoine Caldwell – Alabama – Redshirt
C Alex Fletcher – Stanford – Redshirt
OG Jeremy Perry – Oregon State – Redshirt
OT Kraig Urbik – Wisconsin – Redshirt
K Sam Swank – Wake Forest – Redshirt
KR Felix Jones – Arkansas – True
First Team Defense
DE Matt Shaughnessy – Wisconsin – True
DE Steve Davis – Minnesota – True
DT Chase Moline – UCLA – True
DT Mitch King – Iowa – Redshirt
LB Mike Brown – Duke – True
LB Solomon Elimimian – Hawaii – True
LB Rey Maualuga – USC – True
CB Justin King – Penn State – True
CB Alphonso Smith – Wake Forest – True
S Kenny Phillips – Miami – True
S Patrick Chung – Oregon – Redshirt
P Justin Brantly – Texas A&M – True
PR Joe Burnette – Central Florida – True
Second Team Offense
QB Rudy Carpenter – Arizona State – Redshirt
RB Steve Slaton – West Virginia – True
RB Jamaal Charles – Texas – True
WR Davone Bess – Hawaii – True
WR Michael Thomas – Arizona – True
TE Martellus Bennett – Texas A&M – True
OT Max Unger – Oregon – Redshirt
OG Michael Oher – Ole Miss – True
C Eric Wood – Louisville – Redshirt
OG C.J. Davis – Pittsburgh – True
OT Alex Boone – Ohio State – True
K Jordan Congdon – Nebraska – True
KR Brandon Tate – North Carolina – True
Second Team Defense
DE Phillip Merling – Clemson – True
DE McKinner Dixon – Texas Tech – True
DT Jeff Owens – Georgia – True
DT Fevaea’a Ahmu – Washington State – True
LB Jake Hutton – Utah State – True
LB Rashad Bobino – Texas – Redshirt
LB Freddie Fairchild – Arkansas – True
CB Aqib Talib – Kansas – Redshirt
CB Orlando Scandrick – Boise State – True
S Courtney Green – Rutgers – True
S Reggie Smith – Oklahoma – True
P Chris Miller – Ball State – Redshirt
PR B.J. Hill – Ball State – True
Honorable Mention
QB Drew Weatherford – Florida State
RB Javon Ringer – Michigan State
WR Mario Manningham – Michigan
WR Greg Carr – Florida State
WR James Hardy – Indiana
WR Ryan Grice-Mullen – Hawaii
OL Jon Cooper – Oklahoma
OL Allen Smith – Stanford
DE Brian Orakpo – Texas
DE Stryker Sulak – Missouri
DT Rashaad Jackson – Clemson
LB Zac Follett – California
LB Anthony Felder – California
LB Brian Cushing – USC
LB Braxton Kelly- Kentucky
CB Malcolm Jenkins – Ohio State
— HOGS —
