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Jose Ramirez is EMU's First-Ever MAC Defensive Player of the Year

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Jose Ramirez is EMU's First-Ever MAC Defensive Player of the Year

Four First Team All-MAC Players ties record mark for EMU.

Alex Alvarado
Nov 30, 2022
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Jose Ramirez is EMU's First-Ever MAC Defensive Player of the Year

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Image via Eastern Michigan Athletics

Jose Ramirez’s 2022 season at defensive end for Eastern Michigan was one for the record books. Ramirez finished the year as the #2 player nationally with 12 total sacks, tied for 3rd with 19.5 TFL made (101 yards lost ties national lead), also had 62 total tackles, 10 QB hurries, forced a couple of fumbles and broke up two passes.

Ramirez was, without question, one of the most impactful players in the country this year. The MAC coaches agreed, and he was recognized as the league’s top defender on Wednesday.

Twitter avatar for @Jose4six
Jose Ramirez @Jose4six
Y’all played, All Glory to God but Grant Trueman had 2 sacks & a pick https://t.co/oYB8u0TsD8
Twitter avatar for @MACSports
#MACtion @MACSports
EMU’s @Jose4six dropped CMU’s QBs 3.0 times. His season 12.0 sacks for 79yds brings him first place in the nation and conference in total sacks. 12 sacks is also the first in school history for a single season, he sits 2nd with 20.5 career sacks. #StackEm | #MACtion https://t.co/AmhczuC924
10:35 PM ∙ Nov 28, 2022
68Likes7Retweets

Ramirez was a no-brainer pick to be a team captain before the year and has been an upbeat model for the team to rally with all season long. Now, it’s just wait-and-see time for other postseason awards that may come his way.

Could #4 be an All-American?

The D-end was just one of nine EMU Eagles to earn All-MAC honors this year, including four First Team selections: Ramirez, OL Sidy Sow, KR Jaylon Jackson, and P Mitchell Tomasek.

It’s the third time in school history that EMU has had this many First Teamers. The last time EMU achieved this mark back when it was the Hurons: 1977. (Their names: Rollie Hansen, Ron Johnson, Tom Williams and Bobby Windom).

This is Sow’s second-straight year as a First Team All-MAC pick (Third Team in 2020), and will leave the team with the most career games played (56) and started (54).

Jackson’s 87 and 89-yard punt returns early on in the season meant special teams coaches planned to kick away from #28 on kickoffs. The redshirt-freshman transfer from Lamar had 21 kick returns for 551 total yards, 26.2 yards per clip. After a hot start, Jackson’s return average finished #10 nationally.

Tomasek, a first-year punter who battled his way onto the field had a dynamite season. He punted 45 times for an average of 44.31 yards per kick (24th nationally), had 6 fall as touchbacks, 4 were fair caught, 14 landed inside the 20, and 12 were booted for 50+ yards. In the season finale, Ramirez let Tomasek take the senior’s place in the pregame coin toss at midfield.

Other Eagles to receive all-conference honors this season included: WR Hassan Beydoun (Third Team) OL Brian Dooley (Second Team), RB Samson Evans (Second Team), K Jesus Gomez (Third Team), and WR Tanner Knue (Third Team).

The Ypsilanti Eleven
The Intangibles: Jose Ramirez
Jose Ramirez’s big season is no surprise to anybody. He was bound to have a huge year in his final season with Eastern Michigan. This season was Ramirez’s fourth year at EMU after stops at Arizona and Riverside Community College and picked up Third Team All-MAC honors last year. After three seasons in the #55 uniform, …
Read more
10 months ago · Alex Alvarado

Kurtis Rourke won the MAC’s MVP, and I didn’t have much doubt that he’d run away with the award. Honestly, I’m just really glad he gets to bring the honor back home. To me, he seemed the most deserving player to win it, and Ohio’s 2022 season is one that we’ll be talking about for a long time after it’s done, no matter what happens on Saturday while the QB is forced to stand on the sidelines. Rourke’s season was cut short by suffering a leg injury against Ball State, Game 11. He told ESPN that he’ll be back next year, but it’s a stinger to have the league’s top player out of the most important game of the year.

Rourke’s 296 passing yards per game is ranked 11th nationally, and his 69.1% passing rate is good for 7th.

The advanced numbers love him more. Pro Football Focus graded the Maple Missle out as its #1 college passer in America through the 2022 regular season. PFF’s passer grade for Rourke: 92.1.

Of his 352 recorded pass attempts, only 2.9% of those throws were deemed turnover-worthy. Of QBs to throw the ball at least 150 times this season, Rourke’s adjusted completion percentage (77.8%), which takes drops and targets into account, ranks 14th nationally.

Ohio’s 9-3 and is going to the MAC Championship game to finally do something that unfortunately was never accomplished under Frank Solich. Rourke may not physically be able to contribute on Saturday, but he’s definitely the reason why this team’s able to make the trip to Detroit.

via PFFcom

Here are the full list of All-MAC honorees of the 2022 season. Congrats to everybody that made the cut, and shame on the voters for leaving everybody else off.

2022 MAC Specialty Award Winners

  • Coach of the Year: Tim Albin, Ohio

  • Vern Smith Leadership Award Winner: Kurtis Rourke, QB, Ohio

  • Offensive Player of the Year: Kurtis Rourke, QB, Ohio

  • Defensive Player of the Year: Jose Ramirez, DL, Eastern Michigan

  • Special Teams Player of the Year: Alex McNulty, PK, Buffalo

  • Freshman of the Year: Sieh Bangura, RB, Ohio

2022 All-MAC First Team Offense

  • Quarterback – Kurtis Rourke, Ohio

  • Offensive Lineman – Sidy Sow, Eastern Michigan

  • Offensive Lineman – Marcellus Marshall, Kent State

  • Offensive Lineman – Nolan Potter, Northern Illinois

  • Offensive Lineman – Hagen Meservy, Ohio

  • Offensive Lineman – Nick Rosi, Toledo

  • Tight End – Brady Hunt, Ball State

  • Wide Receiver – Alex Adams, Akron

  • Wide Receiver – Devontez Walker, Kent State

  • Wide Receiver – Dante Cephas, Kent State

  • Wide Receiver – Sam Wiglusz, Ohio

  • Running Back – Carson Steele, Ball State

  • Running Back – Marquez Cooper, Kent State

  • Placekicker – Alex McNulty, Buffalo

2022 All-MAC First Team Defense

  • Down Lineman – Karl Brooks, Bowling Green

  • Down Lineman – Thomas Incoom, Central Michigan

  • Down Lineman – Jose Ramirez, Eastern Michigan

  • Down Lineman – Desjuan Johnson, Toledo

  • Linebacker – Bubba Arslanian, Akron

  • Linebacker – Shaun Dolac, Buffalo

  • Linebacker – Dallas Gant, Toledo

  • Linebacker – Zaire Barnes, Western Michigan

  • Defensive Back – Marcus Fuqua, Buffalo

  • Defensive Back – Donte Kent, Central Michigan

  • Defensive Back – Quinyon Mitchell, Toledo

  • Defensive Back – Maxen Hook, Toledo

  • Punter – Mitchell Tomasek, Eastern Michigan

2022 All-MAC First Team Specialists

  • Kickoff Return Specialist – Jaylon Jackson, Eastern Michigan

  • Kickoff Return Specialist – Keegan Wilburn, Ohio

2022 All-MAC Second Team Offense

  • Quarterback – Dequan Finn, Toledo

  • Offensive Lineman – Ethan Crowe, Ball State

  • Offensive Lineman – Jamezz Kimbrough, Central Michigan

  • Offensive Lineman – Brian Dooley, Eastern Michigan

Dooley, also named a preseason team captain, played the third-most snaps for the EMU offense this season (851), and was the team’s highest-graded pass blocker on the team’s starting O-line (70.9).

  • Offensive Lineman – Sam Allan, Kent State

  • Offensive Lineman – Rusty Feth, Miami

  • Tight End – Christian Sims, Bowling Green

  • Wide Receiver – Jayshon Jackson, Ball State

  • Wide Receiver – Odieu Hillare, Bowling Green

  • Wide Receiver – Mac Hippenhammer, Miami

  • Wide Receiver – Jerjuan Newton, Toledo

  • Wide Receiver – Corey Crooms, Western Michigan

  • Running Back – Samson Evans, Eastern Michigan

Evans finished the season as the MAC’s #3 rusher at 98.6 rushing yards per game and tied for second at 13 TD scored. He was third in total yards (1,084) and 12th in rush average (4.84).

  • Running Back – Sean Tyler, Western Michigan

  • Placekicker – Nathanial Vakos, Ohio

2022 All-MAC Second Team Defense

  • Down Lineman – DeVonte O'Malley, Northern Illinois

  • Down Lineman – Jamal Hines, Toledo

  • Down Lineman – Andre Carter, Western Michigan

  • Down Lineman – Brandon Fiske, Western Michigan

  • Linebacker – Clayton Coll, Ball State

  • Linebacker – James Patterson, Buffalo

  • Linebacker – Ryan McWood, Miami

  • Linebacker – Dyontae Johnson, Toledo

  • Defensive Back – Amechi Uzodinma, Ball State

  • Defensive Back – Nic Jones, Ball State

  • Defensive Back – Nico Bolden, Kent State

  • Defensive Back – C.J. Brown, Northern Illinois

  • Defensive Back – Nate Bauer, Toledo

  • Punter – Dom Dzioban, Miami

2022 All-MAC Second Team Specialists

  • Kickoff Return Specialist – Ta'ron Keith, Bowling Green

  • Kickoff Return Specialist – Ja'Shaun Poke, Kent State

2022 All-MAC Third Team Offense

  • Quarterback – DJ Irons, Akron

  • Quarterback – Collin Schlee, Kent State

  • Offensive Lineman – Anthony Whigan, Akron

  • Offensive Lineman – Gabe Wallace, Buffalo

  • Offensive Lineman – Desmond Bessent, Buffalo

  • Offensive Lineman – Deiyantei Powell-Woods, Central Michigan

  • Offensive Lineman – Logan Zschemitz, Northern Illinois

  • Tight End – Joel Wilson, Central Michigan

  • Wide Receiver – Shocky Jacques-Louis, Akron

  • Wide Receiver – Quian Williams, Buffalo

  • Wide Receiver – Tanner Knue, Eastern Michigan

Knue was EMU’s leading receiver with 592 receiving yards and 9 TD scored, second on the team with 42 receptions made.

  • Wide Receiver – Hassan Beydoun, Eastern Michigan

Beydoun, who wore the #2 jersey for EMU this season, had a team-best 47 catches for 451 yards and scored 4 times.

  • Running Back – Harrison Waylee, Northern Illinois

  • Running Back – Sieh Bangura, Ohio

  • Placekicker – Jesus Gomez, Eastern Michigan

Gomez, in his first season as the team’s kicker, was 13/16 on field goal tries but perfect on all 43 of his PAT kicks.

2022 All-MAC Third Team Defense

  • Down Lineman – Zay West, Kent State

  • Down Lineman – Michael Kennedy, Northern Illinois

  • Down Lineman – James Ester, Northern Illinois

  • Down Lineman – Jack McCrory, Ohio

  • Linebacker – Kyle Moretti, Central Michigan

  • Linebacker – Matthew Salopek, Miami

  • Linebacker – Keye Thompson, Ohio

  • Linebacker – Corvin Moment, Western Michigan

  • Defensive Back – Jordan Riley, Ball State

  • Defensive Back – John Saunders Jr., Miami

  • Defensive Back – Tariq Drake, Ohio

  • Defensive Back – Keni-H Lovely, Western Michigan

  • Punter – Luke Elzinga, Central Michigan

2022 All-MAC Third Team Specialists

  • Kickoff Return Specialist – Jalen Walker, Miami

  • Kickoff Return Specialist – De'Javion Stepney, Central Michigan


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Jose Ramirez is EMU's First-Ever MAC Defensive Player of the Year

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