FOUR SKYHAWKS NAMED TO HERO SPORTS PRESEASON OVC ALL-CONFERENCE TEAM
6/24/2020 1:34:00 PM | Football
MARTIN, Tenn. – Four University of Tennessee at Martin football standouts have been named to the Preseason Ohio Valley Conference All-Conference team by HERO Sports. The trio of Peyton Logan, Colton Dowell and Aries Davis garnered offensive honors while JaQuez Akins earned a spot on the defensive squad.
Logan, a senior running back from Horn Lake, Miss., returns to the Skyhawks after ranking as one of the league's most dynamic running backs en route to a myriad of all-conference honors a season ago. Despite missing the final three games of the season due to injury, Logan posted a breakout season with 109 carries for 784 yards and six touchdowns. He averaged 87.1 yards per game while tallying four 100-yard rushing performances against Northwestern State, Eastern Kentucky, Tennessee Tech and Eastern Illinois. A multi-purpose back, he tallied averaged 10.8 yards per reception and 21.6 yards per kick return.
A Lebanon, Tenn. native, Dowell continues to climb into the national spotlight by garnering All-American recognition from HERO Sports earlier this preseason after a strong 2019 campaign. Dowell, a junior wide receiver/tight end, ranked second on the team with 38 receptions for 765 yards and four touchdowns. He averaged 20.1 yards per receptions while tallying four 100-yard receiving contests against Tennessee Tech, Southeast Missouri, Jacksonville State and Austin Peay. Arguably his best game came against Tennessee Tech where he notched five receptions for 154 yards and two touchdowns – including a 73-yard score. As a whole, Dowell tallied 12 plays of 25 yards or more this season.
Senior offensive guard Aries Davis returns to anchor the front-five after garnering All-OVC first team honors a season ago. A native of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Davis played and started in all 12 games at right guard for the Skyhawks. Davis blocked for several all-conference performers including OVC Freshman of the Year quarterback John Bachus III and standouts Logan and Dowell while grading out at 86 percent or higher per game and tallying 107 knock downs.
Hailing from Starkville, Miss., Akins slotted right into the starting lineup after winning a pair of national championships at the JUCO level by ranking second on the team and sixth in the OVC with 92 tackles. The senior safety tallied 5.5 tackles for loss while forcing two fumbles. He also recovered a pair of fumbles against Murray State and Austin Peay while notching an interception in the endzone against Eastern Illinois. He eclipsed double figures in the tackle column in three games against Florida, Southern Illinois and Tennessee State with a career-high 12 stops against the Salukis.
UT Martin will return to campus for summer instructional access beginning on July 13 before opening fall camp on Aug. 3. The Skyhawks will kickoff the regular season on Thursday, Sept. 3 against Southern Illinois.
Logan, a senior running back from Horn Lake, Miss., returns to the Skyhawks after ranking as one of the league's most dynamic running backs en route to a myriad of all-conference honors a season ago. Despite missing the final three games of the season due to injury, Logan posted a breakout season with 109 carries for 784 yards and six touchdowns. He averaged 87.1 yards per game while tallying four 100-yard rushing performances against Northwestern State, Eastern Kentucky, Tennessee Tech and Eastern Illinois. A multi-purpose back, he tallied averaged 10.8 yards per reception and 21.6 yards per kick return.
A Lebanon, Tenn. native, Dowell continues to climb into the national spotlight by garnering All-American recognition from HERO Sports earlier this preseason after a strong 2019 campaign. Dowell, a junior wide receiver/tight end, ranked second on the team with 38 receptions for 765 yards and four touchdowns. He averaged 20.1 yards per receptions while tallying four 100-yard receiving contests against Tennessee Tech, Southeast Missouri, Jacksonville State and Austin Peay. Arguably his best game came against Tennessee Tech where he notched five receptions for 154 yards and two touchdowns – including a 73-yard score. As a whole, Dowell tallied 12 plays of 25 yards or more this season.
Senior offensive guard Aries Davis returns to anchor the front-five after garnering All-OVC first team honors a season ago. A native of Cedar Rapids, Iowa, Davis played and started in all 12 games at right guard for the Skyhawks. Davis blocked for several all-conference performers including OVC Freshman of the Year quarterback John Bachus III and standouts Logan and Dowell while grading out at 86 percent or higher per game and tallying 107 knock downs.
Hailing from Starkville, Miss., Akins slotted right into the starting lineup after winning a pair of national championships at the JUCO level by ranking second on the team and sixth in the OVC with 92 tackles. The senior safety tallied 5.5 tackles for loss while forcing two fumbles. He also recovered a pair of fumbles against Murray State and Austin Peay while notching an interception in the endzone against Eastern Illinois. He eclipsed double figures in the tackle column in three games against Florida, Southern Illinois and Tennessee State with a career-high 12 stops against the Salukis.
UT Martin will return to campus for summer instructional access beginning on July 13 before opening fall camp on Aug. 3. The Skyhawks will kickoff the regular season on Thursday, Sept. 3 against Southern Illinois.
Players Mentioned
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