Akron Reporter

The Golden Flashes placed nine on the Mid-American Conference's All-Conference teams, including four on the first team as announced by the conference.

Dante Cephas, Marquez Cooper, Marcellus Marshall and Devontez Walker all earned first-team all-conference accolades.

Cephas earned his second first-team all-conference nod in as many seasons. He finished second in the MAC with 82.7 yards per game, a mark that jumped to 97.8 yards per game in MAC play. Cephas (along with teammate Devontez Walker) were two of three MAC receivers who averaged over 15 yards per catch. He set a Kent State record with his 246-yard (13 receptions) performance in the win over Ohio this season.

Cooper earns his first all-conference nod after posting the sixth 1,300+ yard season in program history, finishing second in the MAC and 14th in the FBS with 1,331 yards. Cooper's 13 rushing touchdowns are top-10 all time in a season for the Flashes. Cooper averaged over 130 yards per game in conference games (132.7) and he had the sixth 240+ yard game in program history in the victory over Ohio. He and Cephas became the only tandem in FBS history to each have over 240 yards in the same game.

Marcellus Marshall stepped into the role of starting offensive tackle and earned first-honors for his efforts. Marshall started all 12 games and the offensive line paved the way for the top rushing attack in the MAC, racking up over 2,400 yards and over 200 yards per game.  The Flashes were also one of two MAC teams to post over 5,000 yards of total offense this season and one of three to average 400 yards of offense per game.

Walker earns his first all-conference accolade after stepping into a starting role this season. He posted one of the finest seasons in the MAC and set the program record with 11 touchdown catches. That mark tied for the MAC lead and was sixth in the FBS. His 921 yards led the conference and is third-most in program history. He also finished amongst the leaders in receptions (58) and yards per catch (15.9).

Three players earned second team all-conference honors, Sam Allan, Nico Bolden and Ja'Shaun Poke.

Allan closes his career with his first all-conference honor, starting all 12 games for the Golden Flashes at center. Like Marshall, Allan helped to anchor the offensive line and led them to the fourth season of 5,000+ yards of offense in program history.

Bolden set a career high with 103 tackles this season and earned his first all-conference honor. He closed his Kent State career with five games with 10+ tackles including his final three games of the season. His 64 solo tackles also led the team and were good for second in the MAC.

Poke earned second-team honors for his returning prowess. He led the MAC with a 29.4 average on kick-off returns and finished sixth in total return yardage, on only 15 returns. Poke also had an impact in the passing game, finishing third on the team with 362 yards on the season.

Collin Schlee and Zayin West earned third-team all-conference honors. Schlee stepped into the starting quarterback role and threw for 2,109 yards in 11 games. He finished third in the MAC in quarterback rating at 138.0, thanks in part to a 13-to-5 touchdown-to-interception ratio, second best in the MAC. Schlee also added to the run game, finishing second on the team with 492 yards, four touchdowns and over five yards per carry.

Zayin West closes his career with an all-conference season. West finished in the top-10 in the MAC with a team and career best 11.5 tackles for loss. Included in that lot are 4.5 sacks, good for second on the team. He helped secure the Wagon Wheel for the fourth-straight season with two sacks and three tackles for loss in the victory. West was also a key member on the Flashes' special teams, catching a pass to convert a fake punt against Georgia and returning a kick for 21 yards against Ball State.

The nine all-conference honorees are the most for Kent State since they placed nine on the 2012 squad and the four first-team members are the most since 1997. The full all-conference team can be viewed here.

Original source can be found here.