Kanye Udoh ECAC rookie of the year, Hammonds all-defense pick

Kanye Udoh’s last game as an Army freshman was a nod to the team’s senior class.

Udoh praised Army seniors from guiding him from the start of his rookie season after he turned in one of his best efforts – 88 rushing yards in 17-11 win over Navy.

“A lot of the seniors when I came in, they took me under their wings, showed me how things go, just how this place works and the culture,” Udoh said during the postgame press conference.

It’s that culture that helped Udoh to have a breakout season and earn a prestigious postseason award Monday.

The Eastern College Athletic Conference (ECAC) named Udoh its rookie of the year. Udoh’s 524 rushing yards were 10^th among FBS freshman this season and second on the Black Knights behind quarterback Bryson Daily.

Udoh set a career high with 124 rushing yards against Troy and followed it with 108-yard effort at LSU. Research by Black Knight Nation showed Udoh was the first Army freshman to have back-to-back 100-yard rushing games since academy all-time leading rusher Mike Mayweather accomplished the feat in the final two games of the 1987 season.

Udoh’s 88 rushing yards were the most by an Army freshman against Navy since 2016.

Army senior safety Quindrelin Hammonds was the only Army player named to the all-ECAC defense team. Hammonds had 64 tackles, tied for the team lead with three interceptions, broke up four passes and recovered a fumble. Hammonds’ value went beyond the stats. His speed allowed Hammonds to chase down and prevent bigger plays by opponents.