The 2020-21 All-Ohio Valley Conference (OVC) football teams were released on Thursday as eight UTM players were voted among the league’s elite by the conference’s head coaches and sports information directors.
UTM was represented on the All-OVC first team by junior wide receiver Colton Dowell, junior safety Deven Sims and graduate corner back Jay Woods. The Skyhawks also saw senior wide receiver Donnell Williams, senior tight end Rodney Williams II, junior offensive lineman Matthan Hatchie, senior nickel JaQuez Akins and freshman kicker Tyler Larco earn second team honors.
As a Preseason All-OVC pick, Dowell lived up to the hype this spring for the Skyhawks by leading the OVC with 40 receptions while ranking second in the league with 459 yards and four touchdowns on the campaign. The Lebanon, Tennessee native ranked 21st nationally in both receiving touchdowns and receiving yards. He tallied 11.5 yards per reception and 65.6 yards per game – which ranked third in the OVC. He tallied one 100-yard receiving performance in the season-finale with six catches for 105 yards and one touchdown against Tennessee Tech (Apr. 11). He also tallied a pair of touchdown receptions along with 59 yards against Southeast Missouri (Apr. 3).
Sims posted a huge campaign in his first season as a full-time starter by leading the team with 60 total tackles – including 29 solo stops – while recording 5.0 tackles for loss and 1.0 sack. His 60 tackles ranked fourth in the OVC while his 29 solo tackles ranked third. The Smyrna, Tennessee native also contributed in the secondary with four pass breakups which ranked in the top-10 in the league while adding a pair of quarterback hurries. He rounded out his stat-line with a forced fumble against Tennessee State. Arguably his best game came against No. 10 ranked Jacksonville State (March 14) when he tallied a career-high 12 tackles and 1.5 tackles for loss.
Woods had an immediate impact for the Skyhawks in his debut season by slotting right into the starting cornerback role where he started all seven games. The South Alabama graduate transfer tallied 23 tackles on the season and 2.0 tackles for loss while recovering a fumble and recording a quarterback hurry. Where he left his mark was in the secondary as one of the league’s top pass defenders, leading the OVC in pass breakups with nine. The Pinson, Alabama native tallied a season-high four tackles in the season-opener against Murray State (Feb. 28) while recording four pass breakups in the comeback win at Austin Peay (March 21).
Donnell Williams posted a breakout campaign for the Skyhawks this season en route to his first All-OVC honor. The St. Louis, Missouri native tallied 29 receptions for 445 yards and three touchdowns. His 15.3 yards per catch ranked first in the OVC while ranking amongst league leaders in several categories including receiving yards per game (74.2, second), yards (third), touchdowns (fifth) and receptions (seventh). He tallied a pair of 100-yard receiving games against No. 10 Jacksonville State (March 14) and Southeast Missouri (Apr. 3) while tallying touchdown grabs against Eastern Illinois (March 7), Austin Peay (March 21) and Tennessee State (March 28).
Rodney Williams IIÂ seamlessly transitioned from wide receiver to tight end this season and was rewarded by earning his first All-OVC selection after a standout campaign. The senior tallied 30 receptions for 327 yards and four touchdowns while averaging 4.3 receptions per game and 10.9 yards per reception. The Memphis, Tennessee native ranked first amongst tight ends in all offensive categories while sitting amongst the OVC leaders in receptions (fifth), receiving yards (seventh), touchdowns (fifth) and receptions per game (sixth). His best game came against Eastern Illinois (March 7) where he posted career-highs with eight receptions for 95 yards and two touchdowns.
Hatchie made an immediate impact for the Skyhawks on the offensive line by playing and starting in all seven games at either center or guard in the spring. Hailing from Haleiwa, Hawaii, Hatchie did not miss a single offensive snap this season and graded out at 84 percent or better every contest. The versatile lineman played multiple positions and tallied 60 knockdowns up front.
A Starkville, Mississippi native, Akins earned his second straight All-OVC honor after ranking third on the team with 38 combined tackles and 3.0 tackles for loss. He also tallied four pass breakups and a quarterback hurry. The hard-hitting safety ranked second in the OVC with two forced fumbles while his two fumble recoveries rank first nationally. He tallied a season-high nine tackles and a fumble recovery against Southeast Missouri (Apr. 3) while notching two tackles for loss and another fumble recovery against Murray State (Feb. 28).
Larco took over the reigns of the kicking duties as a redshirt-freshman and was nearly automatic en route postseason honors. A two-time OVC Specialist of the Week, Larco made 10-of-12 field goal attempts on the year – including a season-long 47-yard attempt. He also converted 17-of-18 point after attempts for a total of 47 points on the season to lead the team. The Miami, Florida native led the OVC by making 83.3 percent of his field goal attempts while sitting amongst league leaders in kick scoring (second), field goals made per game (second) and PAT kicking percentage (third). His most notable contest came against Austin Peay (March 21) when he made 3-of-3 field goal attempts – including a game-winning 46-yard field goal as time expired – to earn STATS Perform FCS National Special Teams Player of the Week honors.
