UTEP’s Thomas, Westmoreland named All-CUSA First Team; Duhon, Odom earn second team honors
DALLAS, Texas - UTEP football’s punt returner/miner back Kam Thomas and bandit/defensive end Maurice Westmoreland were tabbed All-Conference USA first team to lead the list of seven Miners earning all-league postseason recognition.
Defensive lineman Kyran Duhon and wide receiver Kenny Odom garnered second team honors as selected by the league’s 10 head coaches and announced by league officials on Tuesday.
Spur Kory Chapman, defensive tackle KD Johnson and offensive lineman Otis Pitts III received honorable mention recognition.
Thomas was selected as an All-CUSA first team punt returner after tallying 200 yards on 10 returns (20.0 avg.) with a touchdown.
The redshirt junior’s dynamic TD was a career-long 93-yard return during the Miners’ come-from-behind victory at rival NM State on Nov. 30.
The 93-yard return is the nation’s current longest punt return this season.
The Birmingham, Ala., product added a team-tying high 47 receptions for 532 yards and two touchdowns, along with a career-long 69-yard grab.
Thomas scored on a 38-yard reception at Nebraska to open the ’24 campaign and found pay dirt on a 47-yarder at LA Tech.
Westmoreland leads CUSA lead and ranks tied for 23rd in FBS with 8.0 sacks while recording 46 tackles with 9.5 tackles for loss, a team-high six hurries and a forced fumble in all 12 starts.
The forced fumble came on a blindside sack of NM State quarterback Parker Awad, leading to a UTEP defensive score.
The senior tied his career best with 2.5 sacks against the Aggies. He also posted 2.0 sacks at LA Tech.
Westmoreland recorded a half sack or more in four straight games from Oct. 3 through Oct. 22, where he tallied 4.5 sacks during that span.
The Houston native tied his career best with seven tackles at NM State and two QB hurries.
Westmoreland wraps up his career with 15.5 sacks, ranking sixth on the program’s all-time sack list.
Duhon finished second on the team, and is ranked second in CUSA with 7.0 sacks.
The true freshman posted a career-high 2.0 sacks in a win over Kennesaw State, and matched that number at rival NM State during the Miners’ come-from-behind victory.
Duhon tallied a sack at no. 10/11 Tennessee, one at WKU and another at LA Tech.
His nine tackles versus Kennesaw State were a career-high performance while adding a breakup against the Owls.
The Houston product recorded six tackles in back-to-back games (at Colorado State, vs. Sam Houston).
Westmoreland and Duhon led an “Orange Swarm” defense that harassed opposing quarterbacks for a CUSA-high 36 sacks. It was the most sacks by a UTEP defense in 20 seasons.
Odom ranks second in CUSA with eight touchdown receptions.
The redshirt sophomore ranks fifth in yards per catch (16.1) and sixth in receiving yards (741).
Odom hauled in a career-high three touchdown receptions on a career-high eight receptions with 108 yards in a victory over Kennesaw State.
The native of Savannah, Ga., was the first Miner to tally three touchdown receptions in a single game since 2010.
He posted a career-high 128 yards on seven catches with two touchdowns at Colorado State and scored on a career-long 76-yard TD at WKU. Odom is tied for the CUSA lead with four 50+ yard receptions, ranks second with six 40+ yard receptions, and tied first with a trio of 60+ yard receptions.
Chapman leads CUSA with 12.5 tackles for loss and finished fourth on the team with 75 tackles.
The senior, in his lone season with the Miners, added 3.0 sacks, two interceptions, three hurries and a fumble recovery.
The Hoover, Ala., product opened the season with 10 tackles at Nebraska and a season-high 13 against SUU.
Chapman recorded 11 more spots with a sack at Liberty.
Chapman scored a TD on a fumble recovery against Sam Houston, the first defensive TD by a Miner in the Sun Bowl since 2019.
Chapman also picked off a pass against Kennesaw State while tallying nine tackles and posted a career-high 3.5 TFLs with a sack at LA Tech.
Johnson, who was named to the CUSA All-Academic team on Nov. 22, started all 12 games in 2024.
The senior posted 40 tackles, 8.5 tackles for loss, 3.5 sacks, a breakup and a quarterback hurry.
The Houston product posted a career-high 2.0 sacks against SUU in UTEP’s home opener.
Johnson posted a season-high five tackles in four different contests. Johnson wrapped up his UTEP career with a sack and pass breakup in the Miners’ come-from-behind victory at rival NM State. Johnson tallied five tackles with 1.5 TFLs in UTEP’s win over Kennesaw State.
Pitts III, a native of Grand Prairie, Texas, started all 12 games at right guard for the Miners in his final season.
The redshirt senior played on an offensive line that paved the way for UTEP runners to gain 1,449 rushing yards and nine scores.
UTEP rushed for a season-high 211 yards against FIU, while the Miners hit 150+ rushing yards in four straight games.
The Miners’ O-line allowed only one sack against Kennesaw State in which UTEP passers combined for 333 yards (29-for-34). The unit yielded one sack in victories over FIU and at rival NM State.
FIRST TEAM
Offense
QB Tyler Huff, Jax State
RB Tre Stewart, Jax State
RB Quinton Cooley, Liberty
WR Eric Rivers, FIU
WR Omari Kelly, MTSU
WR Tru Edwards, LA Tech
TE Holden Willis, MTSU
OL Jordan White, Liberty
OL Clay Webb, Jax State
OL Xavior Gray, Liberty
OL Aaron Fenimore, Liberty
OL Will O’Steen, Jax State
Defense
DE Maurice Westmoreland, UTEP
DT David Blay, LA Tech
DT Hosea Wheeler, WKU
DE Chris Murray, Sam Houston
LB Travion Barnes, FIU
LB Reginald Hughes, Jax State
LB Kavian Gaither, Sam Houston
DB Fred Perry, Jax State
DB Caleb Weaver, Sam Houston
DB Upton Stout, WKU
DB JoJo Evans, FIU
Special Teams
K Lucas Carneiro, WKU
P Jacob Ulrich, Kennesaw State
KR Qua Ashley, Kennesaw State
PR Kam Thomas, UTEP
LS Brody Butler, MTSU
SECOND TEAM
Offense
QB Caden Veltkamp, WKU
RB Seth McGowan, NM State
RB Mike Washington, NM State
WR Kisean Johnson, WKU
WR Kenny Odom, UTEP
WR Dean Patterson, FIU
TE Carson Kent, Kennesaw State
OL Ethan Hagler, Sam Houston
OL AJ Vaipulu, NM State
OL James Dawn II, Sam Houston
OL Quantavious Leslie, WKU
OL Marshall Jackson, WKU
Defense
DE J-Rock Swain, Jax State
DT Kyran Duhon, UTEP
DT Jeramy Passmore, FIU
DE TJ Bush, Liberty
LB Joseph Carter, Liberty
LB Kolbe Fields, LA Tech
LB Tyler Martinez, NM State
DB Devonte’ Mathews, WKU
DB Geimere Latimer, Jax State
DB JeRico Washington Jr., Kennesaw State
DB Brylan Green, Liberty
Special Teams
K Abraham Montaño, NM State
P George Eberle, NM State
KR C’Quan Jnopierre, FIU
PR Omari Kelly, MTSU
LS Rex Robich, WKU
HONORABLE MENTION
Offense
QB Kaidon Salter, Liberty
RB Jay Ducker, Sam Houston
RB Qua Ashley, Kennesaw State
WR Easton Messer, WKU
WR Simeon Evans, Sam Houston
WR Jimmy Holiday, LA Tech
TE Eli Finley, LA Tech
OL Canaan Yarro, NM State
OL Travon Taylor, WKU
OL Evan Wibberley, WKU
OL Otis Pitts III, UTEP
OL Bert Hale, LA Tech
Defense
DE CJ Bazile Jr., Liberty
DT Dallas Walker, WKU
DT KD Johnson, UTEP
DE Deante McCray, WKU
LB Zach Zimos, LA Tech
LB Darius Thomas, WKU
LB Laletia Hale, Jax State
DB Tyler Hallum, Kennesaw State
DB A’Khori Jones, Liberty
DB Xavier Williams, MTSU
DB Kory Chapman, UTEP
Special Teams
K Austin Welch, Kennesaw State
P Grant Chadwick, MTSU
KR Demarcus Griffin-Taylor, LA Tech
PR Brylan Green, Liberty
LS Bryce Robinson, Kennesaw State
