Two Hilltoppers are walking away this season with some hardware.
On Thursday, redshirt freshman quarterback Rodney Tisdale Jr. was named Conference USA Freshman of the Year, and senior punter Cole Maynard was named Conference USA Special Teams Player of the Year.
Tisdale Jr., after stepping in during WKU’s Oct. 14 loss to FIU, started the remaining five games of the season. He racked up 1,367 yards, nine touchdowns, and six interceptions, as well as running for 105 yards and two touchdowns on the ground. He threw 300 yards in two games and was named CUSA Freshman of the Week twice.
Maynard, meanwhile, was also named First Team All-Conference USA punter. A member of the CUSA Preseason Watch List and Ray Guy Award Preseason Watch List, he was named to the Ray’s 8 List twice. Maynard led the country in punting average during the regular season with 48.7 yards per punt, which would break former WKU punter John Haggerty’s record of 45.9 yards per punt. He had 12 punts downed inside the 20-yard line and a punt long of 71.
Tisdale Jr. and Maynard weren’t the only Hilltoppers to receive postseason recognition. Senior wide receiver Matthew Henry and senior offensive lineman Laurence Seymore earned CUSA Second Team Offense.
Junior K.D. Hutchinson and redshirt senior left tackle Marshall Jackson received CUSA Honorable Mentions on offense. Sophomore defensive end Harper Holloman and junior safety Jaylen Lewis received CUSA Honorable Mentions on defense. Long snapper Rex Robich received CUSA Second Team Special Teams honors, and Marvis Parrish and Elijah Williams were named to the CUSA All-Freshman Team.
