Marshall University senior defensive end Vinny Curry has been named the Conference USA preseason Defensive Player of the Year in a poll by the league’s 12 head coaches.
Curry, a first-team All-Conference USA selection a season ago, returns as one of the top defensive players in the country. As a junior, Curry led all defensive linemen in the FBS with 94 stops while accumulating 12 sacks, fifth in the nation.
Earlier this month, Curry was named to the preseason watch lists for the Chuck Bednarik Award and the Bronko Nagurski Award.
The 12 head football coaches in C-USA voted in the poll, which also saw Curry named to the defensive First Team. Houston quarterback Case Keenum was named the preseason Offensive Player of the Year while Damaris Johnson, Tulsa’s senior return specialist, was named preseason Special Teams Player of the Year.