UTEP Center Derron Gatewood Named to C-USA All-Conference Team

After missing the 2018 season with a torn ACL and MCL, expectations are high for UTEP football standout senior center Derron Gatewood.

Today, Gatewood was named to the C-USA Preseason Football All-Conference Team, which is selected by head coaches in the conference.

He has commanded UTEP's offensive front since he broke out as a starter on the line in 2016. Through 2016 and 2017, Gatewood started a combined 22 games for UTEP and played between the center and right guard spot.

Gatewood is a 6-foot-2, 300-pound center out of Odessa Permian High and had previously been named the 2017 Athlon Sports Preseason All-C-USA Fourth Team. He has made the C-USA Commissioner's Honor Roll all four years with the Miners. Gatewood received his bachelor's degree in Kinesiology in 2018 and is currently pursuing his Masters in Leadership Studies.

Here is the full list of C-USA Preseason recipients:

Offensive Player of the Year
Mason Fine, Sr., QB, North Texas

Defensive Player of the Year
Sage Lewis, Sr., LB, FIU

Special Teams Player of the Year
Jonathan Cruz, So., K, Charlotte

Offense
QB         Mason Fine, Sr., North Texas
RB          Spencer Brown, Jr., UAB
RB          Benny LeMay, Sr., Charlotte
OL          Levi Brown, Sr., Marshall
OL          Josh Dunlop, Sr., UTSA
OL          Derron Gatewood, Sr., UTEP
OL          Sosaia Mose, Sr., North Texas
OL          Miles Pate, Sr., WKU
TE          Harrison Bryant, Sr., Florida Atlantic
WR         Rico Bussey, Jr., Sr., North Texas
WR         Adrian Hardy, Jr., Louisiana Tech
WR         Quez Watkins, Jr., Southern Miss

Defensive
DL          Channing Hames, Sr., Marshall
DL          LaDarius Hamilton, Sr., North Texas
DL          Alex Highsmith, Sr., Charlotte
DL          Garrett Marino, Sr., UAB
DL          DeMarrio Smith, Sr., Southern Miss
DL          Jacques Turner, Jr., Southern Miss
LB          Khalil Brooks, Sr., Middle Tennessee
LB          Sage Lewis, Sr., FIU
LB          Racheem Boothe, Jr., Southern Miss
DB          Reed Blankenship, Jr., Middle Tennessee
DB          Ky’el Hemby, Jr., Southern Miss
DB          Amik Robertson, Jr., Louisiana Tech
DB          Chris Jackson, Sr., Marshall

Special Teams
K            Jonathan Cruz, So., Charlotte
P            Alvin Kenworthy, Sr., North Texas
KR          Brett Winnegan, Sr., UTSA
PR          Maurice Alexander, Sr., FIU
LS          Matt Beardall, Sr., Marshall