Athlon Sports released its 2016 All-Conference USA Football Teams on Friday heading into the upcoming season and honored 14 total Western Kentucky players on its four conference squads, which was the most of any team in C-USA.

WKU’s five first-team selections were the most of any school from the East Division, tying Louisiana Tech for the overall most. The Tops had three on the second team, a pair on the third team and four on the fourth team to round out the honorees.

The offensive trio of running back Anthony Wales, wide receiver Taywan Taylor and offensive lineman Forrest Lamp all garnered first-team honors.

Wales became WKU’s sixth-consecutive 1,000-yard rusher in 2015 behind the offensive line anchored by Lamp, who was named to the 2015 All-C-USA first team for his play along the offensive front. Taylor will return for his senior season after having the single greatest season by a wide receiver in Hilltopper football history, setting multiple single-season and career records last year.

Linebacker T.J. McCollum and kick returner Kylen Towner joined the trio on the first team.

McCollum jumped right into the starting lineup in 2015 as a transfer and led WKU in tackles with 106 (69 solo) and tackles for loss with 11.5 for 30 yards. Towner, who was the C-USA Second Team Kick Returner in 2015 by both the league office and Phil Steele, returned 32 kicks for 758 yards, including a career-best 98-yard kick return for a touchdown against La. Tech.

Athlon Sports named offensive lineman Brandon Ray on the Second-Team Offense and linebacker Keith Brown and safety Marcus Ward on the Second-Team Defense.

Ray started alongside Lamp on the WKU offensive line for all 14 games in 2015, while Brown comes to The Hill after spending three seasons at Louisville. Ward tallied 57 tackles (37 solo) and a career-best 7.5 TFL in 2015 and received C-USA All-Academic honors for his work in the classroom.

On the third team, wide receiver Nicholas Norris and defensive lineman Derik Overstreet were the Hilltopper representatives.

Norris blossomed into one of WKU’s best playmakers last season as his 971 receiving yards were the third-most in a single season at WKU, while his 63 receptions were seventh-most. Overstreet led all WKU defensive linemen with 48 tackles (31 solo) and nine tackles for loss from his defensive end position.

Center Max Halpin was joined on the fourth team by defensive linemen Omarius Bryant and Nick Dawson-Brents and Nacarius Fant as the punt returner.

Halpin, who was recently named to the Rimington Award Watch List for the second straight year, returned from a back injury to start all 14 games for WKU in 2015. Bryant finished his junior campaign with 30 tackles (17 solo) and 3.5 TFL and graded out as the top player in the 2015 Miami Beach Bowl, per Pro Football Focus.

Dawson-Brents comes to The Hill with Brown from Louisville, appearing in 37 games for the Cardinals and all 13 last season. Fant took over the punt return duties late in the year last season, with his 37-yard return in the Miami Beach Bowl leading to a WKU touchdown on the following play.