Senior tight end Cody Slate has been picked along with two other Thundering Herd teammates to the Conference USA Preseason All-Conference Team, selected by the league's 12 head coaches. The announcement was made Tuesday, July 27 at the conference meeting in Irving, TX.

Joining Slate on the squad are senior defensive end Albert McClellan, and senior linebacker Mario Harvey.

Slate, a  Mackey Award candidate, enters 2009 with national recognition and needing less than 100 yards to move into first place on the all time Herd list for tight ends. The 6'4", 225 pounder has 2,012 career receiving yards and 19 touchdown receptions.

In a poll conducted last Saturday by Ted Lewis of the Times Picayune, Slate along with Houston Cougar quarterback Case Keenum were the only two unanimous first-team selections by league media members.

McClellan is returning on a high note to try to surpass an outstanding 2008 season. In 2006, he was the conference's Defensive Player of the Year.  Due to a knee injury he was forced to miss the entire 2007 season. McClellan was voted to the 2008 first team All-Conference team.

He currently sits at No. 7 on the Herd all time sack leader list with 17. He also has 30 tackles for loss in his career.  He was also named first team preseason all-conference by the league's media members.

Harvey, listed as a senior, may earn back a year of eligibility due to academic progress and compete as a junior. He led the Herd with 107 tackles and had seven tackles for losses, along with 4.5 sacks. He was also named to the first-team by the media members.

The Thundering Herd opens the 2009 season on Sept. 5 against the Salukis of Southern Illinois. Kickoff is scheduled for 4:30 p.m. at Joan C. Edwards Stadium in Huntington, WV

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