The University of Alabama at Birmingham football program will be represented at this week’s American Athletic Conference media days by head coach Trent Dilfer, record-setting quarterback Jacob Zeno, and breakout linebacker Michael Moore, the program announced on Friday.
Head Coach Trent Dilfer, Quarterback Jacob Zeno and Linebacker Michael Moore are headed to Arlington, Texas this Monday and Tuesday for @American_Conf Media Days.
Here is what you need to know as the Blazers enter year two in the AAC.
🔗: https://t.co/CqoaFfH25H#WinAsOne pic.twitter.com/BWsPyKwkb1
— UAB Football (@UAB_FB) July 19, 2024
The trio will take the podium in Arlington, Texas, at 8:40 CT on Tuesday morning, televised on ESPN+.
The senior Zeno is coming off of a historic campaign where he set UAB school records in completions (279) and completion percentage (73.6%) while becoming just the third Blazer to record over 3,000 passing yards in a single season. Zeno’s best performance came in a November win over Florida Atlantic, when he threw for 484 yards and five touchdowns.
🎯Jacob Zeno (UAB)
✅29/35,484yds, 5tds, 1int
Huge game for Zeno as he relied on Palmer for a lot of those yds, but still distributed the ball through out as each TD went to a diff WR
Hit on some big vertical plays & also was stellar off play action @BlazerPod pic.twitter.com/OkbWEaFRgk
— QB Spotlight (@QBspotlight) November 6, 2023
In a December interview with media personality Adam Breneman, Zeno claimed he was offered nearly a million dollars to enter the transfer portal, but decided to stay at UAB, citing the “best coach, best offensive coordinator, and best teammates in the country.”
RELATED: Zeno has historic season for Blazers
Moore, a senior linebacker hailing from Houston, Texas, enjoyed a breakout 2023, leading the Blazers in tackles before missing the last two games of the season due to a broken shoulder. Originally a defensive end, the UAB coaching staff moved Moore to middle linebacker halfway through the year, a move which caused him to flourish. He recorded 12 tackles in a game against Memphis and finished the year with 5.5 tackles for loss, one sack, and one forced fumble.
In 2023, Trent Dilfer’s first season in charge of the program, UAB posted a 4-8 record and failed to reach bowl eligibility for the first time since 2014. Moore and Zeno hope to lead the Blazers to improvement in 2024, and many prognosticators are optimistic they can do it. Vegas has set UAB’s over-under at 6.5 wins, while analyst Phil Steele predicts the Blazers will be one of the 15 most improved teams in the country.
Charles Vaughan is a contributing writer for Yellowhammer News.
